By Dan Ambrose: #9 WBA junior middleweight contender Delvin Rodriguez (26-6-3, 14 KO’s) says he’d like to get a shot against WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KO’s) this year after the 32-year-old Rodriguez faces George Tahdooahnippah (31-0-1, 23 KO’s) on February 15th at the Mohegan Sun Casino, in Uncasville, Connecticut, USA.
Rodriguez said to thetitle fight.com “I want to fight Alvarez. I want to fight the guy Alvarez. I think he would motivate me the most and bring the best out of me. That’s what I’m working towards.”
It’s going to be tough for Rodriguez to get that fight because he just got a world title shot in his last fight against WBA World junior middleweight champion Austin Trout last year in June, and Rodriguez was easily beaten by a 12 round unanimous score.
It was the kind of loss that would normally keep a fighter from getting an immediate world title shot. I don’t know that Golden Boy Promotions will want to select someone like Rodriguez as Canelo’s next opponent after the way that Rodriguez looked. He performed terribly against Trout and was never competitive.
Rodriguez is an interesting fighter. He can look terrible like he did in losses to Rafal Jackiewicz, Isaac Hlatshwayo, Ashley Theophane and Trout, and then turn around and really impress in victories over guys like Pawel Wolak and Oscar Diaz.
Rodriguez’s two fights against Wolak were especially impressive because he gave him a terrible beating on both occasions and should have arguably been given the decision in the first fight in July 2011, which was ruled a 10 round draw. In the rematch in December 2011, Rodriguez easily won the fight by a 10 round decision.
As much as I like Rodriguez as a fighter, I don’t think Golden Boy will select him to fight Canelo next May or anytime soon. For that to happen, Rodriguez will have to stop losing and pick up some significant wins. He start by beating Tahdooahnippah on February 15th.
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