Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Photos: Jesse Rodriguez’s stunning knockout of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
Jesse Rodriguez knocked out two-time 115-pound champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in the eighth round Saturday at Tech Port Arena in San Antonio, Rodriguez’s home town.
Here are images from his spectacular victory. All photos by Ed Mulholland and Melina Pizano of Matchroom Boxing.
Jesse Rodriguez scored a stunning eighth-round KO of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday in San Antonio.
Jesse Rodriguez evidently is the real deal.
In February, he moved up two weight classes on short notice to outpoint former 115-pound titleholder Carlos Cuadras in an upset. On Saturday in San Antonio, his hometown, he out did himself: He outclassed and then stopped durable two-time champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in eight rounds.
To say that the 22-year-old has arrived is an understatement.
No one is shocked that Rodriguez (16-0, 11 KOs) was able to beat Sor Rungvisai (50-6-1, 43 KOs); he was favored to win successfully defend his secondary WBC title. It was how he took down the junior bantamweight stalwart from Thailand that was so dazzling.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez with the TKO 8-round victory over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai , HERES THE KNOCKOUT MOMENT ! @210bam #Dazn pic.twitter.com/ECSQekGkru
— Carolina Teague (@carolinateague_) June 26, 2022
Rodriguez (16-0, 11 KOs) outboxed Sor Rungvisai (50-6-1, 43 KOs) from the outset, as expected. The American is the better technician.
The hard-punching Sor Rungvisai’s game plan was obvious: Wear his naturally smaller opponent down with pressure and power and then take over the fight in the later rounds. Well, surprise, surprise: The opposite happened.
Rodriguez boxed beautifully, landing crisp jabs to set up accurate power shots round after round after round and there was nothing Sor Rungvisai could do about it. And he was always conscious of his defense, using his feet to create difficult angles for Sor Rungvisai.
That’s how the fight went, with Rodriguez landing more and more punishing shots and Sor Rungvisai missing most of his.
Rodriguez put Sor Rungvisai down with a left hook to the temple in Round 7, although Sor Rungvisai slipped at the moment the punch landed. Still, by this time, it was was clear that the Thai fighter was wearing down.
Then came the stunning conclusion. Rodriguez continued to land thudding blows on Sor Rungvisai’s sturdy chin but a man can take only so much. Finally, with Sor Rungvisai’s back against the ropes in the eighth round, Rodriguez unloaded a barrage of accurate power shots that gave referee Mark Calo-oy no choice but to stop the fight at 1:50.
Rodriguez’s hometown fans at Tech Port Arena, well aware of the gem that fell into their laps, went nuts and he dropped to the canvas — where he was mobbed by his team — almost in disbelief. But it was true. He had just followed his victory over Cuadras by stopping a beast who arguably has Hall of Fame credentials.
How is he going to top this?
Well, the names of the two top 115-pounders – Juan Francisco Estrada (the WBC’s “franchise” champion”) and Roman Gonzalez – popped up after the fight. That sort of matchup for Rodriguez would’ve seemed ridiculous a year ago. Not now. Not only does a fight with one or both of them make sense, he would be given a good chance of winning.
Rodriguez also has talked about going back down to a more natural 112 pounds, which also makes sense.
No matter what he and his team decide to do going forward, one thing is certain: After his accomplishments over the past four-plus months, the boxing world will be paying close attention.
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Jesse Rodriguez scored a stunning eighth-round KO of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday in San Antonio.
Jesse Rodriguez evidently is the real deal.
In February, he moved up two weight classes on short notice to outpoint former 115-pound titleholder Carlos Cuadras in an upset. On Saturday in San Antonio, his hometown, he out did himself: He outclassed and then stopped durable two-time champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in eight rounds.
To say that the 22-year-old has arrived is an understatement.
No one is shocked that Rodriguez (16-0, 11 KOs) was able to beat Sor Rungvisai (50-6-1, 43 KOs); he was favored to win successfully defend his secondary WBC title. It was how he took down the junior bantamweight stalwart from Thailand that was so dazzling.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez with the TKO 8-round victory over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai , HERES THE KNOCKOUT MOMENT ! @210bam #Dazn pic.twitter.com/ECSQekGkru
— Carolina Teague (@carolinateague_) June 26, 2022
Rodriguez (16-0, 11 KOs) outboxed Sor Rungvisai (50-6-1, 43 KOs) from the outset, as expected. The American is the better technician.
