Rubio vs. Spada: Winner, Recap and Analysis

On Saturday night in Chihuahua, Mexico, Marco Antonio Rubio (59-6-1, 51 KO) did something that had never been done before. To the delight of the fans in his country, Rubio stopped the rugged Domenico Spada (38-5, 19 KO) in the 10th round to win the vacant WBC interim middleweight title.

Matthew Mojica of The Fight Source respects Rubio's accomplishment.

With one crushing left hook, Rubio put an end to Spada's night. In the process, he kept alive his dream of becoming a world champion.

The fight was rather lopsided and dull for most of the rounds. Rubio held a huge edge on the scorecards after eight rounds, per Salvador Rodriguez of ESPNDeportes.com. Officially, the three judges had the fight as follows after the eighth frame: 79-71, 80-70 and 78-72.

All three scores were in favor of Rubio. Per Rodriguez, Rubio was humble and gracious in victory toward his fans. He said:

"We do not despair, we made ​​a smart fight and thank you all for the support."

The win was Rubio's sixth straight. His last loss came at the hands of then-WBC champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Feb. 2012.

After failing in two previous attempts to win a world title, Rubio is now on the doorstep of another shot. He'd like nothing better than to remove the "interim" from his new classification.

Rubio's win over Spada sets him up to take on the winner of the WBC Middleweight Championship bout between champion Sergio Martinez and Miguel Cotto. That fight is set for June 7 in Madison Square Garden.

The 33-year-old Rubio would likely be an underdog against Cotto or Martinez, but his punching power gives him a decent chance against most middleweights.

Spada's future is obviously not quite as bright after the loss. 

This bout was his first fight scheduled for more than six rounds since 2012. At 33 years old, he has to ask himself if he has any more realistic opportunities at a title.

Potentially, he could continue his career as a journeyman, but this is likely the last we'll see of Spada on anything close to a major stage.

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@BMaziqueFPBR