Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing put on a terrific 5 bout card last night as former 2 time world championship challenger Delvin Rodriguez (29-8-4 16KO Danbury, CT) had all he could handle from Iraqi War veteran Shawn Cameron (10-2 5KO Brooklyn, NY) as the two warriors fought at a fever pace over the 10 round distance in a Jr. Middleweight battle in the main event at “Slugfest at the Sun” at The Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT last night.
Delvin Rodriguez
Erislandy Lara Don’t Care
It was a one sided fight. Not that anyone was really surprised by that, Delvin Rodriguez has had a long career and has been in more than his share of ring wars. After having been brutalized by a reinvigorated Miguel Cotto in 2013, few would have imagined him getting another shot at a title belt. Yet there he was, matched up with the slick Cuban fighter Erislandy Lara, for Lara’s WBA Super welterweight belt, in the headlining card on Spike TVs latest edition of Fright Night Lights Out. Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Championship series was ready to showcase Lara’s talents to a national audience, and they believed that Delvin was the tough, gritty type of fighter who would provide just enough of a challenge to allow their charge to shine. They just forgot one thing: Erislandy Lara don’t care.
Photos: Lara easily beats Rodriguez; Beterbiev defeats Johnson
Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike returned to Chicago’s UIC Pavilion on Friday night with another installment of spectacular fights. The opening televised bout saw Artur Beterbiev (9-0, 9 KOs) manage a seventh round knockout against Alexander Johnson (16-3, 7 KOs). The second televised bout featured Erislandy Lara (21-2-2, 12 KOs) as he secured a unanimous decision victory over Delvin Rodriguez (28-8-4, 16 KOs).
Below are comments made by the televised fighters following their performances tonight:
Erislandy Lara vs Delvin Rodriguez on June 12th
CHICAGO (May 12, 2015) – Cuban boxing sensation Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs)returns to the ring on Friday, June 12 to face veteran Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KOs) as Premier Boxing Champions heads back to Spike.
Additionally, Russian knockout artist Artur Beterbiev (8-0, 8 KOs) is set to square off against the ring-savvy Doudou Ngumbu (34-6, 13 KOs) of Haute-Garonne, France.
This edition of PBC on Spike begins at 9 p.m. ET. Doors at UIC Pavilion open at 5 p.m. CT with the first fight set for 5:30 p.m. CT.
Miguel Cotto: Back with a bang and ready, willing and able for some more sizzling super-fights!
Puerto Rican legend and future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto put two successive points losses behind him last night in blitzing a usually sturdy Delvin Rodriguez, in the process setting himself up for further massive fights. Cotto, now working with the great Freddie Roach, looked like a beast last night: strong, fast, powerful and full of energy, Cotto absolutely ruined a good fighter.
Okay, some critics have commented how Rodriguez is and never has been on Cotto’s level and that Cotto’s win was expected. But that is doing both fighters a disservice. Cotto showed he still has the stuff to intimidate and overwhelm a fighter who has hung tough in a number of wars in the past and not too many experts were predicting as quick a victory as the one Cotto emerged with.
Cotto destroys Rodriguez
Miguel Cotto (38-4, 31 KO’s) unveiled his old left hook and used it to destroy Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-3, 16 KO’s) by an impressive 3rd round knockout on Saturday night in a fight televised by HBO at the Amway Center, in Orlando, Florida.
Cotto badly hurt Rodriguez with a huge left hooks to the head in the last seconds of the 2nd round that had him out on his feet against the ropes. Immediately at the start of the 3rd round, Cotto pounced on Rodriguez and chopped him down with a hard right to the body followed by a tremendous left hook to the head that sent him down.
Roach: Cotto’s career might be over with another loss
Trainer Freddie Roach believes that his fighter Miguel Cotto (37-4, 30 KO’s) could be finished if he loses to junior middleweight contender Delvin Rodriguez (28-6-3, 16 KO’s) this Saturday night at the Amway Center, in Orlando, Florida, USA.
Roach realizes that Cotto is in a bad way given that he’s coming off of back to back losses, and that’s why he wants to see him go back to the fighter that he was in his prime when he was an aggressive guy that liked to destroy his opponents with his powerful body and head shots.
Roach said to HBO “Let’s face it; we’re coming off of a couple of losses. Another loss would be devastating for his career. Probably it might be over. I want the old Miguel Cotto. I want the guy that’s breaking them down and knocking them out. And he said ‘I will give you that.’”
Cotto vs. Rodriguez: Can Delvin derail Cotto’s big plans in 2014?
Will either have enough left in the tank to make it competitive or at the very least entertaining? Both fighters are clearly past their prime but skill will ultimately rule the day.
Miguel Cotto is one of the best and most liked fighters of his generation. Haven fought the who’s who of names ranging from the 140 pound division all the way up to junior middleweight, giving us thrilling drama on the way.
Naturally a left hander, Cotto fights out of an orthodox stance, building his legend with one of the best jabs in the business and a left hook to the body that has left many of his opponents day dreaming about a cold bath mid fight.
Star Boxing gets Rodriguez in with Cotto on HBO and opportunity of a lifetime
Saturday night in Orlando, Florida, world rated contender Delvin Rodriguez, 28-6-1 16KO’s, Danbury, CT steps into the ring with future Hall of Famer and three time World Champion Miguel Cotto, 37-4 30KO’s, Caguas, PR in a bout that will be televised live on HBO. While Delvin has had many opportunities in his long career including two world title fights, multiple title eliminator’s, and numerous ESPN appearances, this opportunity presents Delvin’s biggest yet, against a legend as the main event on the ‘legend of boxing networks’, HBO.
Many have credited Star Boxing’s relentless efforts on behalf of its fighters as a reason for Delvin’s consistent ability to participate in so many high profile bouts and be the recipient of so many opportunities. Star Boxing, unlike many other sports entities, as a knack for rebuilding its talent. In Delvin’s instance, Star Boxing has continually provided National TV fights for Delvin, and has stood behind him where many others might have given up.
Roach sees body-punching as key for Cotto beating Delvin Rodriguez
Miguel Cotto’s new trainer Freddie Roach is bringing the 32-year-old Cotto (37-4, 30 KO’s) back to the basics to beat #4 WBA, #9 WBO, #11 WBC, Delvin Rodriguez (28-6-3, 16 KO’s) on October 5th at the Amway Center, in Orlando, Florida, USA. Roach thinks that if only Cotto starts throwing more body shots, it’ll enable him to get past Rodriguez and start winning more of his fights.
The truth is Cotto can probably easily beat Rodriguez even if chooses not to throw one body shot the entire. Rodriguez is not on Cotto’s level, and he’s pretty much just the sacrificial lamb being brought in to end Cotto’s 2-fight losing streak. The worry here is that if Cotto can’t even beat Rodriguez or can’t beat him in a convincing manner, then Cotto and Roach are going to have to face some hard truths about where he can go from here.