Pavlik stops short of calling shot in rematch

How relaxed is Kelly Pavlik?

The world middleweight champion jokes he has shot so many leisurely games of pool this week in his hotel suite that he could compete against the professional billiards players on ESPN.

But Pavlik isn't trying to hustle anyone when it comes to tonight's rematch against Jermain Taylor at the MGM Grand Garden.

"When I visualize the fight in my mind, I see him doing three things -- slugging, surviving or boxing -- and I'll be ready for all three," Pavlik said. "I've had no problem staying focused for this fight because I worked too hard, seven years, to get to this point. I'm not going to let it slip away now."

Pavlik lifted the WBC, WBO and Ring magazine belts from Taylor with a stunning seventh-round knockout in September in Atlantic City.

Tonight's 12-round nontitle bout will be fought at a catch weight of 166 pounds, and both boxers weighed in at 164 on Friday.

Taylor vowed to fight a different fight -- a smarter, more economical one.

"I wasted a lot of energy in that first fight," he said. "I didn't put my punches together the way I should have."

Pavlik said he wasn't concerned about anything different Taylor might try.

"One good crack and he'll go back to the old habits," Pavlik said.

Pavlik said he has made a few adjustments for the rematch, most notably keeping his head up so he doesn't get tagged from behind, as he said was the case in the second-round knockdown he suffered in the first meeting.

"We didn't change much," Pavilk said. "The big thing was I trained a little more because I had more energy with the extra weight."

Pavlik started preparing eight weeks ago. Normally, he goes into the Southside Boxing Club in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, six to seven weeks before a fight. But Pavlik went to work earlier than usual because he is so determined to prove beating Taylor wasn't a fluke.

"He took the best Jermain Taylor gave him," Pavlik's longtime trainer, Jack Loew, said. "Shame on (Taylor) for not landing that last punch in the second round.

"Kelly's always been confident. He doesn't think he can be beaten by anybody if he prepares the right way. And trust me, he's never trained better for a fight than he has for this one."

Ozell Nelson is back as the main man in Taylor's corner after Emanuel Steward was fired following the loss to Pavlik. Nelson said Taylor needs to return to what made him a champion if he is to gain redemption tonight.

"Jermain needs to give Pavlik more angles and box the crap out of him," Nelson said. "He's faster, quicker and stronger than Pavlik. He just needs to use all his skills and he'll be fine."

The public is starting to believe in Taylor. The former champion is a plus-150 underdog after being plus-165 on Wednesday.

Still, Pavlik remains a considerable favorite at minus-170, and he said those who back him in the sports book won't be disappointed.

"If I'm the hunted, that's fine," he said. "But there's going to be some fireworks inside that ring, belts or no belts.

"I'm going into this fight the same way as the first fight -- ready to win."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2913.