The last time he entered the ring, Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik was a heavy favorite. He was undefeated. He was powerful. He was full of confidence. His opponent that night, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, had twice lost to Jermain Taylor, whom Pavlik had defeated twice himself. Thousands of the Youngstown faithful traveled to Atlantic City and watched in horror as “The Ghost” was “Executed.”

Despite that setback, Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) remains the middleweight champion of the world. Having fought Hopkins in the light heavyweight division allowed Pavlik to keep his championship. Despite that setback, thousands of Pavlik’s fans will still be cheering him on. They won’t have to travel very far at all, right up the street in downtown Youngstown at the Chevrolet Centre to be exact. Despite that setback, Pavlik remains a heavy favorite. His opponent on Saturday night is a tough Mexican contender named Marco Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 38 KOs). For those not able to attend in person, the fight will be shown on a pay-per-view basis.