Former Jr. Middleweight and Welterweight Title Challenger Rodríguez to Meet Former Jr. Middleweight Titlist Alcine on ESPN Friday Night Fights and Noche de Combates
The May 16 edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra will feature former Jr. Middleweight and Welterweight world title challenger Delvin Rodríguez (28-7-3, 16 KOs) meeting former Jr. Middleweight titlist 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, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN. The card is promoted by Star Boxing.
Commentators: Blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore will be ringside with analyst Teddy Atlas describing the action for ESPN2, while studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will present all the latest boxing news and highlights. Pablo Viruega and Alex Pombo, filling in for Delvin Rodríguez, will call the fights for Noche de Combates (Fight Night) on ESPN Deportes, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will anchor the studio.
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.
Boxcino 2014 Finals Next Week on Friday Night Fights and Noche de Combates: On Friday, May 23 (9 p.m., ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN), from Turning Stone Casino in Verona, N.Y, the Boxcino 2014 Finals sponsored by 1800 Tequila will be held. The 10-round Lightweight final will feature Petr Petrov (34-4-2, 15 KOs) vs. Fernando Cárcamo (17-5, 13 KOs) and the 10-round Middleweight final will feature Brandon Adams (14-0, 9 KOs) vs. Willie Monroe Jr. (17-1, 6 KOs).
Upcoming ESPN Boxing Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Main Event | Location | Networks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, May 16 | 9 p.m. | Delvin Rodríguez (28-7-3, 16 KOs) vs. Joachim Alcine (35-7-1, 21 KOs)10 rounds, Jr. Middleweight | Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN |
| Fri, May 23 | 9 p.m. | Boxcino 2014 Finals sponsored by 1800 Tequila | Turning Stone Casino, Verona, NY | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN |
| Petr Petrov (34-4-2, 15 KOs) vs. Fernando Cárcamo (17-5, 13 KOs)10 rounds, Lightweights | ||||
| Brandon Adams (14-0, 9 KOs) vs. Willie Monroe Jr. (17-1, 6 KOs)10 rounds, Middleweights | ||||
| Fri, June 6 | 10:30 p.m. | Yudel Jhonson (15-1, 9 KOS) vs. Norberto González ( 20-3, 13 KOs)10 rounds, Jr. Middleweights | Turning Stone Casino, Verona, NY | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN |
