I had
the pleasure of speaking with Welterweight contender Delvin
Rodriguez (22-2-1 13 KO’s), who this past February won a
convincing ten round decision over previously undefeated Troy
Browning. On July 16th Rodriguez will challenge
Oscar Diaz (26-2 12 KO’s) for the vacant USBA Welterweight
title. This will be the main event on ESPN’S Wednesday Night
Fights.
Rodriguez hopes a victory will vault him into title contention
but he knows he can’t look past the gritty Diaz, who is also
aiming for a shot. This will be a battle of wills and who wants
it more. With so much on the line this has the makings of a
very exciting fight.
BRC: Hi
Delvin, how are you doing?
RODRIGUEZ: I’m doing good thanks, just resting and relaxing at
the moment.
BRC:
How is training camp going for your big fight with Oscar Diaz?
RODRIGUEZ: Training camp has been great. We have some good
strong sparring partners and I’m training like I’m fighting for
a world championship.
BRC:
Thoughts on Oscar Diaz?
RODRIGUEZ: He’s a good fighter like myself and trying to come
up and try and get to the top. He’s a brawler and keeps coming,
a tough kid.
BRC: A
victory and the USBA title would put you another step closer to
a world title shot, wouldn’t it?
RODRIGUEZ: That is correct. This fight will put me in the top
ten and make me one of the leading contenders for a world
title.
BRC: Do
you learn something new with each fight you have?
RODRIGUEZ: I have to say yes to that and I have been learning
especially after I lost to Jesse Feliciano as it was a real
wake up call for me and since then I have had two more fights
and I learned so much from the loss like how to control my
emotions in the ring and not get caught up in the hype.
BRC:
You were able to bounce back well after the Feliciano fight.
Fighters who suffer their first loss by stoppage often have
that weighing on their minds. What was key for you after that
in staying on course?
RODRIGUEZ: Different fighters act in different ways and with me
I watched the tape over and over and I kind of new what
happened actually even before I watched it the first time. I
got a little excited and lost control of myself in the ring and
now I maintain my composure. In my last fight I beat an
undefeated fighter with a lot of experience who kept coming at
me. I am hard to beat and I’ve learned from past mistakes.
BRC:
When Jesse Feliciano fought Kermit Cintron last year were you
surprised at how much heart he showed even though he ended up
getting stopped late in the fight...
RODRIGUEZ: I don’t know because I hit him with many clean shots
and he kept coming and there was a time he got hit even with
two or three punches, and he took it. Jesse is a very tough kid
so I guess I’m not surprised that he stood in there with
Cintron.
BRC: Do
you study tapes of future opponents to get and idea of what you
might be facing?
RODRIGUEZ: I watch tapes as I am doing with Diaz now. I don’t
think he has my speed or power and I don’t think he has my
boxing ability and I’m very confident going into this fight.
BRC:
You looked great in your fight with Troy Browning. Did you
factor in his age although he was undefeated?
RODRIGUEZ: Feliciano and Browning have a similar style so I
don’t look at things like age or number of fights. I knew
Browning was a pressure fighter and I had to box smart and not
look for a knockout.
BRC: If
things go according to plan and you beat Diaz are you hoping
for another fight or two by the end of the year?
RODRIGUEZ: For sure. I need to be ready and hopefully fight
again soon and go for the title.
BRC:
For the readers who may not know, you had an amazing journey as
a child coming to America. What can you tell us about that?
RODRIGUEZ: It’s hard when you come from a foreign country to
start a new and better life. My father left the Dominican
Republic first, then he brought my mom, and then the rest of
the family followed years later. Being away from them wasn’t
easy. When we were eventually reunited it was tough as we had
the language barrier. When I discovered boxing it helped me
learn the language along with school. Honestly, I could sit
with you for hours and talk about it including all the little
things but like I said it was tough for all of us. My
grandfather was actually the one who lead the way to bring us
over and it took some time. Many people don’t realize how tough
it can be. Now when I go back home I can’t believe what it is
like. The difference between the two places is incredible. I
have a six year old son and I took him to the Dominican
Republic and hopefully in time he can learn some of the
language or at least enough to get by. My mom stayed with us
and my son picked up Spanish but after she left it was just
English. Having your child exposed to a foreign language at a
young age is important.
