Light heavyweight contender Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (27-1, 18 KOs) will take on undefeated Michael Seals (19-0, 14 KOs) Friday, Nov. 13 on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike live from MGM Resorts International’s beautiful Beau Rivage Resort & Casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Televised coverage will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
“This is a huge opportunity for me to clearly cement myself as one of the best 175-pounders in all of boxing,” said Rodriguez. “Michael Seals is coming to fight and I know what a win means for him and his career. That being said, this is going to be my night. George Bernard Shaw once said that, ‘life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.’ This victory is a major piece of the puzzle I’ve created for my life. A win on Nov. 13 moves me a major step closer to challenging for a piece of the light heavyweight crown, and there’s nothing and no one that will get in my way of achieving that.”
“I’d like to thank all parties involved for making this fight a reality,” said Seals. “I’ve remained focused mentally and in my training to make sure that I was completely prepared for my opportunity when the time came. I have a strong base and have been blessed with a chance to show the world my talents. I will be ready to go when the bell rings on Nov.13.”
Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $62.95, $48.95, $34.95 and $20.95, plus tax and service charges. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
“Edwin Rodriguez is clearly one of the best 175-pounders in the world, and I am glad that he is getting a match-up of this caliber and an opportunity to showcase himself against a truly tough test in the highly regarded and undefeated prospect Michael Seals,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The winner of this bout should be in line for a shot against Adonis Stevenson, or any of the other champions in the light heavyweight division, and we expect a spectacular performance from both guys when they meet November 13.”
“The light heavyweight division has become one of the most compelling division in boxing,” said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Specials, Spike. “Spike is excited to have two of the rising stars in this weight class, Rodriguez and Seals, battle it out.”
“MGM Resorts International is home to the best boxing events in the world,” said Beau Rivage Executive Director of Entertainment Anthony Gibson. “I’ve watched a lot of boxing in the last 40 years and DiBella Entertainment’s events at Beau Rivage are some of the best I’ve seen. The theatre, the ring, the boxers and atmosphere are always first-class.”
An accomplished amateur who won a 2006 National Golden Gloves gold medal and a 2005 U.S. National Championship gold medal, the 30-year-old Rodriguez enters this fight as the winner of his last three. Born in the Dominican Republic but fighting out of Worcester, Mass., Rodriguez’s lone loss came to undefeated Andre Ward in 2013 and he owns victories over previously undefeated fighters Will Rosinsky, Jason Escalera and Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna. Most recently he stopped previously unbeaten Craig Baker in the third round on a May PBC card.
Undefeated and fighting out of Atlanta, Georgia, Seals looks to make a mark on Nov. 13 when he faces his toughest competition to date. The 33-year-old played college football at the University of Alabama A&M before getting his start in boxing and turning pro in 2008. In 2012 he stopped the experienced Byron Mitchell in round one and has added five victories to his record since then including a March victory over Carlos Reyes.
