Sergio Martinez will fight Marco Antonio Rubio if Miguel Cotto faces someone else

With the huge offer of at least $10 million to face Canelo Alvarez on the table, other potential opponents of Miguel Cotto may as well just move on to other pasture for the time being, and that's exactly what Sergio Martinez's camp is getting a plan together for.

Recognizing the likelihood of a superfight with Cotto is now out of the question, Martinez's advisor Sampson Lewkowicz has said that they have made an offer to Martinez's WBC mandatory Marco Antonio Rubio. In a Boxing Scene article by Rene Umanzor, Lewkowicz says that the fight would take place at a stadium in Argentina, and HBO is probably not going to be interested.

"We've already made Rubio a firm proposal to go to Argentina. Unfortunately, the broadcasters who make the fights in the United States, HBO, is not interested (in the fight). For that reason the fight has to be in South America. Sergio promised (WBC president Jose) Sulaiman that he would do his mandatory fight. In Argentina they love the idea of (Martinez facing) a Mexican, so it's all geared for that fight. Hopefully in 30 days we can specify the date. In 24 hours we can have a sell out.

"Cotto must make a decision. If he wants to make history on the 7th of June in a stadium with 50,000 people, then perfect, but if not - we'll put 50,000 people in Buenos Aires against Rubio."

So, in other words, it looks like Martinez will be taking on Rubio. Like Harold Lederman, I gotta tell ya, I'm not too excited for Martinez/Rubio. We've all seen Rubio before, many times in fact. He's a solid, workmanlike fighter who will show up, probably win a couple rounds, then gradually tire before losing a decision.

To say this fight is underwhelming would be an understatement. There are other middleweights out there who deserve a shot at the real middleweight champion of the world. Screw the WBC. This wouldn't be so bad if Martinez fought more often and was just taking a quick, in-between-big-fights kind of deal, but he only fought one time this year and his body requires more repair than a VCR from the Reagan Era.