On December 3, Pawel Wolak and Delvin Rodriguez will renew acquaintances in a rematch from a sizzler in July. The fight was a bit of surprise. Wolak was riding higher–especially following a stoppage win of ex-titlist Yuri Foreman. Rodriguez, however, had only won two of his previous 6 fights. As is often the case in this sport, people had written off Rodriguez prematurely, as he showed great flair in July in nearly upsetting Wolak.
- Date: December 3, 2011
- Site: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
- Weight: Junior Middleweights: 10 Rounds
Wolak vs. Rodriguez II Preview
Sometimes fighters fall into a slump. It happens in all sports. Rodriguez may have simply lost his zest for a spell because when his back was against the wall–he reminded people why they had gotten so excited about Rodriguez in the first place. A highly-regarded welterweight a few years ago, Rodriguez fell on hard times, but served notice in July that he might have another run in him.
While Rodriguez elevated his form against Wolak, perhaps “The Raging Bull” was not at his mental peak. Something strange things happen to a man’s biology when they look and see that their opponent is a 7-1 underdog. Something bad happens to a fighter’s mind when they see their opponent has 2 wins in his last 6 fights. Guys like Wolak rely very heavily on a certain “edge.” He’s not one of these fighters who is going to thrive at 50%. Against Rodriguez, his cutting edge was duller than usual and the result reflected it.
It’s very subtle. A fighter may be doing the same things in the gym that he did before, but without a healthy respect for his opponent, the mind can play tricks on you. Outwardly, Wolak considered Rodriguez a worthy opponent. But deep down, you have to wonder if he was feeling the same urgency he felt when he stepped into the ring as an underdog against Yuri Foreman. That little spiritual gap is critical to fighters like Wolak.
Vital Stats
Wolak: The Polish-born Wolak, 29-1-1 (19) now calls New Jersey home. At 30, the 5’8” bruiser has clawed his way into contention–much to the pleasure of boxing fans who crave action. The ultra-entertaining “Raging Bull” has had only one setback since turning pro in 2004–a hairline decision loss to Ishe Smith in 2008. He rebounded well, culminating in a dominating stoppage of Yuri Foreman, who after 6 rounds, had seen enough of Wolak for a lifetime. Before facing Rodriguez, Wolak had been matched reasonably tough, with his 5 previous opponents having a combined record of 103-6-5.
Rodriguez: The 31-year old 6-foot Dominican-born Connecticut resident turned pro back in 1999. He became a legitimate contender, but came up short in his biggest fights. Rebounded well after a surprising loss to Jesse Feliciano in 2007, but a draw and a loss to Isaac Hlatshwayo and a pair of decision losses to Rafal Jackiewicz and Ashley Theophane brought him down to earth. His July draw against Wolak breathed some much-needed life into his career, which now sits at 25-5-3 (14).
Strengths
Wolak: He puts on a lot of pressure and he can punch hard, making him one of the toughest night’s work in the entire division. Wolak has good stamina and is nearly impossible to dissuade. He has a high threshold for pain and just keeps coming. His hunger, passion, grit, and style suggests a fighter of a bygone era, when men were truly men.
Rodriguez: Tall slashing boxer showed in July that he still has nice hands. Uses punch anticipation well, before lashing out with crisp counters. Has nice size for the division, even if the Wolak fight was his first appearance at 154. After a 12-year career with ups, downs, and tragedies alike–Rodriguez is a seasoned fighter who has seen it all and been through a lot.
Weaknesses
Wolak: You can almost see Pawel swelling up during the pre-fight staredown. And his defense isn’t going to make anyone forget about Nicolino Locche. One of these days, you have to wonder if his face will betray him in a big fight, even if he’s winning. More squeamish referees might not allow a man to continue when he looks like the victim of a bee attack. And the Rodriguez fight showed that a big, resourceful, and well-schooled boxer can have some success against the brawling Wolak.
Rodriguez: The fact that the Wolak fight was a surprising result for Delvin shows that people had become accustomed to Rodriguez not coming through when it matters most. On the biggest of stages, people had become conditioned to Rodriguez underperforming. The fact that he always seemed better than his results suggested a certain under-achieving vibe about Rodriguez.
Questions and Issues
Wolak: Will he be better now that he knows what he’s up against? Was Rodriguez a bad style matchup for Wolak or was Pawel expecting something less? After briefly entertaining title bouts with Cornelius Bundrage and Austin Trout, will Pawel be deflated having to fight Rodriguez again? Will we see a performance similar to the last time he fought on the undercard of a Miguel Cotto fight, when he dominated Yuri Foreman?
Rodriguez: Was his July performance the last dying kicks of a fading fighter or a sign of a rebirth? Is there any way he can actually improve on his showing from the first fight? Is he finally putting it all together? Is he fighting in the right weight class, after a decade at welterweight? Did the modern-day intolerance toward losses blind us from the fact that Rodriguez is a helluva fighter?
Wolak vs. Rodriguez Rematch Prediction
Tough fight. These guys mesh well to make an entertaining fight for fans and the same should be expected in December. To say Rodriguez fought at his absolute best, while Wolak might have had an off-night is perhaps overly-simplistic, but perhaps true to some extent. I wouldn’t expect Rodriguez to be significantly worse or for Wolak to be that much better, but this rematch doesn’t require both fighters to make a complete about-face for things to be different.
The changes from July will be more subtle, but will resonate in a big way in the ring. Look for Wolak to be slightly more in-tune and make a few adjustments that will make a big difference. The fight will look similar to the first fight for the first 4-6 rounds, but look for Wolak’s second-half surge to create some separation, as he cruises to a unanimous decision win.
Prediction: Pawel Wolak wins by unanimous decision.
