Lee Samuels: The champion is here, Kelly Pavlik and his chief trainer Jack Loew are here, they’re in Youngstown getting ready for the big fight next week against Marco Antonio Rubio live on Pay Per View.
Marco Antonio Rubio
Pavlik-Rubio: Kelly Has A Lot of Proving To Do
By Jason Kim: To be kind, middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) looked absolutely horrible in his last fight, losing and looking way overmatched against 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins in a 12-round unanimous decision in October. Calling it a bad night, never could get off with his punches and was beaten soundly by a fighter that Pavlik, with his youth and power, should have been able to beat if he was the real deal. Instead, Pavlik took a beating and ended up looking one dimensional and limited as a fighter.
Does Pavlik Intend On Boxing More Against Rubio?
By Dave Lahr: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) is only a week away from his comeback fight against his number #1 challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 37 KOs) at the Chevrolet Centre, in Youngstown, Ohio. The burning question is, besides whether he’s recovered both mentally and physically from his disappointing 12-round decision loss to Bernard Hopkins in October, is whether Pavlik will adapt his fighting strategy and try to put more emphasis on using his dormant boxing skills rather than just trying to slug it out with his opponents.
Pavlik-Rubio: Will Kelly Have Lingering Effects From His Loss To Hopkins?
By Matt Stein: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) would like people to think that he’ll be the same fighter he was before his recent one-sided 12-round unanimous decision loss to Bernard Hopkins in October 2008. Besides the obvious fact of the probable mental after effects of being soundly beaten in a shocking loss to the 43-year-old Hopkins, there’s also the possible results of having been beaten for a full 12 rounds by the powerful shots from Hopkins.
Pavlik-Rubio: Kelly Looking To Resurrect His Career
By Matt Stein: Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has a lot to prove on February 21st against Marco Antonio Rubio, starting with whether Pavlik has moved beyond his last fight – an embarrassing one-sided loss to Bernard Hopkins on October 18th, 2008. Nothing was lost in the fight in terms of titles for Pavlik, aside from his hurt feelings and some of his credibility as a fighter.
Will Rubio Make Pavlik Look Like Margarito?
By William Mackay: It doesn’t help that WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) was not long ago soundly defeated by a fighter that is trained by the new hot trainer Nasim Richardson, but the similarities go further than that. Like Antonio Margarito, Pavlik was expected to win big in his last fight and ended up taking sound thrashing, winning zero rounds and badly beaten.
Pavlik-Rubio Preview
By Matt Stein: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) will be looking to shine against Marco Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 37 KOs) on February 21st at n Youngstown, Ohio. Pavlik, 26, has a lot of proving to do after looking positively horrible in a 12-round unanimous decision loss to 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins in October. If there’s a plus side for this fight, it’s that Pavlik’s two middleweight straps weren’t on the line in the fight, due to Pavlik having moved up to the 170 pound catch weight.
Pavlik vs. Rubio on February 21st
By Dave Lahr: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) will be defending his titles on February 21st against Marco Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 37 KOs), his number #1 ranked WBC challenger, in Youngstown, Ohio. Pavlik, 26, will be making his first appearance since being defeated by 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins in a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision loss in October in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Pavlik, who made the mistake of meeting Hopkins at a 170 pound catch weight, was completely outclassed by Hopkins, who used both his power and movement to make Pavlik look bad and beat him to the punch.