BEEGHLY BEATING || TKO in 5th

By JOE SCALZO

Vindicator sports staff

Pavlik vs. Espino

Gallery

YOUNGSTOWN — Kelly Pavlik waited 10 months to get back in the ring.

He only needed five rounds to get back out of it.

Fighting for the first time since his February bout at the Covelli Centre, Pavlik dropped Miguel Espino three times in the final two rounds before Espino’s corner threw in the towel, handing Pavlik a fifth-round TKO victory in front of 3,409 fans Saturday night at Youngstown State University’s Beeghly Center.

“There was a little bit of rust,” said Pavlik, who retained his WBC and WBO middleweight titles. “I tip my hat to him. He came to fight. He was finding his way inside. He was a determined fighter. The kid fought a great fight.”

In the days leading up to the fight, Espino promised he was coming to fight and he backed it up, brawling in the middle of the ring while refusing to back up against the bigger, stronger Pavlik.

It was an exciting, courageous — and exceptionally unwise — strategy as Pavlik’s right uppercuts and hooks to the body proved too much for Espino.

“I didn’t stick to the game plan,” Espino said. “When I first got hit, it didn’t affect me too much. So I said, ‘The heck with the game plan. Let’s rumble.’”

Espino’s trainer, John Bray, said the game plan was to circle to the right, jab at Pavlik and force Pavlik to back up. Espino never tried it.

“As soon as he got hit, the warrior came out and he went toe to toe,” Bray said. “It was a big mistake. Kelly is a big puncher, and we fell into his trap. You can’t beat Kelly Pavlik by fighting his game. He is a great champion.”

The fighters traded big blows for the first three rounds and both got in a few good shots, although Pavlik consistently landed big power shots and mostly avoided Espino’s best punches. The biggest sign of rust came with Pavlik’s defense, which got sloppy at times.

Finally, midway through the fourth round, Pavlik hit Espino with a big right uppercut, dropping him to one knee for a standing eight count. He dropped him again a minute later with a big left hand and a right uppercut.

Referee Steve Smoger talked to Espino’s corner between the fourth and fifth rounds and he was cleared to continue.

Finally, a big straight right early in the fifth round stunned him and Pavlik patiently put on the pressure before the stoppage at 1:44.

“I was never seriously hurt,” Espino said. “It is what it is.”

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