By Dan Ambrose: WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (43-0, 30 KO’s) says he’ll be defending his title against number #6 ranked World Boxing Council contender Peter Manfredo Jr. (37-6, 20 KO’s) next, which is slated for November 19th, according to Fight News. Following that fight, if Chavez Jr. wins, he’ll be required to defend his WBC title against his number #1 mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (51-5-1, 44 KO’s) next year.

Chavez Jr. says he’ll fight Rubio. Chavez Jr. says he could face Sergio Martinez and/or WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto after that. Chavez Jr. also says a fight against WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez is one that he’d like but it’s not up to him to make the fight. His promoter would be the decider.

As bad as Chavez Jr. looked in beating WBC paper middleweight champion Sebastian Zbik by a 12 round majority decision on June 4th, you have to worry whether Chavez Jr. can beat Manfredo Jr. and especially Rubio. I can see Chavez Jr. beating Manfredo Jr. in a tough fight, but Rubio might be a whole different ballgame because of the Mexican’s power and smooth boxing skills. If you present a fighter with zero defense like Chavez Jr. against a puncher like Rubio then he’s going to have a field day teeing off on him with some terrifying shots. Maybe Chavez Jr. will be able to take the punches like he did against the weak punching Zbik but I’m not so sure about that.

Rubio hits a lot harder than Zbik and there’s only so much punishment any one fighter can take before they hit the deck for the 10 count. If Chavez Jr.s trainer Freddie Roach doesn’t fix Chavez’s nonexistent defensive skills then I can see Rubio destroying Chavez Jr. and ruining his chances of a big money fight against Cotto. I seriously doubt that Chavez Jr. will fight Rubio after Manfredo Jr. I can see Rubio being given a step aside fee so that Chavez Jr. can take the cash out fight against Cotto. Rubio is too risky, Chavez Jr. too flawed and there’s too much money to be made in a Chavez-Cotto fight. Rubio, Sergio Martinez and Cotto are a step above Chavez Jr. in my view, and even Chavez Jr. bloats up to 180 lbs after the weigh-in for each of these fights, I see him getting beaten up. Chavez Jr. is a big, big fighter in terms of size and weight, but his power, hand speed and defense aren’t very good.

I don’t ever see Chavez Jr facing Sergio Martinez. It’s all well that Chavez Jr. mentions Martinez’s name from time to time, but that’s about as far as it goes. Martinez would massacre Chavez Jr. and I can’t see Chavez’s promoter Bob Arum ever letting that happen.