Second time fortunate, at the least that’s what Jonathan Rodriguez is hoping.
Rodriguez, rated at No. 10 by The Ring at junior bantamweight, will problem Kosei Tanaka for the WBO title at Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday.
“My solely thought is to grow to be a world champion,” Rodriguez (25-2-1, 17 knockouts) informed The Ring by means of promoter Paco Damian. “I’m working very arduous, I’m very motivated. We all know the duty forward, he is a good champion and nice fighter however my goal to grow to be a world champion.”
The 28-year-old father of two from San Luis Potosi, Mexico may be very respectful of the four-division titleholder’s means but in addition see’s areas he can exploit and expects Tanaka’s type to mesh nicely together with his and produce a fan-friendly struggle.
“He has a lovely left hand, that’s the one now we have been cautious [of] now we have been getting ready and coaching for that,” he mentioned. “His left hand is quicker than his ft. He’s not very quick together with his leg motion. He typically stays stationary.
“He additionally receives punishment, he likes to trip, we do too. We’re going to placed on a whole lot of stress [on him.] What we noticed is that a whole lot of the time when he’s within the mid-range or when he will get exchanging, he will get hit. We noticed that [in his only loss] in opposition to [Kazuto] Ioka within the three knockdowns he suffered and our plan is to place a whole lot of stress on and work arduous round-by-round and hopefully in the direction of the tip we’ll have the ability to get a stoppage. It’s going to be very troublesome to do however we’re working very arduous for it. We all know the significance of this chance.”
The struggle will finish a 12 months of inactivity for Rodriguez. Nonetheless, there are just a few causes for that.
“One of many causes was I suffered a knee damage on my left knee, we needed to go to remedy, we needed to deal with it, now we have to provide it a very good time to heal,” he defined. “Now we’re completely wholesome, we’re working very arduous and now I’m one hundred pc.”
Nonetheless, his coach and supervisor Marco Rodriguez (no relation), who has educated him since 2020 and had put “Titan” by means of an 8-week coaching camp in Monterrey, Mexico, wished to develop on that.
“Apart from the knee damage there are different components. It’s very unlucky that some firms in Mexico didn’t wish to give us the chance, typically that is what’s what it’s, ‘You are taking it and also you’re with me or we don’t provide you with something.’ So, a whole lot of the time with the little energy they’ve, there are only a few promoters in Mexico which have a cope with TV, so a whole lot of the time they wish to make the most of the fighters, they know, it’s us or no one,” he elaborated. “We’re very grateful we met Paco, we all know he all the time finds alternatives for the fighters and that’s precisely what he did, we’re very comfortable we signed with him.”
In the meantime Rodriguez doesn’t really feel the day without work will hinder him.
“No, I’m very motivated, I don’t see it as one thing in opposition to me,” he mentioned. “I really feel good within the ring, I’m going to place [on] a whole lot of stress and this isn’t going to be a distraction or one thing I feel is in opposition to me. I’m going to arrange very nicely, I’m very motivated and I’m going there to win.”
This may current Rodriguez together with his second world title alternative having come up brief in opposition to Jerwin Ancajas (UD 12) in 2021.
“It was a tricky struggle in opposition to a fighter that had a whole lot of expertise, fairly just a few title defenses,” he defined. “And on my facet, I felt I used to be very inexperienced. Why? As a result of I had by no means had by no means fought in the US on a giant stage like that. I’ve to confess, I used to be somewhat bit nervous, the primary time leaving my house nation to struggle some place else for such a fantastic huge alternative.
“I take that as an expertise that isn’t going to occur this time in opposition to Tanaka. I really feel I’ve the qualities now to do very nicely in opposition to him in Japan.”
Damian, who’s a disciple of the late, nice corridor of fame promoter Don Chargin, is optimistic having bought Rodriguez the title shot that his fighter can now go one additional and grow to be champion.
“That is a tremendous struggle, I dwell for these moments,” mentioned Damian, who flew with the workforce to Japan on July 11. “Having the underdog, going to the house of the promoter and having a man like Jonathan Rodriguez, a fighter, I do know who’s going to depart all the pieces contained in the ring. To have the ability to give one of these alternative to those guys.
“[When] my good pal, Don Chargin, died, I believed I’m going to retire however afterward I mirrored and although, “On a regular basis he put in me, all the pieces he taught me, it will be a waste.” I made a decision to remain and I wish to do precisely what is occurring to Jonathan. It was arduous for him to get respectable fights, a whole lot of the time they attempt to pay you subsequent to nothing once you if you end up in Mexico for powerful fights. That’s why I made a decision to remain, to provide these type of fighters a possibility to alter their lives. To struggle for a world title is the best factor a fighter can do. When you win you grow to be a world champion, that’s all I can do for you. The remaining is on you, all of the arduous work, the additional minute you run, the additional spherical you hit the bag, the additional mile, that’s on you.
“He has to prepare, he has to get be motivated to attain greatness. However I do imagine when you’ve gotten a child like this, they’re hungry, they’re wanting and ready for this chance, they’re not going to go that far simply to lose. They’re going to provide us a fantastic struggle whatever the end result it’s going to be an unbelievable struggle.”
Tanaka has house benefit and extra championship seasoning than Rodriguez. Nonetheless, I imagine stylistically it is a powerful one for each males. I feel Tanaka has extra finesse however Rodriguez will likely be powerful and hold coming. I anticipate each to have interaction and that fits the challenger, who I may see pulling off the upset by scoring a late stoppage win.
Tanaka (20-1, 11 KOs), rated at No. 4 by The Ring at junior bantamweight, received the WBO strawweight title from Julian Yedras (UD 12) in his fifth struggle and made one protection. He then moved as much as junior flyweight and received the vacant WBO title and made two defenses. The Japanese star outgrew that division and edged Sho Kimura (MD 12) to win the WBO flyweight title. He made three defenses of that one, notably outboxing former unified junior flyweight titleholder Ryoichi Taguchi (UD 12) and stopping present WBO 108-pound titlist Jonathan Gonzalez (TKO 7).
The now 29-year-old jumped to 115 kilos however was brutally stopped by then-WBO titleholder Kazuto Ioka (TKO 8). He regained his confidence with 4 wins earlier than turning into a four-weight world champion by besting Christian Bacasegua (UD 12) for the vacant WBO 115-pound title in February.
Questions and/or feedback will be despatched to Anson at [email protected].