Photos and text by Chris Robinson

When I first visited former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in training at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, California in late January, I could tell that the Youngstown, Ohio native was still adapting to his environment.

Not having fought since his majority-decision over Alfonso Lopez this past May in Las Vegas, Pavlik still had a little bit of ring rust as I watched him work under Garcia’s watchful eye yet the crippling power was still very much apparent.

Fast forward a little over a month later and Pavlik appears to be getting his groove back, as he was a much sharper fighter this time around when I caught up with him this past weekend in Oxnard during my latest swing through Cali.

While the brute force of Pavlik’s punches was evident, I saw a fighter who was much more precise and confident this time around after a few more weeks of diligent training under his belt.

And while Pavlik came to camp a little over 170 pounds, he did mention that a possible move back to the middleweight class isn’t out the equation, showing interest in a fight with Mexican superstar Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and a rematch with lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, who handed him his second career loss in April of 2010.

But before any of that, Pavlik must first focus on his return, as he looks to be lined up for a March 31st show in San Antonio, Texas.