By George Willis, New York Post
Kelly Pavlik might be nicknamed “The Ghost” because of his pale complexion, but it also could apply to his absence from boxing in 2009. Pavlik hasn’t been seen in a ring since February, when Marco Antonio Rubio decided to quit after nine rounds of their fight in Youngstown, Ohio.
Two major surgeries on a staph infection to a knuckle on his left hand and a life-threatening reaction to an antibiotic kept Pavlik on the shelf, causing him to twice postpone and eventually cancel a fight with Paul Williams.
With his hand finally sound, Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) defends his WBC middleweight title tonight against Miguel Espino (20-2-1, 9 KOs) of North Hollywood, Calif. The scheduled 12-round bout takes place at Youngstown State University’s Beeghly Center and will be part of a four-bout pay-per-view ($39.95) double-header beginning at 9 p.m.
There will be two bouts televised from Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, where WBA interim bantamweight champion Neomar Cermeno (18-0, 10 KOs) of Venezuela defends against Alejandro Valdez (22-3-2, 16 KOs) of Ciudad Obregon.
Pavlik will be defending his middleweight crown for the third time and said he is eager to close out a difficult year on a good note.
“It’s been a long year for me, very frustrating because of a series of setbacks,” Pavlik said. “First it was a hand injury, then it was an infection, then it was a bad reaction to the antibiotic, and then the rehab therapy for the original injury. But now I’m back. I feel great. I have a huge hunger to get back into the ring. It will be bombs away!”
Though he still can’t make a totally closed fist, Pavlik said his hand “is feeling good.”
“There is no pain and everything is fine,” Pavlik said.
He bristles at the notion he intentionally ducked out on a scheduled Dec. 5 fight with Williams, who eventually won a close decision over Sergio Martinez.
“The people that know about the sport know the truth,” Pavlik said. “It bugs my team and it bugs my family. They’re the ones that get really worked up about it. I had a setback like everyone has. Football players get staph infections all the time. I got one and I will still fight twice this year. I still stayed somewhat active in ‘09. I know what we have planned for the future and know what track we are on.”
Espino is ranked No. 3 by the WBC but is best known for appearing on the television series “The Contender.” His game plan will be to pressure Pavlik and make the champion fight backing up.
“Kelly is tall, lanky and hits hard,” Espino said. “The key for me is to stay focused throughout the fight, stay calm and stick to the game plan. It’s a good one designed to exploit Kelly’s flaws. I have every intention of making the most of this opportunity.”
The UFC is headed back to the Prudential Center in Newark for the first time in three years. UFC 111 is set for March 27 with Georges St-Pierre defending his welterweight title against England’s Dan Hardy. It also is being reported that Frank Mir will face Shane Carwin for the interim UFC heavyweight title while Brock Lesnar recovers from a bacterial infection. Frankie Edgar of Tom River, N.J., also could be added to the pay-per-view card.
Negotiations continue on a site for the proposed March 13 bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. When and if the deal is finalized, Mayweather said he is confident he will be victorious.
“I just know nobody [can] beat me,” Mayweather told the Post. “It is what it is. For 14 years they’ve been trying to find a fighter that can beat me and they’ve come up short every time.”
george.willis@nypost.com
Source: nypost.com
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