Jesse Rodriguez defeated Israel Gonzalez by unanimous decision in his second defense of the WBC junior bantamweight title (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Matchroom).
LAS VEGAS — Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez got a six-day notice in February and made it the year of his life — so far.
The 22-year-old southpaw from San Antonio, Texas successfully defended the WBC junior bantamweight title for the second time when he defeated Israel Gonzalez via unanimous decision in the co-main event of the Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin main event on Saturday night. night at the T-Mobile Arena.
Seven months ago, Rodriguez (17-0, 11 KOs) couldn’t have imagined being considered the 2022 Fighter of the Year, but that’s the position he put himself in after beating Carlos Cuadras to win the vacant WBC world title in six days. He warned in February, defending that by outpointing Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in June and now recording the decision win over Gonzalez.
Judges Tim Cheatham (118-109), Max DeLuca (117-110) and Patricia Morse Jarman (114-113) all agreed, albeit to varying degrees.
Gonzalez (28-5-1, 11 KOs) proved to be a bit tougher than Rodriguez anticipated.
In the early rounds, Rodríguez snuggled into González, who tried to contain him with his height and greater reach.
With 2:37 remaining in the fourth, Rodríguez floored González with a straight left to the face, which threw the challenger’s head back. Gonzalez attempted a body attack and with just under two minutes left in the fourth, referee Kenny Bayless warned him against low blows.
González mixed his attack well, working the body and the head. He even marked Rodriguez with a right uppercut to the side of his head.
Through four, both fighters were relentless.
Rodriguez did well working from the crouched position. He left Gonzalez little scenery to work with, though the times Rodriguez was on his feet, Gonzalez scored to the body.
Through six, it was very easy to see the fight 3-3.
With 2:14 remaining in the eighth, Bayless called a timeout to look at Gonzalez’s left eye, which was hit when the fighter’s heads collided. The ringside doctor took a brief look and resumed action.
In the eighth, referee Kenny Bayless docked a point from Jesse Rodriguez for a low blow against Israel Gonzalez. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Matchroom)
Rodríguez took a more tactical approach in the eighth. He didn’t get into Gonzalez and had done so frequently in the previous rounds, hanging back and pecking.
With :14 remaining in the eighth, Bayless took a point from Rodriguez for a low blow that was debatable. Bam had unfurled a right hand that seemed to catch Gonzalez in the waistband of his boxer shorts. Gonzalez fell to the canvas in anguish and Bayless quickly stepped in to take a point from the defending champion.
With 2:23 remaining in the ninth, Rodriguez took a three-punch combination from Gonzalez, whose activity seemed to wane the previous two rounds. Within the minute in the ninth, Bam hit Gonzalez with two left hooks to the head.
Sensing the fight slipping away from him, Gonzalez returned to Rodriguez, stepped forward and used his reach again, marking Bam as he got closer. Rodríguez, however, closed out the tenth strongly, holding González against the ropes and landing several combinations.
With :53 remaining in the 11th, Rodriguez hit Gonzalez with a blatant low blow with a right hand well below the belt this time. Once again, González collapsed on the canvas. Bayless, however, did not penalize Bam with a point for a right hand that was more egregious than the foul he was called in the eighth.
With his left eye swollen shut, Gonzalez began the final round by strategically hitting Rodriguez in the head and body. With 1:26 left in the fight, Bam nailed Gonzalez with a couple of left turns. At :38, he machine-gunned González with a straight left against the ropes.
When the final bell rang, it was debatable which fighter would leave the ring as the belt holder.
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. You can follow him on twitter @JSantoliquito [twitter.com].
