Edwin Rodriguez vs. Jason Escalera
The fight between Edwin Rodriguez and Jason Escalera was supposed to be a slugfest. Fans expected to see both fighters landing big shots and taking just as many. While most fight fans were not familiar with New Jersey native Escalera, they were very familiar with always exciting Rodriguez. Once again Rodriguez proved to fans that when he is in the ring it is must see tv. Escalera also proved something to big time boxing fans, although it probably wasn't what he was gunning for.
Much like it's co-feature this fight was never really in question. While both fighters are young with under twenty-five total fights, the more experienced one is without a doubt Edwin Rodriguez. In fact Escalera has such little professional experience than many fans and writers alike wondered if he was the greenist fighter ever to appear on a Boxing After Dark main event. Escalera was trying to prove he belonged in the ring and not assistant managing a New Jersey grocery store. And Rodriguez was trying to prove he was at long last ready for a big name opponent.
The fight itself was as exciting as a one sided fight could be. Rodriguez opened fast and never slowed down or faded. In fact he badly hurt Escalera in the first round and it looked as if referee Steve Smoger would stop the fight early, luckily for fans that didn't happen. Instead what did happen was target practice for Rodriguez. He beat Escalera to a bloody mess and on four occasion knocked Escalera's mouth piece clean out of his mouth, an occurence that seemed to annoy Smoger. As easily as Rodriguez dominated Escalera, he also took some big punches himself. Rodriguez has made an effort in his past few fights to be more of a boxer rather than a brawler, but in this fight he reverted back to his brawler ways.
After eight rounds of Rodriguez pounding on Escalera's face the fight mercifully ended. It came on a flurry of punches from Rodriguez. Escalera got caught with a huge left hand from Rodriguez that sent him back into the corner. Rodriguez sensing the moment pounced on Escalera and caught him with a few more shots before landing a massive left to the ear, causing blood to start flowing out, painting Escalera's chest red. Referee Steve Smoger decided enough was enough and jumped in to end the fight, a good stoppage. Although he was dominated from start to finish take nothing away from Jason Escalera. He showed tremendous heart and never stopped coming forward. He cleary wasn't ready for a fighter of Rodriguez's caliber but never gave up. It is doubtful fans will see Escalera on HBO again anytime soon, but a fight on ESPN's more prospect heavy Friday Night Fights isn't out of the question. He is heavy handed and has a fan friendly style in the ring. The big question is what comes next for Edwin Rodriguez.
Promoter Lou DiBella has brought Rodriguez along very slowly and it seems as if all his patience is finally going to pay off. After a big knockout victory Rodriguez has proven he is ready to fight a legit big name opponent. He seems to match up well against any super middleweight on the planet, and being that he entered the ring Saturday night weighing 186 pounds it's not out of the question that he could move up to fight at light heavyweight. During his post fight interview Max Kellerman asked Rodriguez what would be up next for his career? Fans saw DiBella whisper in Rodriguez's ear with a sheepish grin on his face. Rodriguez then proclaimed that for his next fight he was calling out former champion Kelly Pavlik, but would also consider a fight at light heavyweight against former champion and his good friend Jean Pascal. A fight between Rodriguez and Kelly Pavlik has all the ingredients for a thrilling battle that would surely entertain big time boxing fans. If that fight does happen and Rodriguez were to win, the world would be at his fingertips. He would have a huge name victory under his belt and a growing fan base. A fight I could see happening down the line is Rodriguez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. who fights at middleweight but frequently eneters the ring weighing anywhere from 180-185 pounds. A battle between these two warriors would be epic, but it is looking as if anytime Rodriguez steps in the an epic knockout is possible. The future is blindingly bright for Edwin Rodriguez.
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