Espino: ‘This is the opportunity of a lifetime’

By Joe Scalzo | November 25, 2009 at 12:08a.m.

The opponents were in Las Vegas to talk about their upcoming bout at YSU.

When Miguel Espino got the phone call that changed his life, he was in Culiacan, Mexico, training with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and eating a taco.

The call came from a Mexico-based manager named Fernando Beltran, who stunned Espino with the news that he’d be fighting Kelly Pavlik on Dec. 19.

“I’m like, ‘Get out of here, you’re crazy,’ ” Espino said, smiling. “And he’s like, ‘No, for sure.’

“And I’m like, ‘Wow.’ ”

Up to that point, Espino may have been best known as a boxer who got knocked out in the first round of the first season of NBC’s reality series “The Contender.”

In fact, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum opened Tuesday’s press conference from Las Vegas with the admission, “I know many of you haven’t heard of him.”

So, here’s what you should know. He’s 20-2-1, he’s won his last 11 fights (the last four by knockout), he’s the No. 3-ranked middleweight contender by the WBC, he’s from North Hollywood, Calif., (which explains why he used the word “like” three times in the previous quote) but has Hispanic roots (which explains why he was in Mexico).

“[This fight] is a life-changing experience and the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Espino. “I’m going to be 100 percent and I know Kelly is.

“We’re going to give the fans in Ohio a great show.”

Pavlik, who hasn’t fought since February due to a staph infection in his left hand, has been training in Vegas the past few weeks for the bout, which will be held at Youngstown State’s Beeghly Center.

The fight comes after Pavlik’s camp canceled a Dec. 5 bout with Paul Williams due to the hand injury.

Pavlik said his hand is “great” — he has finally resumed punching and sparring, he said — and that he came to Las Vegas to get away from some of the distractions he faced for the February bout, which was also held in Youngstown.

This is the third time Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) has trained in Las Vegas.

“This is a serious fight and I know Miguel is a serious fighter,” said Pavlik. “We need to get focused on what’s in front of us.”

When Pavlik first arrived in Las Vegas, he started working with a therapist named Ray Franklin. Franklin was skeptical at first that Pavlik would be ready to fight — the main issue is the middle finger on his left hand, which wouldn’t bend enough to make a fist — but the hand has gotten “300 percent better since then,” according to Pavlik’s father and co-manager, Mike Pavlik Sr.

The biggest remaining concern may be Pavlik’s weight. The infection limited his ability to run, much less train, and the 6-foot-3 Pavlik looked noticeably heavier at the press conference.

“The weight’s good,” he insisted. “We’re exactly at nine pounds over and we’ve got plenty of time to lose it.

“You don’t ever want to come down too fast.”

Still, Pavlik may opt to return home for the final weeks in order to shed the weight.

Like the February bout, next month’s card will be televised on pay-per-view from two sites.

The pay-per-view broadcast will open from the Arena Itson in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico with WBC super featherweight champion Humberto Soto (49-7-2, 32 KOs), of Los Mochis, Mexico taking on two-time world champion Jesus Chavez (44-6, 30 KOs), of Austin, Tex., in a 10-round lightweight bout, followed by a rumble between WBA interim bantamweight champion Neomar Cerme ±o (18-0, 10 KOs), of Anzoategui, Venezuela, defending his title against Alejandro Valdez (22-3-2, 16 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.

The pay-per-view action will shift to Youngstown where undefeated top-10 super welterweight contender Vanes Martirosyan (25-0, 16 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., will challenge NABF super welterweight champion Willie Lee (17-5, 10 KOs), of New Orleans, in a 12-round bout, followed by the main event, Pavlik vs. Espino.

The Youngstown portion of the event will have a full undercard, which will feature Russian Olympian middleweight Matt Korobov and former heavyweight champion Sam Peter.

Pavlik’s trainer, Jack Loew, also plans to showcase local fighters Chris Hazimihalis of Campbell (who will make his pro debut) and Jake Giuriceo of Campbell and Struthers (who made his pro debut on February’s undercard).

scalzo@vindy.com