The hard-punching Sor Rungvisai’s game plan was obvious: Wear his naturally smaller opponent down with pressure and power and then take over the fight in the later rounds. Well, surprise, surprise: The opposite happened.
Rodriguez boxed beautifully, landing crisp jabs to set up accurate power shots round after round after round and there was nothing Sor Rungvisai could do about it. And he was always conscious of his defense, using his feet to create difficult angles for Sor Rungvisai.
That’s how the fight went, with Rodriguez landing more and more punishing shots and Sor Rungvisai missing most of his.
Rodriguez put Sor Rungvisai down with a left hook to the temple in Round 7, although Sor Rungvisai slipped at the moment the punch landed. Still, by this time, it was was clear that the Thai fighter was wearing down.
Then came the stunning conclusion. Rodriguez continued to land thudding blows on Sor Rungvisai’s sturdy chin but a man can take only so much. Finally, with Sor Rungvisai’s back against the ropes in the eighth round, Rodriguez unloaded a barrage of accurate power shots that gave referee Mark Calo-oy no choice but to stop the fight at 1:50.
Rodriguez’s hometown fans at Tech Port Arena, well aware of the gem that fell into their laps, went nuts and he dropped to the canvas — where he was mobbed by his team — almost in disbelief. But it was true. He had just followed his victory over Cuadras by stopping a beast who arguably has Hall of Fame credentials.
How is he going to top this?
Well, the names of the two top 115-pounders – Juan Francisco Estrada (the WBC’s “franchise” champion”) and Roman Gonzalez – popped up after the fight. That sort of matchup for Rodriguez would’ve seemed ridiculous a year ago. Not now. Not only does a fight with one or both of them make sense, he would be given a good chance of winning.
Rodriguez also has talked about going back down to a more natural 112 pounds, which also makes sense.
No matter what he and his team decide to do going forward, one thing is certain: After his accomplishments over the past four-plus months, the boxing world will be paying close attention.
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Murodjon Akhmadaliev dominated and then stopped Ronny Rios in the 12th round Saturday in San Antonio.
Murodjon Akhmadaliev can beat a legitimate contender even with one hand.
The unified 122-pound champion stopped brave, but overmatched Ronny Rios in the 12th and final round on the Jesse Rodriguez-Srisaket Sor Rungvisai card Saturday in San Antonio.
Akhmadaliev (11-0, 7 KOs) used a stick-and-move strategy brilliantly, consistently landing hard, accurate shots and then moving away before Rios (33-3, 16 KOs) could get much done.
Rios was the aggressor much of the fight. He simply couldn’t land punches consistently against a better boxer.
Akhmadaliev had a big round in the fourth, hurting Rios badly with a body blow and then following with some big shots to the head. Rios somehow remained on his feet and survived.
The southpaw champion said afterward that he injured his left hand in the second round but that didn’t help Rios much. Akhmadaliev continued to control the fight with right hooks and occasional lefts, along with his movement.
It appeared as if the Uzbek would win a decision. However, in the 12th, he went after the knockout in spite of the hand injury and got it. He hurt Rios again with a body shot and followed with a flurry of punches to the head, which forced Rios to take a knee.
Rios got up and tried to fight back, but the referee decided he was taking too much punishment and stopped the fight.
The official time of the stoppage was 2:06 of the final round.
Akhmadaliev holds two of the four major junior featherweight titles. Unbeaten Stephen Fulton has the other two, meaning a fight between them would produce an undisputed champion.
Is that the matchup Akhmadaliev wants?
“I’m ready for any fight,” he said through a translator. “It doesn’t matter to me. Whatever the big boss, [promoter] Eddie Hearn, says. We’ll go that way.”
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Murodjon Akhmadaliev dominated and then stopped Ronny Rios in the 12th round Saturday in San Antonio.
Murodjon Akhmadaliev can beat a legitimate contender even with one hand.
The unified 122-pound champion stopped brave, but overmatched Ronny Rios in the 12th and final round on the Jesse Rodriguez-Srisaket Sor Rungvisai card Saturday in San Antonio.
