By Scott Gilfoid: Challenger Edwin Rodriguez (24-0, 16 KO’s) came in two pounds over the limit in weighing in at 170 lbs. at today’s weigh-in for his fight on Saturday night against WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (26-0, 14 KO’s) at the Citizens Business Bank Arena, in Ontario, California, USA. Rodriguez still has two hours to sweat off the 2 extra pounds. Ward made weight at 167.8 lbs.

I hate to say it but Rodriguez might have lost what little chance he had to win the fight by not making weight. It doesn’t matter if he takes the two pounds off, because losing those two pounds is likely going to take a lot out of Rodriguez. You don’t want to be sweating off, whether by sauna or a treadmill, two pounds of water weight the day before a big fight. That takes something out of you, and I’d be willing to bet that Rodriguez is going to feel less than 100 percent tomorrow night when he steps inside the ring to fight the fresh and well-rested Ward.

Rodriguez might have outgrown the super middleweight division. If you look at the guy, he looks like a full-sized light heavyweight to me. I’m not sure what he’s been doing to get down to 168 to fight in the super middleweight division but I have a feeling that he might be at the point where he really has struggle to make the weight now. It might be good for Rodriguez to take a hint from his body at move up to the 175 lb. division so that he doesn’t have to deal with embarrassing incidents like today’s.

If Rodriguez isn’t fighting at full power tomorrow night, then this is going to be like icing on the cake for Ward because he’s going to have a weakened fighter on his hands that he can bully into the ropes to work over as he pleases. Heck, the only thing that Rodriguez had going for him in this fight was his size, and if he’s too weak to take advantage of it then, I see him getting badly whipped by Ward in this fight. Weight drained fighters usually have strength for the first 2-3 rounds, but after they wear down quickly and get beaten up. Rodriguez might want to go all out in the first two rounds to see if maybe he can get lucky and score a miracle knockout.

Other weights on the card:

John Molina 141 – Jorge Pimentel 142
Sergio Mora 161 – Milton Nunez 160
Oscar Molina 153 – Carlos Sanchez 155
Charles Huerta 126 – Jonathan Arrelano 126
Brandon Gonzalez 167 – Jonathan Nelson 166
DonYil Livingston 158 – Tony Hirsch 161