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Rodriguez Hungrier Than
Ever,
Looking To Shine On ESPN Friday Night
"HUNGRY". It is a term heard in boxing very often. Before
their first fight, boxers are often considered hungry,
hungry to get inside the ring and get their career underway.
After a few wins, they are hungry to then prove that they
are a legitimate prospect. After reaching prospect status,
boxers are said to become hungry to get to the level where
they are considered a top contender. Contenders have been
known as hungry in their quest to get a shot at a
championship. It's almost something fighters become
programmed to say, but when Star Boxing's Delvin Rodriguez
tells you, "I am hungry" there is something different about
it. You can see it in his eyes, and you can hear it in his
voice. Just sitting down with Rodriguez for a few minutes,
or watching an intense training session with the top rated
welterweight, is all you need to realize just how hungry he
actually is. This Friday night in the main event on ESPN's
"Friday Night Fights", the IBF #3 rated Rodriguez (25-4-2,
14KO's) will look to put that hunger on display when he
takes on Ashley Theophane (26-4-1, 7KO's) in a ten round
welterweight contest at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami,
Oklahoma.
The Dominican native Rodriguez career, to say the least, has
seen it's up and downs. The up's include highlight reel
knockouts on ESPN's nationally televised "Friday Night
Fights", winning the USBA welterweight championship, not
once, but twice, being the number one ranked contender in
the IBF welterweight division, as well as fighting for the
IBF championship. This year, for his efforts Rodriguez was
named the Dominican Republic's (his home country) best boxer
of the year.
The down's for Rodriguez have mainly came in the last two
years of his professional career including a draw in an IBF
title eliminator against Isaac Hlatshwayo, in Hlatshwayo's
home country, then almost a year later, a controversial
split decision loss for the IBF championship, again against
Hlatshwayo. After that, Rodriguez lost a decision in another
IBF title eliminator to Rafal Jackiewicz in Jackiewicz's
native land of Poland, in what was considered to be one of
the worst robberies in all of 2009. And while most fighters
maybe would have called it quits, or given up on their
dream, Rodriguez has stayed hungry.
"Everything I have been through in my life, and my career
has got me to where I am today," says Rodriguez. "It hasn't
been the easiest road traveled for me, but then again nobody
said it would be. My dream since I was very young was to be
champion of the world, and some people never even get a
chance to fulfill that, I did, but unfortunately I came up
on the wrong end of a very close and debatable decision.
Getting so close, and then having that happen, was very
tough for me, but it has kept me hungry and it has kept me
focused on my career, because there is nothing I want more
than to get that opportunity again."
The fight Friday night will be Rodriguez's second in 2010,
in April, also on ESPN, Rodriguez won a dominate twelve
round decision over former world title challenger Mike
Arnaoutis. An impressive showing against Theopane on Friday
night will get him one step closer to fulfilling his dream.
"I'm ready and willing to fight any and all of the champions
in the welterweight division, it doesn't matter who it is, I
just want a shot. I even feel comfortable at 154 so if I
can't get a shot here at welterweight, I'd be more than
willing to step up and face any of the top guys at jr.
middleweight, Cotto, Martinez, Williams, whoever. As you can
see by my past history I am willing to fight anyone,
anywhere at anytime. I've never been more hungry, more
focused, and more determined than I am right now, and Friday
night everyone will be a witness to that."
The show is promoted by Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing and
Warriors Boxing. First bout is scheduled for 8PM (ET), with
ESPN going live on the air at 9PM (ET).
Tickets are priced at $35, $45 and $75 and can be purchased
by calling the Buffalo Run Casino Box Office at (918)
542-7140 ext. 2200. Tickets can also be purchased online by
visiting TicketStorm at
www.ticketstorm.com
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