Akhmadaliev (11-0, 7 KOs) used a stick-and-move strategy brilliantly, consistently landing hard, accurate shots and then moving away before Rios (33-3, 16 KOs) could get much done.
Rios was the aggressor much of the fight. He simply couldn’t land punches consistently against a better boxer.
Akhmadaliev had a big round in the fourth, hurting Rios badly with a body blow and then following with some big shots to the head. Rios somehow remained on his feet and survived.
The southpaw champion said afterward that he injured his left hand in the second round but that didn’t help Rios much. Akhmadaliev continued to control the fight with right hooks and occasional lefts, along with his movement.
It appeared as if the Uzbek would win a decision. However, in the 12th, he went after the knockout in spite of the hand injury and got it. He hurt Rios again with a body shot and followed with a flurry of punches to the head, which forced Rios to take a knee.
Rios got up and tried to fight back, but the referee decided he was taking too much punishment and stopped the fight.
The official time of the stoppage was 2:06 of the final round.
Akhmadaliev holds two of the four major junior featherweight titles. Unbeaten Stephen Fulton has the other two, meaning a fight between them would produce an undisputed champion.
Is that the matchup Akhmadaliev wants?
“I’m ready for any fight,” he said through a translator. “It doesn’t matter to me. Whatever the big boss, [promoter] Eddie Hearn, says. We’ll go that way.”
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Welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill overwhelmed Alma Ibarra en route to a knockout after three rounds Saturday in San Antonio.
Jessica McCaskill never gave her challenger much of a chance.
The undisputed welterweight champion sought a knockout from the opening bell, winging hard, wild punches that repeatedly rocked Alma Ibarra and convinced the Mexican’s cornermen to stop the one-sided fight after three rounds.
McCaskill (12-2, 5 KOs) buckled the knees of Ibarra (10-2, 5 KOs) about a minute into the opening two-minute round, which convinced Ibarra it was best to hold the champion whenever she was inside.
The tactic didn’t help much, as McCaskill still managed to land more punishing right hands and a big left hook in Round 3 that might’ve convinced the challenger’s cornermen that enough was enough.
Her trainer stopped the fight over her objections before the start of the fourth round.
McCaskill has now won seven consecutive fights since her lone loss to Katie Taylor in 2017.
McCaskill said after the fight on Saturday that she wants to move down a more natural 140 pounds to face unified titleholder Chantelle Cameron of England.
Welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill overwhelmed Alma Ibarra en route to a knockout after three rounds Saturday in San Antonio.
Jessica McCaskill never gave her challenger much of a chance.
The undisputed welterweight champion sought a knockout from the opening bell, winging hard, wild punches that repeatedly rocked Alma Ibarra and convinced the Mexican’s cornermen to stop the one-sided fight after three rounds.
McCaskill (12-2, 5 KOs) buckled the knees of Ibarra (10-2, 5 KOs) about a minute into the opening two-minute round, which convinced Ibarra it was best to hold the champion whenever she was inside.
The tactic didn’t help much, as McCaskill still managed to land more punishing right hands and a big left hook in Round 3 that might’ve convinced the challenger’s cornermen that enough was enough.
Her trainer stopped the fight over her objections before the start of the fourth round.
McCaskill has now won seven consecutive fights since her lone loss to Katie Taylor in 2017.
McCaskill said after the fight on Saturday that she wants to move down a more natural 140 pounds to face unified titleholder Chantelle Cameron of England.
Jesse Rodriguez: “I’m not here to be an average fighter.”
Jesse Rodriguez was supposed to be in over his head when he faced Carlos Cuadras in February. Instead, the fight became a launching pad.
Rodriguez was set to take part in a 108-pound bout on the undercard of the show in Phoenix. However, when Cuadras’ opponent, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, had to pull out because of illness, Rodriguez agreed to move up two weight classes to 115 to take on the Mexican veteran.
And “Bam” surprised both Cuadras and the boxing world, outboxing the former champion to win a clear decision and a secondary WBC title at only 22 years old. (Juan Francisco Estrada is the “franchise” champion.)
