Youngstown Rallies Around Hometown Hero

Kelly Pavlik, it was personal. This fight wasn't just about the title. It wasn't about his first career loss to Bernard Hopkins last fall. No. This fight was for his hometown, his die-hard fans, and their struggling economy.

Pavlik fought what appeared to be an inferior opponent in Marco Antonio Rubio in front of an electric, sold out crowd in his hometown's Chevrolet Centre. The crowd was rocked the moment Pavlik entered the arena, wearing his black robe with the "Y" that represents his home city.

The rocking that Rubio received followed soon after. Pavlik held both the advantage of the crowd and his opponent throughout the entire duration of the fight. Rubio was dominated by Pavlik's straight forward punching, and he often found himself moving backwards. Pavlik set the tone early with a devastating hit on Rubio, and continued to ravage him until Rubio's team had seen enough, ending the abuse in the ninth round.

The fight was such a financial success Top Rank Inc. promoter Bob Arum plans to have Pavlik fight again in Cleveland this spring. There is no question that when Pavlik returns, his faithful fans will rally to the stands to watch the man they call "The Ghost". The only question is what challenger stands to face the onslaught that is Kelly Pavlik, and the toughness, electric, blue-collar atmosphere that is Youngstown, Ohio.

Source: ScoresPro.com