Star Boxing: Rodriguez Ready For Theophane Clash Tonight

“Hungry” is a term heard in boxing very often. Before their first fight, boxers are often considered hungry, hungry to get inside the ring and get their career underway.

After a few wins, they are hungry to then prove that they are a legitimate prospect. After reaching prospect status, boxers are said to become hungry to get to the level where they are considered a top contender.

Contenders have been known as hungry in their quest to get a shot at a championship. It’s almost something fighters become programmed to say, but when Star Boxing’s Delvin Rodriguez tells you, “I am hungry” there is something different about it.

You can see it in his eyes, and you can hear it in his voice. Just sitting down with Rodriguez for a few minutes, or watching an intense training session with the top rated welterweight, is all you need to realize just how hungry he actually is.

This Friday night in the main event on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights”, the IBF #3 rated Rodriguez (25-4-2, 14KO’s) will look to put that hunger on display when he takes on Ashley Theophane (26-4-1, 7KO’s) in a ten round welterweight contest at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma.

Dominican native Rodriguez’s career, to say the least, has seen it’s up and downs. The up’s include highlight reel knockouts on ESPN’s nationally televised “Friday Night Fights”, winning the USBA welterweight championship, not once, but twice, being the number one ranked contender in the IBF welterweight division, as well as fighting for the IBF championship. This year, for his efforts Rodriguez was named the Dominican Republic’s (his home country) best boxer of the year.

The down’s for Rodriguez have mainly came in the last two years of his professional career including a draw in an IBF title eliminator against Isaac Hlatshwayo, in Hlatshwayo’s home country, then almost a year later, a controversial split decision loss for the IBF championship, again against Hlatshwayo.

After that, Rodriguez lost a decision in another IBF title eliminator to Rafal Jackiewicz in Jackiewicz’s native land of Poland, in what was considered to be one of the worst robberies in all of 2009. And while most fighters maybe would have called it quits, or given up on their dream, Rodriguez has stayed hungry.

“Everything I have been through in my life, and my career has got me to where I am today,” says Rodriguez. “It hasn’t been the easiest road traveled for me, but then again nobody said it would be.

“My dream since I was very young was to be champion of the world, and some people never even get a chance to fulfill that, I did, but unfortunately I came up on the wrong end of a very close and debatable decision.

“Getting so close, and then having that happen, was very tough for me, but it has kept me hungry and it has kept me focused on my career, because there is nothing I want more than to get that opportunity again.”

The fight Friday night will be Rodriguez’s second in 2010, in April, also on ESPN, Rodriguez won a dominate twelve round decision over former world title challenger Mike Arnaoutis. An impressive showing against Theopane on Friday night will get him one step closer to fulfilling his dream.

“I’m ready and willing to fight any and all of the champions in the welterweight division, it doesn’t matter who it is, I just want a shot. I even feel comfortable at 154 so if I can’t get a shot here at welterweight, I’d be more than willing to step up and face any of the top guys at jr. middleweight, Cotto, Martinez, Williams, whoever.

“As you can see by my past history I am willing to fight anyone, anywhere at anytime. I’ve never been more hungry, more focused, and more determined than I am right now, and Friday night everyone will be a witness to that.”

The show is promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Warriors Boxing. First bout is scheduled for 8PM (ET), with ESPN going live on the air at 9PM (ET).

Tickets are priced at $35, $45 and $75 and can be purchased by calling the Buffalo Run Casino Box Office at (918) 542-7140 ext. 2200. Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting TicketStorm at www.ticketstorm.com