Marco Antonio Rubio In Action This Friday – Then The Next Challenger For Kelly Pavlik?

by James Slater: It’s always risky looking ahead in boxing, but Marco Antonio Rubio’s name has been mentioned quite a bit just lately as a potential challenger for middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Rubio’s name was reportedly on the shortlist that eventually saw Welshman Gary Lockett get picked as the next foe for “The Ghost.” But, assuming both men win this weekend, will the big-hitting Mexican be Pavlik’s September opponent?

Rubio and his team must certainly think so, and that is why the 27-year-old with the 41-4-1(36) record is fighting against as safe a warm-up opponent as they could find in 38-year-old Alfredo Cuevas this Friday night. Looking to put on a power show the night before the middleweight champ takes on Lockett, Rubio will likely do so against his 26-9-1(17) opponent – a fighter who was stopped in seven rounds by John Duddy in his last but one fight.

And should Rubio do as expected and win when he fights in Reading, Pennsylvania on Friday, he would most probably make a worthy challenger for Pavlik’s next fight. The winner in his last seven bouts, six of them inside the limit, the heavy handed Rubio scored a good win in his last fight. Back in February on the Julio Cesar Chavez Junior bill that took place in Guanajuato, Mexico, Rubio stopped the always dangerous Jose Luis Zertuche (former opponent of Kelly Pavlik) in 7 rounds. Stopped only twice himself in a career that began back in May 2000, the 27-year-old banger has proven he is a world class fighter.

Since his shock (fluke?) 1st round KO loss at the hands of Kofi Jantuah back in the summer of 2004, Rubio has only lost twice – both times on points and both times to good fighters. Kassim “The Dream” Ouma won a split decision over Rubio in 2006 and unbeaten Russian Zaurbek Baysangurov won a UD over 12 rounds against him later the same year. These fights took place at light-middleweight, as did the loss to Jantua (along with Rubio’s only other loss – an early career TKO loss to Saul Roman in 2001) and immediately after losing to the Russian, Rubio moved up to 160 pounds.

Since then unbeaten, the tough and hungry Rubio is as good a choice for Pavlik’s next challenger as just about anyone. Sure to come out swinging and throwing as many bombs as he can, Rubio would at least have a puncher’s chance against the middleweight KO king. It just might be that a Pavlik-Rubio clash provides the fans with a sweet little slugfest for a few rounds. Sure, Pavlik has to be expected to win, but the Mexican slugger might stay with him for a few extremely lively rounds. With no disrespect intended to Gary Lockett, the thought of Marco Antonio Rubio and Kelly Pavlik meeting headfirst in ring centre IS something to get excited about – whereas the same thing, sadly, cannot be said about Saturday’s title fight in Atlantic City.

Unless something truly shocking happens and either Pavlik or Rubio are beaten at the weekend, chances are good we will be seeing a USA Vs. Mexico middleweight showdown later this year!