Pavlik to fight in Youngstown Dec. 19

YOUNGSTOWN - Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik will defend his titles next month against Miguel Espino, in Pavlik's first fight since February.

Trainer Jack Loew told The Associated Press that Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) signed the contract Monday for a Dec. 19 bout at the Beeghly Center at Youngstown State University in Pavlik's hometown.

Pavlik has had complications from a hand injury and twice backed out of fighting Paul Williams (37-1, 27 KOs), who's now facing Sergio Martinez on Dec. 5. Loew says therapy on Pavlik's hand has been going well.

The trainer calls Espino (20-2-1, 9 KOs) ''dangerous'' and says the fight is no ''tuneup bout'' for Pavlik. Loew says his fighter would like to take on Williams next, if Williams gets by Martinez.

Pavlik was supposed to defend the title against Williams in October in Atlantic City, N.J., in the main event of a major HBO card, but his hand hadn't fully healed from two surgeries necessitated by the staph infection on the index finger of his left hand. The fight was rescheduled for Dec. 5, but Pavlik was again forced to pull out in late October because he was still unable to properly train because he could not completely close his left fist.

Pavlik will fight two weeks later and headline a split site pay-per-view card. Top Rank was already planning a "Latin Fury" pay-per-view from Cancun, Mexico, on Dec. 19. Now, the card will have bouts from Mexico, including junior lightweight titlist Humberto Soto moving up to lightweight to face former titlist Jesus Chavez, as well as bouts from Youngstown.

Espino (20-2-1, 9 KOs), 29, of Los Angeles, starred on the first season of "The Contender" reality series in 2004, but he hasn't lost since dropping a five-round decision on the series to Peter Manfredo Jr.

Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs), who has been earning seven-figures for recent fights, will take a major pay cut, down to about $500,000, to face Espino. However, according to Dunkin, Pavlik is just anxious to fight.