Rubio Stops Spada In 10, Wins Interim Middleweight Title
By Jake Donovan - Natural two-fisted power propelled Marco Antonio Rubio to the title picture, but it was a disciplined performance that finally put a major belt around his waist. The longtime middleweight contender finally came up big in a title fight, boxing early before exploding late to score a 10th round knockout over Domenico Spada, Saturday evening in Delicias, Mexico. With the win, Rubio claimed an interim middleweight title, a major bargaining chip considering what lies ahead and what he is still owed. It’s been more than eight months since the 33-year old contender was last seen in action. The inactivity showed in the early rounds, as Rubio struggled at times to contend with the aggressive attack put forth by Spada, who was fighting out of Europe for the first time in his 12-year career. At a rare physical disadvantage, Rubio stepped back and gave boxing a try. The disciplined attack was the result of months spent in camp with new trainer, the red hot Robert Garcia. The tactic didn’t slow down Spada’s attack, but helped neutralize the Italian’s most effective attributes. The disciplined measures paid off, or so suggested open scoring; Rubio was up 39-37 (twice) and 40-36 on all three scorecards through four rounds of action.