Kelly ahead through round 4

Joe Scalzo reports from ringside:

Round 1: 11:19 p.m. and the fight starts Kelly swings and misses on a big left in the first minute. They seem to be feeling each other out. Pavlik is definitely the aggressor early. Pavlik starts to land. This crowd is going nuts. He's establishing his jab and Rubio is backing up. Pavlik is showing good patience, not trying to do too much, working the body then going to the head. He looks 100 percent better than he did against Hopkins already. Rubio looks overmatched. Pavlik landed a big right at the end of the first round.

Round 2: Pavlik starts with good patience, establishing his left jab. He backs Rubio into the corner early in the round. I'm not sure Pavlik has been hit with anything noteworthy yet. Pavlik is just playing the stalker role, hitting Rubio with big shots. Even the stuff Rubio is blocking has to hurt. This is like Gary Lockett all over again. Rubio is blocking a lot of punches but he's not scoring. This one won't last six rounds.

Round 3: Mexican fighters are known for their heart and Rubio is going to need every ounce of his. This is the best Rubio has looked so far, but he's still backing up an awful lot. Pavlik lands a big left hook at the 2 minute mark. Pavlik's length is giving Rubio all sorts of problems. Pavlik is staying on the outside and working his jab and following with rights. Pavlik is showing good patience. He knows Rubio can't last 12 rounds like this. Pavlik is doing a terrific job hitting Rubio's body, trying to get the Mexican to drop his gloves. To Rubio's credit, he's keeping them up.

Round 4: Well, Rubio has lasted longer than Gary Lockett did and he hasn't yet gone down. Pavlik backs Rubio into a corner at the 2 minute mark. Rubio needs to stay out of there. That's where Pavlik's opponents go to die. Good body shot by Pavlik at the 1:40 mark. Pavlik is fighting a very smart fight, not trying to get the knockout. He's content to keep banging away at Rubio and wear him down. I'm impressed. I didn't think Rubio would last this long. He might make it a few more rounds.