The first time, it was against Kelly Pavlik, back in 2009, in the former champ’s hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. Rubio, who boasts a record of 53-5-1 (46), seemed more like a dancer than a puncher in the fight. As a result, he emerged more the survivor than the punching bag. As a consequence, Pavlik stopped Rubio in nine rounds. It is from this moment that Rubio learned what is necessary to be a true professional.
“When I lost that fight, it was a career-changing loss,” said Rubio, “but immediately following, my goal was to be back in the ring fighting for the title. I’ve been fighting and I’ve been staying busy and just staying focused on the goal of being world champion. I am very excited. I am ecstatic that I am here. I believed in myself and this is what I wanted and I am here again and I am going to win.”
Since that fight, Rubio has gone on a 10-fight winning streak, including nine stoppages. He settled in at middleweight using a nutritionist, further dedicating himself to his training.
“I think the biggest difference is my camp. My team,” says Rubio. “This time around, I did enough in a specific amount of time in the altitude, not as long as I did against Pavlik. I come down. I’ve got a nutritionist. I’m already at weight. Things have been put together for this from my team and from my camp. The right training camp I am doing for this, compared to what I did for Pavlik.”
Rubio spent “three weeks training in Toluca in the altitude of the mountains of Mexico City.” From there, he returned to Jorge “Mapimi” Rodriguez’s gym where he also worked with strength coach Marco Echegaray. It was here where the team began studying his newest foe: the young and silver spoon-fed Chavez Jr.
However, before camp began, Rubio helped prepare Miguel Cotto for his rematch with Antonio Margarito, then went straight into his destruction of Matt Vanda. A few days of rest and the now razor-sharp Rubio was set to head right back into camp. In hearing him speak, there is no question he is ready and hungry for this fight. Everything, every heartbeat of last year has been building to this moment in time.
“For Chavez, we’ve been looking at a lot of tapes,” Rubio explained, “more focused on his more recent fights where he looked better. We’re looking at the bad things that he’s got and the good things that he’s got. We’re preparing specifically for him in this way.”
While Rubio would not give away what he sees specifically wrong with Junior, the evidence is there: spoon-fed opposition, a never truly tested chin, wide punches, slow feet and possibly most costly of all, a rumored poor work ethic. His saving grace is that he is a big middleweight who comes in on fight night at 190 pounds, outweighing and weighing down the opposition. Junior can wear a guy down going to the body and does appear to have heavy hands. And of course, he is the son of the great Julio Cesar Chavez. Promoted by Top Rank, backed by the networks, beating the “Son of the Legend” Chavez will take some doing.
“It’s a point we have always been concerned with going into a fight with Chavez,” said Rubio of the unspoken rule that in Texas, against Chavez Jr. and on HBO, Rubio will have to knock him out in order to get a draw. “Unfortunately, he’s got the referees. He has the benefit of his promoter and television, etc., and we know at the end of the day, that can be a feather in his cap. It’s in his favor. I am prepared to go the distance. I am strong. I’ve been training for this fight for some time but my goal is to go in and try and knock him out. I do not want any surprises.”
In looking at David Lemieux, it’s easy in hindsight to see how Rubio pulled off the upset. He lured Lemieux into thinking he was landing better than he was. The kid got tired headhunting instead of working smartly. In Lemieux’s case, he did not understand the kind of veteran he had in front of him. This was not the rookie who got iced by Kofi Jantuah in 2004 or the gutsy-but-defensively reckless fighter who lost closely to Kassim Ouma. This was not an underprepared or outgunned Rubio vs. Pavlik. This was a dangerous veteran for whom time, skill and experience all had finally come together. He is more relaxed now as a fighter, taking his time, picking his moments and then attacking.
“I think that has been a major change that has benefited me in these last fights is experience that I have gained to go in and not lose my mind or not get too stressed in the fights,” Rubio offered. “I go in relaxed. A lot of it is the experience I have gained over my career and I think that is what has gotten me to this point these last couple of years.”
Relaxed against Lemieux near a similar height is one thing but Rubio will be looking up at the slightly taller Junior who will likely weigh 190 on fight night.
“I’m not worried about it,” said Rubio. “I focus on my job, focus on my weight, focus on being prepared for the fight. We all have our weight issues. I am not worried about it.”
To hear his voice, Rubio is in fact not worried about anything. Preparation? Check. On weight? Check. Solid power? Experience? A craftier than expected defense on the ropes? Check, check, check. The hard work is done. All that is left is the game plan to be executed.
“I am going for the knockout,” declared Rubio confidently. “I am going to start from the first and go to the 12th round looking to knock him out. If it happens in the early rounds or the later rounds, I am looking for the knockout.”
Ortiz-Berto II in Dire Straits
Early Monday evening, I was told Andre Berto had ruptured his biceps muscle in training and that it was so severe, he was taken into surgery almost immediately. My colleague, Steve Kim, who tweeted the news seconds before I did, found out later Berto was injured in camp and that the left arm was the injured party. This was the same arm Berto injured before against Carlos Quintana. No word yet on postponement or cancellation of what was going to be a very good rematch on February 11.
