December 22, 1989 was the day Delvin Rodriguez moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic with his family in search of a better life. odriguez has the chance to cap his journey this Saturday night, June 2 when he challenges WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., just outside of Los Angeles, in a fight that will be featured on “Four Warned” a rare quadrupleheader event that will be televised live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING..
It’s been a long road for Rodriguez, but the support he has received from his family through every step of his journey has made him the fighter and man that he is today.
“When you start out, the money is scarce so it’s very important to have people believe in you,” said Rodriguez. “My dream was to be a world champion and my mother and my longtime girlfriend have been there with me the whole way.”
“I was nine years old when I came to Danbury, Connecticut and started boxing. Before that it was just baseball with friends in the Dominican. Boxing wasn’t as popular there at the time like it is now.”
Continued Rodriguez, “The boxing gym in Danbury was very close to our house and my mother liked me going there because she knew where I was. It became my playground. I loved being there with my friends and I took to it right away.”
“I have one son named Delvin and one on the way in September. My son inspires me so much to always do better. He’s my biggest fan.”
Rodriguez carries his ties to the Dominican Republic into each of his fights. “I still have a lot of family there. They watch all my fights and are some of my biggest fans. I go back twice a year and it’s nice to see now that boxing has become popular.”
This past Saturday, Delvin’s hometown of Danbury hosted an open workout for him before he left for California. “It was an open workout and just a great opportunity to see so many of my neighbors and people from the town who have been in my corner since I was an amateur.”
On Saturday night, Rodriguez will enter the ring as he seeks to fulfill his dream of becoming a world champion. “I’m ready. It’s been a long road here, but it will be that much more special to become a world champion.”
“Four Warned,” a rare four-fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast, features former Light Heavyweight World Champion Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver (29-6, 20 KO’s) facing unbeaten Lateef Kayode (18-0, 14 KO’s) in a 12-round cruiserweight fight for Tarver’s IBO world title, former undisputed junior middleweight kingpin Winky Wright (51-5-1, 25 KO’s) returning to the ring to meet undefeated Peter Quillin (26-0, 20 KO’s) in a middleweight bout, Austin Trout (24-0, 14 KO’s) risking his perfect record and WBA Super Welterweight belt against Delvin Rodriguez (26-5-3, 14 KO’s) and IBF number one rated bantamweight contender Vusi Malinga (20-3, 12 KO’s) facing IBF number five rated bantamweight contender Leo Santa Cruz (19-0-1, 11 KO’s) for the vacant IBF bantamweight title. All four bouts are set for Saturday, June 2, airing live on SHOWTIME (9:00 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. “Four Warned” is presented by A.T. Entertainment, Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions with Trout vs. Rodriguez being presented in association with Greg Cohen Promotions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Malinga vs. Santa Cruz being presented in association with Branco Sports Productions. The event is sponsored by Corona and AT&T.
Tickets for “Four Warned” are available for as low as $25, with VIP floor seats priced at $200. Other tickets in the 8,000-seat outdoor stadium at The Home Depot Center are available at $50 and $100. Fans can purchase tickets at AXS.com or by phone at 1-888-9-AXS-TIX (1-888-929-7849), as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available for purchase by calling 1-877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 1-877-234-8425.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, visit the website at http://sports.SHO.com.
JOEY DAWEJKO, KEANDRE LEATHERWOOD RTURN TONIGHT IN ATLANTIC CITY
June 1, 2012 – Boxing360’s Keandre Leatherwood (9-0-1, 6 KOs) and Joey Dawejko (6-0-1, 2 KOs) will make their way back to the ring tonight when they battle opponents at Tropicana Hotel & Casino, in Atlantic City, New Jersey on a Dee Lee Promotions card. Leatherwood, a middleweight, faces Frankie Fillipone (9-2, 2 KOs) while heavyweight Dawejko takes on Edwin Ranquillo (2-1, 1 KO), both in 6-round bouts.
Yesterday Joey Dawejko 239 lbs, Edwin Ranquillo 229 lbs, KeAndre Leatherwood 162 lbs, and Frankie Fillipone 160 lbs, all made weight. Dawejko will seek to keep his undefeated record intact while Leatherwood is looking to bounce back after his first professional loss.
“I’m eager to get back in the ring,” said Leatherwood. “In my last fight I suffered my first loss and I want to everyone that I’m not going anywhere. I had a few months to reflect on what I did wrong and I believe my mind is focused on doing the right thing. My trainer and I are coming in with a great game plan and we will be victorious tonight.”
Said Joey Dawejko, “I’m happy to be fighting again as my last fight was cancelled. Boxing360 has kept me busy this year and I want to continue working hard and winning fights. I’m facing another tough opponent in Ranquillo and I have to get him out of there. I’m looking to make a statement tonight.”
UNBEATEN HUGO CENTENO HEADS UP JUNE 2 UNDERCARD AGAINST RAHMAN YUSUBOV IN ANDREW CANCIO VS. ROCKY JUAREZ CO-FEATURE TELEFUTURA TO TELEVISE DOUBLEHEADER FROM FANTASY SPRINGS RESORT CASINO IN INDIO, CALIF.
INDIO, CA – June 1 – Unbeaten in 13 professional bouts, Oxnard’s Hugo “The Boss” Centeno will have his local fans out in force at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. this Saturday night when he takes on Rahman Yusubov in a six round junior middleweight co-feature on the TeleFutura broadcast headlined by Andrew “Chango” Cancio vs. Rocky Juarez.
Cancio vs. Juarez, a 10 round junior lightweight bout, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate. Doors open at 6:00pm PT on fight night and the first bell rings at 7:00pm PT. The TeleFutura broadcast begins at midnight ET/PT.
Tickets, priced at $25, $35 and $45 are on sale now and available for purchase at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
With an impressive record of 13-0 with 7 knockouts in a professional career that began in 2009, 21-year-old Hugo Centeno is moving along at a steady pace and getting better with each fight as he turns back challenger after challenger. Already 2-0 in 2012 with wins over Octavio Narvaez and Gerardo Cesar Prieto, the former amateur star is ready to begin his summer with a bang when he faces Rahman Yusubov (8-7, 6 KO’s) of Baku, Azerbaijan.
A quintet of unbeaten local junior welterweights will also be in action on Saturday, when Coachella’s Guadalupe Salcido (2-0) meets Cameron Kreal (1-1-2) of Las Vegas, Nev. in a four round fight, Kenny Williams of Palm Springs (2-0-1, 1 KO) battles Los Angeles’ Joaquin Chavez (1-0-2) in a six round battle and Palm Springs’ Gerardo Juarez (1-0, 1 KO) faces Luis Mora (2-0-1, 1 KO) of Los Angeles in a four round bout.