Anthony Dirrell vs. Marco Antonio Rubio: Winner, Scorecard and Reaction

Anthony Dirrell (28-1-1, 22 KOs) didn't have a title to his name coming into Saturday's bout with the aging Marco Antonio Rubio (59-8-1, 51 KOs), but he put himself back on track to challenge for future hardware with an easy 10-round unanimous-decision win on the main event of the Premier Boxing Champions card at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. 

The cards reflected the one-sided action, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael:

Dirrell made good on his earlier promise for a convincing win.    

"There’s not one inch of doubt, I’m going to dominate the fight,” said Dirrell, per the Detroit Free Press' Mike Brudenell. “I had a lovely camp. I’ve trained hard. I’m ready to go.

Both fighters came into this match looking to bounce back from losses. Dirrell lost his first bout and the WBC World super middleweight title to Badou Jack via mixed decision in April. For Rubio, Saturday marked his first bout in 11 months, having suffered a terrible second-round knockout loss at the stone hands of Gennady Golovkin in October 2014. 

Rubio, 35 years old and visibly carrying years of grueling fights in his body, looked the part of a rusty boxer. 

Dirrell controlled the slow-burning match from beginning to end. Boxer and commentator Paul Malignaggi noted his improvements over the Jack loss early on:

Rubio certainly didn't force Dirrell to be any more active than he had to in the first half of the fight. Dirrell was able to set up Rubio with his jab, switch stances and throw heavy two-punch combinations when Rubio opened up. Dirrell effectively worked the body as well, slowing an already sluggish Rubio. 

Boxing fan and actress Rosie Perez felt Dirrell could've ended this bout early on:

In a fight lacking energy and prestige, Bad Left Hook's Tom Craze noted Premier Boxing Champions' struggle to put together so many big cards: 

The sixth round saw a spark of action when Rubio forced Dirrell into a corner. The Flint, Michigan, native uncorked a true slobberknocker on Rubio, but the Mexican boxer stood his ground. It was a bright moment in an otherwise tepid fight. PBC noted Dirrell's accuracy on his power punches:

Dirrell clearly had the time and physical advantages to really pressure Rubio and perhaps look for a knockdown. Perhaps due to a respect for Rubio's power and reputation as a knockout fighter, Dirrell opted to stay on the outside and grind down the tempo.

Rafael saw the fight clearly in Dirrell's favor:

Clearly behind in the bout, Rubio couldn't muster much of a last-ditch effort in the last two rounds. Dirrell smartly boxed around him and cruised to victory.

Rubio's age and declining skill were readily apparent in this bout. He's had a long, storied career with multiple titles but might be consigned to the periphery of the super middleweight ranks should he continue to box.

Dirrell did what he needed to to win the bout and could be back in the mix for a title fight in due time. The flat boxing style he displayed on Saturday won't win over many fans, however. He could find himself in trouble against a quick, pressure fighter.