On Friday afternoon, within the atrium of the StubHub Center in Carson, California, both competing fighters in Saturday night’s main event took to the scale at the official commission weigh-in, and only one title holder was deemed eligible to defend his respective belt.
WBA/IBO Middleweight Champion Gennady Golovkin successfully weighed in under the division limit at a healthy 159 pounds in front of a few hundred of his staunch supporters, while former WBC interim title holder Marco Antonio Rubio scaled in almost two full pounds over weight, at 161.8. Although the proud Mexican fighter was given two full hours to try and shed the extra weight, Rubio elected to begin the hydration process instead, consequently relinquishing his title with a negotiated penalty of $100,000.
The two camps also agreed to modify the terms of the scheduled twelve round contest, making it a 162 pound catch-weight bout.
So both fighters will be able to compete in tomorrow night’s headliner, but no titles will be on the line. But if Golovkin defeats Rubio in the highly anticipated main event, the WBC will honor their original claim of making Triple G the mandatory challenger to the lineal Middleweight Champion and WBC primary title holder, Miguel Cotto. This missed weight comes as a heavy blow to the 34 year old fight veteran, who had just captured the WBC interim title in April by dramatically stopping fringe contender Domenico Spada.
After petitioning to the WBC for several years to receive another shot at their Middleweight distinction, Friday’s weigh-in ceremony will be viewed by most as a sad irony for the hard working Mexican fighter.
In the weigh-in for Saturday night’s co-main event, both fighters looked to be in great shape and scaled in at approximately 125.6, comfortably below the Featherweight division limit.
Five division world champion Nonito Donaire will be defending his Super WBA Featherweight title against the WBA’s “Regular” champ of the 126 pound division, Nicholas Walters. Although Donaire possesses the experience edge leading into the highly anticipated championship bout, most believe the heavy handed Jamaican fighter to be the hungrier combatant at this time.
Both fights will be televised live on HBO with a start time of 10:00 p.m. eastern time.