BRC: If
your son decides he wants to be a boxer some day will you
support his decision?
RODRIGUEZ: I would rather not see my son become a professional
fighter but if that’s what he wants and what he likes, then of
course I’ll support him. I would rather teach him myself as I
have the experience and not have someone else come along that
doesn’t really know anything and mess him up. I will support
him 100% but I will not encourage him. There are a lot of
people who might know a thing or two about boxing and when they
become trainers is when they can screw up and mess up a lot of
fighters.
BRC:
How do you see the Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito fight
playing out this month?
RODRIGUEZ: That’s a tough one but I see Cotto winning just
because Margarito isn’t as quick and Cotto is a good boxer and
has a good jab. I just think he has a little more than
Margarito. They both can punch but Cotto throws punches better
where Margarito is a come forward fighter who goes for the body
a lot, so I’ll take Cotto by a UD.
BRC: As
for you and your fights, does the family watch or wait until
it’s over?
RODRIGUEZ: They all watch, same as back home too. I have
friends who have clubs and everyone gets together. I have lots
of support in both countries.
BRC: In
your opinion when a high profile fighter loses, often you will
see them fire the trainer and shoulder the blame in his
direction. Personally, in most cases I find it a lame excuse.
Do you think it’s unfair, considering many fighters have had
the same person in their corner for many years?
RODRIGUEZ: I feel the same way. We win together and we lose
together. If I lose it’s not my trainer’s fault. It’s a team
effort.
BRC:
How old were you when you first picked up the gloves?
RODRIGUEZ: I was about ten years old when I walked into the gym
for the first time and picked up the gloves. As an amateur I
did well, won many tournaments but honestly I hated the
amateurs and just got so sick of it. Today it’s even worse with
the officiating and scoring. If I stayed longer I would have
been further ahead now as a pro but overall I’m happy.
BRC: Do
you follow the movement at all with fighters and promoters?
Recently Nonito Donaire and James Kirkland left Gary Shaw.
RODRIGUEZ: To tell you the truth I don’t pay much attention to
that. I just like to watch the fights. My management does keep
me in the loop with what is going on in regards to myself and
fighters in the division. Joe De Guardia and Star Boxing have
done a good job in keeping me busy and getting the important
fights.
BRC:
Some word association for you. Tell me what comes to mind.
Andre Berto?
RODRIGUEZ: We tried to get him to fight two or three times but
were turned down as he wanted something more. I’ve seen him a
few times live and he is a good fighter but I do see him making
mistakes and I feel I can beat him. It would be a good fight.
BRC:
Joshua Clottey?
RODRIGUEZ: We sparred a few times and he is a tough guy who can
box. A fighter with a lot of movement could confuse him though.
I think Zab Judah could beat him if he fights each round and
not take any off ,otherwise Clottey will beat him.
BRC:
Shane Mosley?
RODRIGUEZ: I haven’t watched him in awhile but he still has the
skills, he’s quick and can box. Mosley on the downside does get
caught with a lot of right hands.
BRC:
During your down time what do you enjoy doing?
RODRIGUEZ: I play guitar. My cousin and I have a little band
and we have fun with that. I also enjoy relaxing and watching
movies. My son Delvin Jr. loves being outside and playing
baseball.
BRC:
Any final comments for your fans?
RODRIGUEZ: The fight with Diaz will be good. We are both young
guys coming up and both want the win and I hope the fans will
be entertained.
BRC:
Thanks for your time Delvin and best of luck on July 16th.
RODRIGUEZ: Alright Ed, anytime my man, and thank you very much.
I’d
like to thank Delvin Rodriguez for taking the time to speak
with BRC and a special thanks to Kevin Rooney Jr. and the Star
Boxing Team for making this interview possible.
Fore more information
on Delvin Rodriguez please visit
http://www.starboxing.com/
Questions/Comments:
westcoastboxing@yahoo.ca
