Both combatants were unbeaten that night but Ward had already toppled several elite-level fighters along the way. Rodriguez had not and he was a heavy underdog, though he wasn’t about to lay down for anybody that night, especially “S.O.G.” Rodriguez wound up losing a unanimous decision and in the process of tasting defeat for the first time as a professional prizefighter, he lost the attention of the fickle boxing world as well.
“That made me understand why a lot of these fighters don’t ever fight anybody,” Rodriguez told Sherdog.com about how the media and fans turned their collective backs on him as soon as he lost. “A lot of these undefeated fighters are afraid to take the risks because boxing is an unforgiving sport. You take a loss and then you suck. That’s just the way it is and that’s why a lot of these fighters are protected.
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“All these fans always say they want to see the fighters fight the best but when they lose, it takes them, like, two years to get back to the top again,” the Massachusetts-based Dominican added. “We need that (change) in the sport so when a fighter loses, he doesn’t get killed by the media and fans because he came up short. But this is boxing and it is what it is.”
Rodriguez (27-1, 18 KOs) will have another chance to get in the good graces of the critics Friday night when he headlines the next Premier Boxing Champions card on Spike TV. He’s slated to face fearsome puncher Michael Seals in a scheduled 10-round bout at light heavyweight. There is quite a bit of hype surrounding Seals coming into the bout, but like Rodriguez when he challenged Ward for the title, there are plenty of questions as well.
“I see him as an undefeated fighter who is very hungry,” Edwin said of his foe. “He’s 33 years old and he’s sees this is a big opportunity to become a contender. So I’m excited to go in there and put on a great performance.”
With that said, Rodriguez was much more established when he took on one of the sport’s best. Some figure Rodriguez as little more than a stepping stone for Seals even though he’s largely untested thus far into his career. The Atlanta-based brawler is 19-0 with 14 KOs, but it must be pointed out that Seals has taken on only seven blokes with a winning record.
“I think it’s my job to let him know right away that I’m different than the opponents he has fought,” he stated. “It’s my job to not (allow) him to get comfortable like with everybody else that he’s fought. But I do know that he’s undefeated and he’s got some real power. I don’t know what it is, but he’s knocking everybody out. I’m taking him serious because he is a big puncher.”
According to many pundits, Rodriguez will likely have his hand raised at the fight’s conclusion. Some say he’s too experienced for Seals when looking at every aspect of the contest. But even though Edwin has won three in a row since the Ward battle – including a third round knockout of then-unbeaten Craig Baker in May – the so-called experts remain skeptical of his abilities and for what he can become in the sport.
But, he mentions, that’s where Premier Boxing Champions comes in, an outfit that he believes has brought the defibrillators to the Sweet Science.
“Premier Boxing Champions is single-handedly changing boxing and bringing it back to what it was before, and that is a major sport,” he said. “It’s back on in primetime and I’m just happy and excited to be a part of it. I think they have already started to make the right changes and I think they will continue to do it, to help fix the sport and they will continue to be successful.
“What they are doing is helping to create newer stars,” he continued. “You’re still going to have your superstars, but boxing needs to be boxing and all the good fighters are starting to fight each other. And with guys like me, that’s all we hope for.”
Rodriguez vs. Seals headlines the card on Spike, which will be televised live starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. A 10-round lightweight duel between Thomas Williams Jr. (18-1, 12 KOs) and Umberto Savigne (12-2, 9 KOs) will kick off the telecast. The event will be held at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Miss.