By Jim Everett July 25th, 2008 All Boxing Interviews
Boxing is a sport full of emotion; it can provide athletes and fans alike the opportunity to experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Unfortunately, on last week’s edition of ESPN Wednesday Night Fights, that’s exactly what happened when Delvin Rodriguez won the USBA Welterweight title and opponent Oscar Diaz collapsed in the ring from a subdural hematoma.
The scheduled twelve round bout took place at the Municipal Auditorium in San Antonio, Texas, the hometown of Diaz. His fans came out to support him in the anticipated match, which was expected to be an action packed fight.
The fight did not disappoint the fans as the action traded back and forth between the fighters. Diaz tried to work his way in from the outside and was successful in the fourth round, landing a strong right over the jab, wobbling Rodriguez.
Rodriguez covered up and began to fight his way back by the end of the round.
During the next several rounds, Rodriguez took over the fight, keeping Diaz on the outside with his jab and straight right. In the ninth round, Diaz’s right eye was swollen shut from the hard snapping punches of Rodriguez.
Although Rodriguez won a lop-sided tenth round, it did not appear that Diaz was in any serious trouble. Before the eleventh round, the referee asked Diaz how many fingers he was holding up. Diaz appeared to answer as he rose to his feet, and then the referee asked him if he wanted to continue, to which Diaz let out a scream, pushing the referee’s arm away and turning towards the ropes as his legs went out from under him.
Now laying in the corner and quickly attended to by EMTs, Diaz was provided medical attention and put onto a stretcher where he was taken to the San Antonio University Medical Center for emergency surgery to reduce the swelling of his brain.
As the EMTs attended to Diaz, Rodriguez was looking on, trying to get an indication of what was happening. He later took the microphone to address the crowd, saying “I’m praying for Oscar and his family and will continue to pray for him throughout the night. I ask everyone else to pray for him.”
The most recent reports on Oscar Diaz are that he is in a coma and listed in critical but stable condition. The doctor that performed the emergency surgery has stated that he expects that Diaz should survive the injury and recover.
SaddoBoxing had the opportunity to speak with Delvin Rodriguez in an exclusive phone interview to find out what the experience has been like for him. More...
