GL: We're just a few days away from your big fight with Sergio Martinez. What can we expect to see from you on Saturday night?
Kelly Pavlik: "You could expect to see the best Kelly Pavlik coming out. I feel great. This has been an unbelievable training camp and I'm just looking forward to getting back in there."
GL: You've had big fights since winning the middleweight title, but they haven't taken place at 160. This is your most siginificant fight at middleweight since you won the titles, is making significant middleweight fights something you plan on continuing?Kelly Pavlik: "Yeah, I do. We had the fight with Hopkins and with Taylor, one was two weight classes above and the other was one weight class above. Then I had my mandatory defenses, so this one here with Sergio Martinez, who is a really good fighter and the only name that really wanted to fight me now. It's a meaningful fight and I'm going to be ready to go."
GL: What are your thoughts on Martinez as a fighter? Did you think he defeated Williams?KP: "To be honest with you, I did. I thought he did enough to win the fight. But what I see from Martinez is, he's not as fast as he's hyped up to be. I think he throws his punches from different angles that make them seem a lot faster than they are. I think some of the advantages he has will be disadvantages. When he throws some of punches he leaves his face wide open and he leads with his face. I think if Cintron didn't look as lethargic as he did, he could have won the fight. I think there's a lot of ways to beat him and he has shown that he's very hittable. Against Margarito, against Williams and against Cintron."
GL: If you hit him as much as the names you just mentioned, does he go the distance?KP: "I don't think so. Cintron was coming up from welterweight, Paul Williams was in his second fight at middleweight so I don't think so. If he gets hit that flush with me it's going to be more than a little shaky legs. I'm going into this fight relying on more than just power. Everybody knows we have power, but we want to get back to showing people we can out jab him and outpunch him. There's going to be a lot of things in this fight that he's going to be struggling to keep pace with."
GL: Some feel you need to be set to deliver your power and give Martinez a shot at winning because of his movement. How do you feel about that?KP: "I think those people feel that way because of the Hopkins. That wasn't me in there that night. I think people know me well enough to know that I wasn't myself that fight. I hope that's the main film Martinez has been studying. I have more than power, I have boxing ability, I hope they're going off the Hopkins fight because that's going to make it more of an advantage for me."
GL: I imagine you're happy to be back on HBO.KP: "Yeah I am Greg. I'm happy to be back in AC and doing these big fights again. I'm hoping a victory on Saturday night leads to bigger fights."
GL: What middleweight fights do you think are bigger?KP: "As of right now, Sturm has a ten fight deal in Germany and Sylvester has the IBF belt. Williams is out there, and 168 isn't out of the question. But I first have to take care of Martinez. The kid is no slouch, he's a very good fighter and I have to take care of my business for bigger fights to be possible."
GL: Do you think Martinez is a tougher style match-up than Jermain Taylor?KP: "Honestly, no. I think Jermain was a big middleweight who can punch. He showed that against me and then he moved up to 168 and knocked down Carl Froch who has never been down before. He has naturally fast hand speed and he was a fast fighter, so I'm used to that. With Martinez, he likes to stop, pivot and shoot. He likes to catch people walking in and that's one thing we're not going to be doing, walking in head first."
GL: Closing thoughts?KP: "For all the fans who have been supporting me I want to say thank you, be there on Saturday night or tune in on HBO because it's going to be a great fight."
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