A long, hard negotiation ended moments before Friday's purse bid in Mexico City, paving the way for middleweight David Lemieux(above), one of boxing's fastest-rising stars, to face Marco Antonio Rubio(below) in a title elimination bout. They will meet April 8 in Montreal, where the 22-year-old Lemieux is becoming a major attraction. The fight will headline an edition of "Friday Night Fights" on ESPN2, promoter Yvon Michel said. Don Majeski, the agent representing Michel at the WBC purse bid, finalized a deal with Rubio promoter Oswaldo Kuchle minutes before the sealed bids were to be opened. "David Lemieux has defeated each and every one of the opponents put in front of him since the start of his career in thrilling fashion," Michel said. "In Rubio, he will face veteran warrior, himself a KO specialist who is at his physical peak at 30 years of age. I have no doubt that our young protégé will shine brighter than ever and show the entire world what all the hype is about." Rubio (49-5-1, 42 KOs), of Mexico, is a vastly experienced fighter and the most significant opponent of Lemieux's career. Rubio has won six fights in a row since he was stopped in the ninth round by then-middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in February 2009. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=6048457
