It doesn’t take but a quick glance at Edwin Rodriguez’s bona fides to realize the Dominican Republic native is a skilled boxer.
Edwin Rodriguez will attempt to take his next step toward a 175-pound world title when he takes on unbeaten Michael Seals in Biloxi, Mississippi, on November 13 in a fight airing on Spike TV.
As an amateur, Rodriguez won gold medals at the 2005 U.S. National Championships and 2006 National Golden Gloves. As a pro, he whipped the first 24 opponents put in front him, stopping 18 of them before the final bell.
About the only thing missing from his résumé? A world title.
On November 13, Edwin Rodriguez (27-1, 18 KOs) will attempt to take another step closer to accomplishing that goal when he challenges undefeated Michael Seals (19-0, 14 KOs). The 175-pound clash will headline a Premier Boxing Champions card from Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi (Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET/PT).
“This is a huge opportunity for me to clearly cement myself as one of the best 175-pounders in all of boxing,” said the 30-year-old Rodriguez. “Michael Seals is coming to fight, and I know what a win means for him and his career. That being said, this is going to be my night.”
The fight against Seals will come nearly two years to the day that Rodriguez suffered his lone professional defeat: a 12-round unanimous decision against unbeaten 168-pound champ Andre Ward.
Proving his resilience, the Worcester, Massachusetts, resident has since bounced back with three dominating victories: a one-sided unanimous decision over Azea Augustama last October, a first-round knockout of Derick Findley in December and a third-round TKO of Craig Baker in May.
In Seals, Rodriguez will be squaring off against an undefeated opponent for the fifth time in his last nine fights. In fact, take out the Findley fight, and Rodriguez’s last eight foes entered the ring with a cumulative record of 161-3-1.
A 33-year-old who fights out of Atlanta, Seals has been idle since his six-round, unanimous-decision triumph over Carlos Reyes in March. Prior to that, he recorded nine consecutive knockouts, including six in the first round.
“I've remained focused mentally and in my training to make sure that I was completely prepared for my opportunity when the time came,” Seals said. “I have a strong base and have been blessed with a chance to show the world my talents. I will be ready to go when the bell rings.”
So, too, will his opponent.
“George Bernard Shaw once said that, ‘Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.’ This victory is a major piece of the puzzle I've created for my life,” Rodriguez said. “A win on November 13 moves me a major step closer to challenging for a piece of the [175-pound] crown, and there’s nothing and no one that will get in my way of achieving that.”
For complete coverage of Rodriguez vs Seals, visit our fight page.
