The May 16 edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights will feature Delvin Rodríguez (28-7-3, 16 KOs) meeting Joachim “Ti-Joa” Alcine (35-7-1, 21 KOs) in the 10-round Jr. Middleweight main event. Friday’s show, from Olympic Stadium in Montreal, will air live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and is promoted by Star Boxing.
Check out more details on the card, and photos and quotes from the final press conference, here.
Main Event:
Connecticut’s Rodríguez, who doubles as an ESPN Deportes boxing analyst, is fighting on Friday Night Fights for the 17th time. His 2011 bout with Pawel Wolak —a 10-round draw—was named 2011 “Fight of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). In the rematch later that year, Rodríguez defeated Wolak setting him up for a 2012 WBA Jr. Middleweight title shot against then titlist Austin Trout. Rodríguez, who also fought Isaac Hlatshwayo for the IBF Welterweight title in 2009, is looking to get back to his winning ways following a third-round TKO loss in his last fight to former Jr. Welterweight, Welterweight, and Junior Middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto.
“At this stage in my career, I don’t take anybody lightly. He’s (Alcine) looking to redeem himself, get back into the game, get back into the mix, just like I’m trying to do,” Rodríguez said. “We’re training really hard and doing our own thing…We’ve been around for a long time. I know when I’m ready. You’ve just got to stay focused and confident – and that, I always am.”
Alcine, who hails from California, and won the WBA Jr. Middleweight world title in 2007 by defeating then-defending titlist Travis Simms by 12-round unanimous decision, has won his last two fights, including a third-round KO win over Jovan Ramirez in his last bout.
“This fight, I’m going in to give my best, ’cause I don’t think it is over for me yet,” Alcine said. “A lot of people think I’m finished, I’m done, but it’s over only when God says it’s over.”
Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit Heavyweights Derric “El León” Rossy (28-8, 14 KOs) of New York against New Jersey’s Joe “The Future” Hanks (21-1, 14 KOs). Rossy is looking to rebound from an eight-round, split-decision loss to Joey Dawejko, while Hanks is looking to score a victory following a fourth-round TKO loss to Andy Ruiz.
