By Jason Kim: WBC Diamond middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (49-2-2, 28 KO’s) signed a contract on Wednesday that will give him the opportunity to fight the winner of the June 16th fight between WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (45-0-1, 31 KO’s) and challenger Andy Lee (28-1, 20 KO’s).

However, neither Chavez Jr. or Lee has signed the contract as of yet, so there’s still an outside possibility that Martinez may not get the fight with the winner of the Chavez Jr. vs. Lee fight. Both of them are expected to sign it, but you can’t be sure until they have actually signed it.

Martinez is counting on the World Boxing Council to strip Chavez Jr. of his WBC title if he fails to sign the contract, but that may be wishful thinking on Martinez’s part because the WBC has allowed Chavez Jr. already to bypass a fight with Martinez on two occasions. Why would they all of a sudden decide to strip Chavez Jr. now? I can’t see that happening, but hopefully Chavez Jr. signs. Lee isn’t really a problem because he already wants to fight Martinez, so he’s not someone you’re going to have to drag kicking and screaming into the signing table.

Martinez told RingTV “I am very happy that Chavez Jr. is stepping up to the plate and I have full trust that the fight is going to happen. If it doesn’t happen, I have faith in the WBC…I believe that if everyone involved does not sign, then Chavez Jr. and Andy lee will not be fighting for the title, and that Chavez Jr. will be stripped before then.”

I don’t see that happen. If Chavez Jr. doesn’t sign, then Chavez Jr. doesn’t sign. That’s about it. I’m hoping the WBC would then decide on stripping him of his WBC title, but I don’t think that’ll happen. Hopefully, Chavez Jr. really does agree to do this because it’s high time that he defend the belt against Martinez.

Lee has a very good chance of beating Chavez Jr. and it may not even get to Chavez Jr. fighting Martinez if Lee takes him out. Lee is a big improvement over Chavez Jr’s last two title defenses against Marco Antonio Rubio and Peter Manfredo Jr. and I think Chavez Jr. could take suffer his first loss in this fight unless he shows more ability than he did against Manfredo Jr. and Rubio. I’d have to go with Lee in a fight between Chavez Jr. and Lee, because Lee is a lot faster and punches with better power with either hand.