Pavlik primed for YSU bout fight’

By Joe Scalzo | November 25, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

‘This is a serious fight,’ the middleweight champion from Youngstown says.

Kelly Pavlik was in Las Vegas on Tuesday to promote an upcoming fight in Youngstown that will be broadcast globally as part of a two- location pay-per-view that will begin in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico.

Got all that?

If not, well, there’s still a few weeks to sort it out before Pavlik makes a middleweight title defense against Miguel Espino on Dec. 19 at Youngstown State University’s Beeghly Center.

“I know there will be a handful of Mexicans cheering for me, and everyone else will be cheering for him, but that’s all right,” said Espino (20-2-1, 9 KOs). “I don’t back up, he don’t back. One of us has to give.”

Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs), who has not fought since February due to a hand injury, said he’s healthy and eager to return to the ring.

He’s been training in Vegas the past few weeks and said he doesn’t plan to overlook the relatively unknown Espino.

“We’ve had a great camp so far,” he said. “This is a serious fight and we know Miguel is a serious fighter. We need to get focused on what’s in front of us.”

Does that include a knockout victory? “As I always predict,” he said, “there’s going to be a ‘W.’”