Miguel Espino Honors Mother Against Kelly Pavlik

Earlier in his professional career, Miguel Espino was one of the fighters on the inaugural boxing series, The Contender.

But on Saturday night, the 29-year-old Espino (20-2-1, nine knockouts) will put his 11-bout winning streak on the line as "The Challenger."

That's when Espino, who has not lost in more than five years, will be greeted by a hostile crowd in Youngstown, Ohio's Beeghly Center as he tries to lift from hometown hero, Kelly Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs), the WBC and WBO middleweight (160 pounds) titles.

Much of Espino's motivation comes from his deep, emotional relationship with his legally blind mother, Ana Garcia, with whom he has lived for the past four years and whom he has helped to support in North Hollywood, Calif., since her nasty divorce from his cheating father.

Espino's last loss was by five-round, unanimous decision to Peter Monfredo Jr. in August of 2004, a bout which eliminated him from The Contender. Espino's winning streak includes six knockouts, as well as stoppages in his past four fights against Arturo Ortega, Robert Valenzuela, Eliu Duenas and Alejandro Garcia -- all in six rounds or less.

In this Q&A, Espino talks about his mother, his life and his first world title shot.

FanHouse: Miguel, what does you mother, Ana Garcia, mean to you?

Miguel Espino: Like I tell everybody, she's my hero. She's has dealt with a lot -- not just being blind. She can't see very well.

She went through a rough, tough, horrible divorce from my dad at an older age than most people get divorced.

I've always told her that when I came back home, I would help her out financially and emotionally. I told her that until the day she dies, I would be right there by her side.

She's always telling me to 'go ahead and live your life. Find a girl, get married and settle down.' I tell her, 'Yeah, I'll do all of that.'

But I tell her, 'I'm going to be right there with you, don't worry about that. Don't even trip on that.' I've got her back.

FH: Miguel, can you discuss your mother's nasty divorce from your father?

Espino: It was about four years ago. My dad was being a bad boy. He was being a knuckle-head. Being a young guy, myself, at the time, I knew what was up.

I knew his game. I called him out on it. I said, 'You know what? If you're not going to be good to my mom, then it's better if you just step and go on with your life and be happy with whoever you're messing with.'

And my mom told him the same thing. And he realized that he wasn't being right with my mom, and he went on. He has a new family now, and it's all good. It is what it is.

FH: Does your mother come to your fights?

Espino: She used to come when I was an amateur fighting, when I was like, 14 or 15. But because of her eye problems, she can't really tell who is who.

FH: Did she always support your boxing?

Espino: She's been behind me in everything. She's one of those stereotypical Mexican , supportive moms.

She will call you out if you're doing something wrong or doing knuckle-head things. It doesn't matter if I was in school, or working a regular job, or doing boxing.

As long as I'm happy, and I'm doing something positive, and not something negative, then she's cool with it. She's supportive of whatever I do.

FH: So do you have a girlfriend?

Espino: Yes, I do. I've had a girlfriend for the past five years. Her name is Marlene Nandino.

FH: So is marriage in the plans?

Espino: Yeah. If things continue to go well. It's something that I've always been against because I came through a rough upbringing with my dad, and the divorce.

A lot of my friends' parents are divorced. So I'm a little apprehensive about getting married. But, if things continue to go well with Marlene, then I don't see why not. She's a great girl and she's been with me through good times and bad and she's helped me out a lot.

The question isn't whether or not she's the right girl. She is. The question is whether I'm ready to accept the marriage thing and the aspect of it. But she's definitely the right girl.

FH: How much pressure do you feel is on Kelly Pavlik?

Espino: I think that Kelly Pavlik has a great deal of pressure on him, being the once, great, undisputed middleweight king that he was, so-called or is still called.

With all of the issues with his hand injury, him pulling out of the Paul Williams fight twice, and getting beat by a 44-year-old, legendary Bernard Hopkins.

I can't take anything from him, but he has a great deal of pressure on him.

FH: How do you feel that that has manifested itself in Kelly Pavlik?

Espino: I've seen interviews where he's said that he has to look impressive, and that he has to be dominating. He has to do this and do that.

FH: With Kelly Pavlik standing nearly 6-foot-3, and having long arms and power, were you able to find sparring partners to emulate his style?

Espino: It's difficult. I just found sparring partners who were tall, that were tough, that were young, and that were hungry. And that's what I went with, and I'm ready to go.

But there is no one who fights like him. He's not particularly fast, but he's got that awkward speed that can catch you off guard.

He has a great one-two, and a great jab. There's not a lot of guys who can emulate him, and there's not a lot of guys who can emulate me.

FH: So how do you feel about this opportunity?

Espino: I'm in great shape. Like I told everybody. Not everyone who becomes a professional boxer gets a chance like this. I'm honest, and I'm hard-working.

There are so many windfalls in boxing -- whether it's getting hurt, or whether they get knocked out earlier in their career.

Whatever the case may be. I'm in a win-win situation. If I go out there, do my thing and win the championship -- great.

If I go out there and do my thing and I fall a little short or I lose a close decision or whatever the case may be, I'll stay optimistic about it.

I have no pressure on me. The only pressure on me is to stick to the gameplan. It's just a great opportunity for me.

FH: So it's going to be a tougher-than-anticipated night in Youngstown for the hometown hero?

Espino: Of course, I'm no joke. Everybody that knows me inside of the small boxing circles and the real-deal boxing fans know that.

If Kelly Pavlik's people took me that way, or if they took me as an easy way to get back into the winning column after beating Marco Antonio Rubio [in February,] then, on Saturday night, they will find out that that's not the case.

I'm coming to fight, and I'm coming to win.