YOUNGSTOWN - There are certain constants one can count on during the week leading up to a major fight.
Early in the week the boxers arrive at the town where the bout is being held. Sometime midweek each fighter will have a "workout" open to the media, which usually consists of 60 seconds of shadowboxing and 60 minutes of interviews. Two or three days before the fight there will be one final news conference. The day prior to the event the weigh-in will occur.
When Kelly Pavlik is fighting, one can be assured of one more thing. At some point Jack Loew will speak his mind.
The fiery trainer, who embraces political correctness like Rush Limbaugh does liberals, was at it again Wednesday. Although his fighter has to wait until Saturday to defend his middleweight title against Marco Antonio Rubio, Loew took off the verbal gloves at his Southside Boxing Club on Wednesday.
Loew, who may someday go down as the most quotable (if not controversial) trainer of all time, had been as subdued as Rubio until now. The Mexican challenger, who also holds a nursing degree, had been overly humble until the past two days.
"I have a secret plan that will not only take the world title belt from Pavlik, but will produce a knockout in front of all his fans," Rubio proclaimed on Tuesday. "I really enjoy Youngstown and I look forward to showing Pavlik and his team around Mexico when they come down for the rematch to try to reclaim my title."
Years of paving driveways on humid summer days certainly made Loew hot under the collar. But not as much as Rubio's prediction, and certainly nowhere near as hot as the ones from Rubio's cut man, Ramon Rodriguez, one of a trio of corner men who have been quite vocal about the bout.
"Pavlik's fate is sealed like one of trainer Jack Loew's driveways. I hope Loew hasn't quit his day job," Rodriguez said. "At least Marco will be able to patch Pavlik up after he cuts him down to size this Saturday night."
The action should be fast and furious when Rubio (43-4-1, 38 knockouts) and Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) enter the Chevrolet Centre ring. It may not be any more intense than when Loew shares a stage with Rubio's people at today's news conference.
On Wednesday, he equated the talk from Rubio's camp to that which he's heard before most of Pavlik's recent fights.
"(Jermain Taylor trainer) Manny Stewart predicted Kelly wouldn't make it past two or three rounds, and we knocked him out," Loew said. "(Gary) Lockett's people shot their mouths off. Little midget Enzo Calzaghe (Lockett's trainer) shot his mouth off and we knocked him out. They're trying to build confidence in this kid. The only thing they're going to do is give him the worst (butt) whipping of his life. (Rubio) and his little three amigos can go back to wherever they're from with their tails between their legs."
Pavlik, who is much more calm when speaking than his trainer, agreed that the pre-fight jawing means nothing.
"It's getting closer to the fight, he's nervous, and it's starting to get to him," Pavlik said. "They're trying to build a little confidence. The kid can't box his way out of a paper bag. He has a lot of heart and he goes in there and throws bombs, but Marco Antonio Rubio is no boxer."
Rubio is a straight-ahead fighter and has been his whole career. Pavlik said you can't be that and a boxer at the same time unlike, say, a driveway paver and a trainer.
"In New York Rubio acted like such a nice little meek guy and shaking hands, and then he comes here and saying I have to keep my day job and Kelly is going to need a nurse afterwards?" Loew said. "It's on. I feel bad about the kid. It's not really too much Rubio. It's the three little amigos he brought with him. Those are the guys that are shooting their mouths off. They don't understand. They don't have to take the punches that Kelly is going to be hitting Rubio with. These guys can collect the little check they're going to get and go on."
Loew said there's no strategy Rubio can use to win this fight.
"Everybody has a game plan until they get in there," Loew said. "Then they say the guy is a nurse and they're going to need him after the fight. He should be a plastic surgeon because he's going to need a lot of help that night. Kelly's going to knock this kid out. I want Kelly to hit him with the first punch and send his (butt) back to Mexico on a redeye."