Now Rodriguez (15-0, 10 KOs) is scheduled to defend against Sor Rungvisai – the two-time victor over Roman Gonzalez – on Saturday in San Antonio, Rodriguez’s hometown (DAZN).
“I believe Rungvisai is the toughest title defense I could’ve taken,” Rodriguez said Thursday at the final news conference. “But, you know, I’m not here to be an average fighter. These kind of fights produce special fighters. That’s why I took it.
“… I was the one who replaced him when he got sick, so why not choose Rungvisai. Let’s do something special.”
Rodriguez had begun to earn a reputation as an excellent boxer. The upset of Cuadras merely left no doubt about his abilities. And the fact he moved up weight to do it was truly eye-opening, although he has fought above 108 in the past.
Sor Rungvisai (50-5-1 43 KOs) is a career 115-pounder and one of the most punishing punchers in the sport pound-for-pound, as he demonstrated by brutally stopping “Chocolatito” in their second fight.
And Rodriguez said at the news conference that he probably will go down to 112 after the fight on Saturday and pursue titles there, meaning that’s a more natural weight for him.
Will he be able to withstand the Thai fighter’s strength and punching power?
“Yeah, he does carry power,” Rodriguez said of his opponent. “But power doesn’t win you fights, skill does. That’s where my skills are going to come in, and I’ll be able to take over the fight. Like I said, power doesn’t win fights.”
Rodriguez will have one obvious advantage, assuming the pressure to succeed doesn’t get the better of him.
He’ll be fighting in front of his hometown fans as a conquering hero.
“That means everything to me,” he said. “It’s the biggest fight of my caeer. Becoming world champion is one thing. Being able to defend it in my hometown, in front of my hometown crowd means everything. So it will be a special night that night.”
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Jesse Rodriguez: “I’m not here to be an average fighter.”
Jesse Rodriguez was supposed to be in over his head when he faced Carlos Cuadras in February. Instead, the fight became a launching pad.
Rodriguez was set to take part in a 108-pound bout on the undercard of the show in Phoenix. However, when Cuadras’ opponent, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, had to pull out because of illness, Rodriguez agreed to move up two weight classes to 115 to take on the Mexican veteran.
And “Bam” surprised both Cuadras and the boxing world, outboxing the former champion to win a clear decision and a secondary WBC title at only 22 years old. (Juan Francisco Estrada is the “franchise” champion.)
Now Rodriguez (15-0, 10 KOs) is scheduled to defend against Sor Rungvisai – the two-time victor over Roman Gonzalez – on Saturday in San Antonio, Rodriguez’s hometown (DAZN).
“I believe Rungvisai is the toughest title defense I could’ve taken,” Rodriguez said Thursday at the final news conference. “But, you know, I’m not here to be an average fighter. These kind of fights produce special fighters. That’s why I took it.
“… I was the one who replaced him when he got sick, so why not choose Rungvisai. Let’s do something special.”
Rodriguez had begun to earn a reputation as an excellent boxer. The upset of Cuadras merely left no doubt about his abilities. And the fact he moved up weight to do it was truly eye-opening, although he has fought above 108 in the past.
Sor Rungvisai (50-5-1 43 KOs) is a career 115-pounder and one of the most punishing punchers in the sport pound-for-pound, as he demonstrated by brutally stopping “Chocolatito” in their second fight.
And Rodriguez said at the news conference that he probably will go down to 112 after the fight on Saturday and pursue titles there, meaning that’s a more natural weight for him.
Will he be able to withstand the Thai fighter’s strength and punching power?
“Yeah, he does carry power,” Rodriguez said of his opponent. “But power doesn’t win you fights, skill does. That’s where my skills are going to come in, and I’ll be able to take over the fight. Like I said, power doesn’t win fights.”
Rodriguez will have one obvious advantage, assuming the pressure to succeed doesn’t get the better of him.
He’ll be fighting in front of his hometown fans as a conquering hero.
“That means everything to me,” he said. “It’s the biggest fight of my caeer. Becoming world champion is one thing. Being able to defend it in my hometown, in front of my hometown crowd means everything. So it will be a special night that night.”
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Jesse Rodriguez vs. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai: date, time, how to watch, background.
Secondary 115-pound titleholder Jesse Rodriguez will face veteran Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday in San Antonio.
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