by Paul MagnoMiguel Espino (2o-3-1, 9 KOs) showed up at the Beeghly Center in Youngstown, Ohio ready to go to war. Unfortunately, he was severely outgunned by reigning WBO and WBC middleweight champ, Kelly Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs).
The fight itself was of the phone booth variety as both Pavlik and Espino traded shots on the inside. Pavlik scored the heavier blows to the body and head, but Espino, to his credit, kept firing back, even marking up the hometown fighter's face with sloppy, but scoring counters.
Referee Steve Smoger deducted a point from Espino in the first round for punching after the bell and warned him for low blows on several occasions as the battle started to heat up and Espino's punches started drifting down below the belt line.
In the fourth, Pavlik scored two wicked uppercuts that forced Espino to take a knee, but the challenger was able to survive. At the 1:44 mark of the fifth, however, Espino went down again and, this time, his corner waved off the fight.
The post fight interview was highlighted by Pavlik's mocking of Paul Williams' status as "Most Feared Man in Boxing" and by promoter Bob Arum's offer to make the Williams fight Pavlik's first priority in 2010.
