AOL News has a new home! The Huffington Post.

Click here to visit the new home of AOL News!

Hot on HuffPost:

See More Stories

Marco Antonio Rubio: Kelly Pavlik Doesn't Frighten Me

Feb 18, 2009 – 1:57 PM
Text Size
Michael David Smith

Michael David Smith %BloggerTitle%

Boxing's world middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik is a clear favorite in his title defense Saturday night against Marco Antonio Rubio, but Rubio doesn't sound too worried.

Asked to assess Pavlik as an opponent, Rubio said Wednesday that Pavlik is a legitimate champion, but also a boxer with notable weaknesses.

Rubio said:
"I'm not worried - despite the fact that Pavlik is the genuine favourite.

"I watched him fight various times and he didn't frighten me.

"He's a good fighter but that's all. ...

"I noticed that when you make him move on the sides, he loses his concentration and he's not very good at moving in the ring.

"The predictions go Pavlik's way but I'm not going to be an easy adversary.

Of Saturday night's two big fights, Rubio certainly has a better chance of pulling an upset than Michael Jennings has against Miguel Cotto. But when it comes to making Pavlik lose his concentration, there's really only been one boxer who has ever been able to do that, and that's Bernard Hopkins. Rubio is no Hopkins.

We'll have a Kelly Pavlik-Marco Antonio Rubio live blog on Saturday night here at FanHouse.
Filed under: Sports

ON FACEBOOK