George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah has mined his craft as a world-class middleweight away from the spotlight, fighting almost exclusively in his home state of Oklahoma while amassing an undefeated record of 31-0-1 (23KO’s) over his nine-year career.
On February 15, Tahdooahnippah will head to the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut for a ten round showdown with former world title challenger and East Coast fan favorite Delvin Rodriguez, 26-6-3 (14KO’s), broadcast live on ESPN 2’s Friday Night Fights.
“This is what I’ve been looking for and why I signed with Joe DeGuardia and Star Boxing. I’ve watched Delvin fight for a few years, it seems like all of his fights have been on TV” said Tahdooahnippah. “He’s always seemed like a classy, stand-up guy, very strong and skilled fighter. His first fight with Wolak was a terrific fight, seems like he’s never in a bad one.”
Rodriguez battled Pawel Wolak in July 2011 on ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, a memorable war which was voted “Fight of the Year” by a consensus of boxing writers.
“It’s been a long road and I know that I’ll be the underdog but I truly feel now is my time. This is the opportunity I’ve wanted for a long time and I plan on making the most of it,” continued Tahdooahnippah.
A Native American, Tahdooahnippah is of Comanche and Choctaw descent residing in Lawton, Oklahoma and the proud father of four children, boys Nacona 8, George Jr. 6 and Talon Sage, 4, and a daughter Lulu, two years old.
Working full-time as a heath and fitness promotions coordinator for the Comanche Nations Diabetes Program in Lawton, Tahdooahnippah also trains in his hometown with longtime trainer David Vaughn and sparring partner, perennial contender Grady Brewer.
“I’ve had excellent sparring for this fight, along with Grady I’ve worked with a couple terrific young fighters over the last few weeks.”
“I take a great deal of pride in my background and who I am. While many Native Americans have heard of me, this fight on ESPN is the first opportunity for the huge community across the country to watch one of my fights” said Tahdooahnippah who also coaches his older two sons’ wrestling team.
“Said DeGuardia, “I’ve known about George for a couple years and I’ve always been impressed with him, not only as a boxer but also his character. His work within the Comanche Nation community as a leader and mentor speaks volumes.”
“The fight against Rodriguez is a step up for George and with their styles we should see an action packed fight from the opening bell. The Mohegan Sun is the perfect venue for this battle and the fans watching on ESPN know what to expect from Delvin’s previous fights on the network.”
The Rodriguez/Tahdooahnippah bout will be contested at a catch weight of 157 pounds. An exciting undercard will be announced shortly.
Both fighters are rated in the top ten by the World Boxing Association, (Tahdooahnippah #10 in the middleweight division, Rodriguez #8 at junior middleweight.)
