Szpilka on Potential Rodriguez vs. Fonfara Showdown

By Jake Donovan

He wasn’t in the actual fight itself – although ringside security sought to pick one with him at one point – but Artur Szpilka couldn’t help but get caught up in the non-stop action that came with Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez’ off the canvas 3rd round knockout of Michael Seals.

Their light heavyweight headliner made for yet another thrilling main event on Spike TV, this one airing Friday evening live from Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. Szpilka was ringside to support his training stablemate Rodriguez, as both take their ring instructions from noted trainer Ronnie Shields.

He’s had three fights on the year but will be sitting out the rest of 2015 – a good thing since he’s still catching his breath after watching Rodriguez and Seals trade a combined five knockdowns in 6 ½ minutes of ring action.

“I was so excited,” Szpilka (20-1, 15KOs) told BoxingScene.com after the fight. “First round, I thought I was going to die from a heart attack! When Bomba knocked him down in the second round, I felt better and then when he knocked him we all were able to breathe and then celebrate.”

The win put Rodriguez in a favorable place, even if it meant twice peeling himself off the canvas in a near-disastrous 1st round. Talks have surfaced of his first fight of 2016 potentially coming against light heavyweight contender Andrzej Fonfara or World champion Adonis Stevenson.

Rodriguez has no preference whom he next lands – but his team does.

“Me personally, I’d like to see him beat Stevenson for the title and then defend against Fonfara,” Shields admitted afterward. “We’ll be ready no matter the order, but if the title fight is there without a mandatory being in the way, then why not just take it?”

Szpilka has his own thoughts on the subject, though it has little to do with opportunity for the southpaw heavyweight from Poland.

“No, don’t f****n’ talk to me about Rodriguez and Fonfara,” Szpilka joked. “But we know t’ere's a chance they’d have to fight. They both know not to expect me to root for either guy against each other; I root for both.

“Fonfara is my very good friend, we’re both from Poland, we’ve trained together and he’s like my brother. Edwin and I are very good friends, we both work with this guy (points to Shields). If they fight, I will wear a Fonfara T-shirt and a "La Bomba" hat.”

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox