Emmanuel Rodriguez was prepared to teach Luis Nery a lesson in the ring. It was instead served up at the negotiating table.
The pair of former bantamweight titlists were due to square off last Saturday in support to Deontay Wilder’s heavyweight title fight rematch with Luis Ortiz at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their Fox Sports Pay Per View opener fell through, however, after Mexico’s Nery (30-0, 24KOs) missed weight by a full pound, refusing to shed the extra poundage in the allotted two-hour time frame following Friday’s official weigh-in.
Instead, the solution offered by the handlers of the troubled Tijuana bantamweight was to pay Puerto Rico’s Rodriguez a significant bump in pay in order to go through with the fight as is. That is where a hard line was drawn.
“They wanted to pay us for the [extra] pound but we don't accept that,” Rodriguez (19-1, 12KOs) explained to BoxingScene.com of his decision to not proceed with the fight. “This is not for the money. Here, we value the sacrifice we made, the responsibility of complying with the weight for the WBC (bantamweight title) eliminator. Since we arrived in Las Vegas, it was heard that Nery was quite heavy but that is not our problem and it is really regrettable.”
Nery was named BoxingScene.com 2016 Prospect of the Year, winning his first major title eight months later in a knockout win over then-unbeaten long reigning titlist Shinsuke Yamanaka in their Aug, 2017 meet in Japan. The feat was embroiled in controversy after Nery tested positive for banned substance zilpaterol, which was attribute to tainted meat consumed in his native Mexico.
The alibi was accepted by the World Boxing Council (WBC), whose title he held at the time and who sanctioned last weekend’s scheduled title eliminator. However, forgiveness ran out once Nery missed weight for his rematch with Yamanaka last February, showing up five pounds heavy and only getting within three pounds over the 118-pound limit. The incident resulted in the 24-year old southpaw receiving a lifetime ban from the Japanese Boxing Commission.
It’s yet to be a lesson learned, initially showing up over the limit before finally hitting the bantamweight mark for his eventual 9th round knockout of former bantamweight titlist Juan Carlos Payano this past July. That bout also took place at the MGM Grand, with history threatening to repeat itself last weekend before Rodriguez decided to take a stand.
“We wanted to fight but it was time to stop the pattern of what he has done so many times already,” notes. Rodriguez, a former bantamweight titlist who lost his belt in a 2nd round knockout to pound-for-pound entrant Naoya Inoue this past May. “Believe me that after this, I hope he won't do it again.
“In the past, their opponents fell into his trap and accepted their terms but here we value the sacrifice more than the economic part.”
Rodriguez held a different version of the bantamweight title, winning a vacant strap in a dominant 12-round win over former titlist Paul Butler last May in London, England. One successful defense followed, a hard-fought decision over previously unbeaten Jason Moloney in their World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) quarterfinal matchup last October in Orlando, Florida. From there came the loss to Inoue in the WBSS semifinals this past May, having not fought since.
Had the bout gone through versus Nery, the winner would have been directly in line for a crack at unbeaten titlist Nordine Ouballi (17-0, 12KOs). With Nery now on his way to the 122-pound division—honestly, where he’s belonged all along—comes the hope of last weekend’s weigh-in victim receiving his just due, as the fighter who actually did his job at the scale, even if never getting the chance to do so in the ring in a fair fight.
“[Nery] knew this was an important eliminator for the WBC world title,” notes Rodriguez. “I want the WBC green and gold world title belt and I hope it happens in my next fight.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
