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.
Pavlik vs. Rubio
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.
Can Rubio Score a Knockout Over Pavlik?
By Dave Lahr: On February 21st, WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) will be facing a mirror image of himself in the form of Mexican challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 37 KOs) at the Chevrolet Centre, in Youngstown, Ohio. Rubio, 28, is every bit as powerful as Pavlik, and holds the potential to stop Kelly with each hand. Though Rubio isn’t well known to many casual boxing fans, he’s very much a real threat to knock Pavlik unlike Bernard Hopkins who recently embarrassed Pavlik with a lopsided 12-round decision victory in October.
Pavlik-Rubio, Cotto-Jennings, Duddy-Vanda – A Tale Of Two Cities
World Middleweight Champion KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK (34-1, 30 KOs), from Youngstown, Ohio, is in his last 10 days of training for his rumble with No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 38 KOs), of Torreón, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico. The Pavlik-Rubio world championship fight will headline an exciting card at soldout Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown on Saturday, February 21, and will be broadcast live on pay-per-view, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
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.
Tickets Selling Fast For Pavlik-Rubio; Cuban Stars Gamboa, Lara and Solis Victorious – News
Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow could keep the Pavlik Nation from the Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown this morning to purchase tickets to World Middleweight Champion KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK’S homecoming title defense against No. 1 contender Marco Antonio Rubio.