By Jake Donovan
The most successful season in the history of Boxeo Telemundo ended with an upset, as Ricardo Rodriguez shocked previously unbeaten Edwin Rodriguez over 10 rounds Friday evening in Kissimmee, Florida.
Scores were 99-91 (twice) and 97-93 in favor of Ricardo Rodriguez, a durable super flyweight from Mexico who now fights out of Los Angeles.
The bout was a makeshift main event, bumped up in status after original headliner Orlando Cruz pulled out of the show. Both Rodriguez' were up to the task, putting on an entertaining affair, though one that saw a long night in the office for the perceived house fighter.
Edwin Rodriguez knew he was facing a significant upgrade in competition, but thought he was ready for the challenge in his first fight outside of Puerto Rico. The young prospect, having just turned pro barely two years ago, struggled out the gate and could never quite catch up as the visiting Rodriguez built an early lead and kept his foot on the gas.
The loss is Edwin Rodriguez' first, as he heads back to Puerto Rico with his record now at 7-1 (4KOs).
Ricardo Rodriguez scores his biggest win to date, improving to 10-2-3 (4KOs). A pro since April '11, his career had taken place primarily in Mexico and California. He was coming off of a competitive 10-round points loss to former title challenger David Carmona in July one of six featured super flyweight headliners over the course of the past eight editions of Boxeo Telemundo.
Each of his past two bouts came during a stretch where the network was running a super flyweight tournament, with the hopes of presenting a new challenge for long-reigning super flyweight titlist Omar Narvez. The winner was crowned earlier this month, when Daniel Lozano scored a 4th round knockout over Jonathan Vidal in Tampa.
Should Lozano not land a coveted title fight next, his future options include Carmona and now Ricardo Rodriguez for when he plans to return to the ring early next spring.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as the Records Keeper for the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a member of Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
