Erislandy Lara will battle Delvin Rodriguez Friday on Spike. | Photo Courtesy: PBC
Super Welterweights
Erislandy Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs) vs. Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KOs)This appears to be the latest in a string of mismatches put on by PBC, as Lara will enter the bout as a significant favorite. However, Rodriguez is nothing if not experienced and at the very least should not be easily frustrated by Lara’s slick defensive style.
The matchup: The 32-year-old Lara is a southpaw who will have a 2-inch reach advantage against Rodriguez. He was one of the most accomplished amateur boxers in the history of his native Cuba, compiling a reported 320-10 record and winning a world amateur title in 2005. For most of his professional career, Lara has been a fighter most would-be opponents would prefer to avoid, and his only losses in 24 outings have come against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Paul Williams. The Alvarez defeat, a split verdict, was particularly controversial. Lara has since rebounded from that setback, as he outpointed Ishe Smith in lopsided fashion this past December. In that bout, Lara was simply too quick and too skilled for Smith.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, is best described as a journeyman, but one who fits into the upper echelon of that category. Rodriguez’s toughness and experience make him a game foe for anyone, although he has struggled in his last two outings: a disappointing draw against 39-year-old Joachim Alcine in May 2014 and a third-round knockout loss against Miguel Cotto prior to that.
The 35-year-old orthodox fighter’s most memorable in-ring moment in recent years came in a spirited draw against Pawel Wolak on ESPN Friday Night Fights in 2011 that was lauded by many as the Fight of the Year. He would defeat Wolak via unanimous decision in their rematch some five months later. Overall, however, Rodriguez has not been able to have a breakthrough win against elite-level fighters thus far in his career.
Lara presents problems primarily because of his technical skill and defensive style. He is a counterpuncher who would prefer to bait opponents into chasing him so they can walk into his hard counter left hand. His ability to land punches, then circle out and reset the distance is one of the main reasons he can be such a difficult matchup. It is a style that is not especially fan friendly, but due to his speed, footwork and ability to control the distance, foes have a hard time looking good against him.
Lara is not especially versatile offensively, as he prefers to use his jab to set up his left hand before clinching to negate any potential return fire. He will stick to this formula throughout a fight, but against an adversary who is more patient, Lara will occasionally become more stationary and hittable when he is unable to set up his countering game.
If common foes are any indication, Rodriguez could be in for a rough night: He was dominated in a unanimous decision loss in 2012 to Austin Trout, whom Lara defeated with relative ease the following year.
Rodriguez likes to use his jab to set up uppercuts and overhand rights. While not known as a knockout artist, he is able to land in combination fairly well and works both the head and body in his attacks. His willingness to stand and trade in the pocket has cost him in the past, but his issue here will be tracking his opponent down long enough to land any meaningful offense.
The Pick: Lara’s speed, athleticism and sense of distance and timing figure to be too much for Rodriguez to handle. The Dominican will eat his share of counters in pursuit of Lara, and while he might not be knocked out, he will find himself facing a serious deficit on the scorecards as the bout progresses. Lara by clear-cut decision or late stoppage.