By Miguel Rivera

At the Foro Polanco in Mexico City, WBC top ranked middleweight contender Marco Antonio Rubio (51-5-1, 44 KOs) stopped Ricardo Marcelo Ramalla (11-4-1, 7 KOs) in three rounds. Ramalla went down twice in the contest before it was stopped by the referee. Due to his April knockout of undefeated David Lemieux, Rubio is the mandatory challenger to the new WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

But Sergio Martinez, the WBC's Emeritus Champion at 160-pounds, will plan to exercise his right to an immediate shot at Chavez. Few believe that Chavez will face Martinez next. There is a chance the title will become vacant, and at that point Martinez and Rubio will probably lock horns for the vacant belt.