Pavlik's impressive stoppage of Espino, and other weekend results!

Kelly Pavlik TKO5 Miguel Espino...You'll have to forgive me boxing fans, I've been a little bit behind due to the holidays.  Over the weekend at the Beeghly Center in his hometown of Youngstown, OH, middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik successfully returned to the ring from a ten month hiatus to score a 5th round TKO of Miguel Espino.  Espino was docked a point at the end of the first round for punching after the bell.  One would think a point deduction that early in the contest was a bit premature.  Nonethless, the two fighters traded punches throughout, but it was Pavlik who dropped Espino twice in round four and once in the fifth round.  Espino's corner advised referee Steve Smoger to call a halt to the carnage.  Pavlik was making the the third defense of his title. 

With intentions of staying at middleweight, Pavlik may finally be ready to face Paul Williams.  Pavlik's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, believes the fight could be made in March or April of next year.  At this time, Pavlik vs. Williams is the only fight that matters in the middleweight division.  It would be crowdpleaser in which the two best middleweights in the world would be squaring off against one another.

Samuel Peter TKO4 Gabe Brown...Former WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter scored an entertaining fourth round TKO over Gabe Brown, who came into the ring at a woefully high 360-plus lbs.  Brown appeared to do more taunting than fighting, as he stuck his chin out repeatedly signaling the former champion to hit him and Peter was happy to oblige.  Following a bolo punch by Brown, Peter clobbered Brown prompting referee Randy Jarvis to stop the contest.  Not much of a fight here, folks.  One man was entertaining with his taunting tactics and overweight physique, but really did not put up much of a fight.  The other is a former champion who was simply trying to get back into the win column.  He did so, more or less.

Humberto Soto W10 Jesus Chavez...At the Arena Itson, in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, WBC super featherweight champion Humberto Soto won a 10 round decision over the past-prime former two-time world champion Jesus Chavez in a non-title ten round affair.  Soto dropped Chavez in the first round, but Chavez was game throughout and managed to go the full ten round distance with Soto which really surprised this commentator.  Chavez lost points in the fifth and sixth rounds for unncessarily roughness and low blows respectively.  In the end, Soto won a unanimous decision.  Official scores were 100-87 across the board.