Kelly Pavlik is excited to get back into the ring as the co-main event underneath the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito bout to be held on November 13, 2010, in Dallas, Texas. Pavlik squares off against rugged Brian Vera, an alumnus of The Contender. “He’s a tough kid,” Pavlik said of his opponent. “He comes to fight and we know he’s not backing down. … But, I’ve got to be impressive, because I’m on the road back.”

Last April, Pavlik lost for only the second time in his career, dropping a unanimous decision to Sergio Martinez. He lost his middleweight titles in the process. Pavlik wants to regain the middleweight championship that he held for several years or a world title at 168. This bout with Vera will be held at the catch weight of 164 lb.