ShoBox: Edwin Rodriguez vs. James McGirt Jr. TONIGHT @ 11pm - RBR here!!

Damn. Mark Nelson is officiating the main event, too. :err

 

Rodriguez looks like a stone cold killer as usual.

McGirt looks as calm as a mannequin.

 

Round 1

Rodriguez pushes his jab out on a spring. McGirt blasts off with a quick, sharp 1-2 and gets back into his defensive posture. Rodriguez keeps trying to open up an exchange with some haymakers but McGirt keeps nullifying these attempts with a high turtle shell and bending his knees to bounce around with good balance. Rodriguez is teeing off to the body and then brings some punches upstairs but hits only glove. McGirt emerges from his shell every few seconds to slap with a hook. Rodriguez slapping with right hands after they break.

Interesting round...

 

Round 2

McGirt catches Rodriguez with a nice hook but is caught with one on his own chin a few moments later as he backs up. McGirt covers up but is bashed to the ropes. Rodriguez puts his head down and goes to work with both hands...a real lunch-pail effort, with lots of body shots. McGirt keeps his gloves wrapped around his ears and continues sliding along the ropes. Rodriguez tries to peck through the guard with a 1-1-2, and goes back to the body work. Uppercuts from Rodriguez split the guard and he starts slapping with hard shots to the temple and neck. McGirt is blocking his chin but getting hit everywhere else that's legal. McGirt lands a good 1-2 of his own but is getting outworked in a big way. A big hook lands for Rodriguez at the bell - and it looks like McGirt was already cut where it landed (right eye).

20-18 Rodriguez

 

Round 3

McGirt landing well with the right hand. He catches Rodriguez hurling wide shots with these repeated right jabs down the middle and backs him up. McGirt slows down his output but continues to advance with his guard up. McGirt lands a few straight lefts and overall does the more effective work as Rodriguez tries to punch off the back foot.

29-28 Rodriguez

 

Round 4

Rodriguez misses a double jab and backs McGirt up with the right cross. Rodriguez steps in and grazes McGirt with a pair of uppercuts against the corner. McGirt gets out and begins to take the lead with a piston-like combo that has Rodriguez backing up and sitting on the middle rope. They fight at short range, with McGirt punching out of his guard and Rodriguez shifting his weight (alternately sticking one shoulder in front, then the other) and ducking. Both are landing, and both are taking away shots from the other man. It's interesting stuff. McGirt is busy with the jab but not stepping into it. Rodriguez lands to the body. McGirt steps in with a left cross to the gut. Rodriguez draws him into a wild firefight and gets the better of it.

39-37 Rodriguez

 

Round 5

McGirt is very aggressive, leading with right hooks that mostly slap the back of Rodriguez. McGirt inevitably slows down again, and Rodriguez walks forward with lead rights and powerful left haymakers. McGirt is RIPPED with some big shots, including a hook that instantly bruises his cheek. Now Rodriguez gets a head of steam, landing upperhooks, right hands, and hooks to the body. OUCH! McGirt is getting clobbered. He is still getting a few punches in here and there but had a really tough time in that middle minute. Rodriguez completely stops punching for the last minute, and keeps switching between orthodox and southpaw.

49-46 Rodriguez

 

Round 6

Rodriguez is coming at McGirt as a southpaw now...they clash with their warring right jabs and Rodriguez pushes McGirt into a corner. Rodriguez slings shots with both hands, turning his body fully into each. McGirt is mostly defensive this round. Rodriguez is underusing his body attack and keeps attacking the unmoving guard. Rodriguez finally digs a left to the body after nearly thirty seconds of inactivity. McGirt is just waiting on him.

59-55 Rodriguez

 

Round 7

Rodriguez follows McGirt into a corner and tries to explode with power. He swivels into each shot, firing with both hands. McGirt just absorbs it all and is taking some clean headshots above the ears and at the sides of his brow (but protecting his chin throughout). Rodriguez just keeps trying to bash his way through, totally headhunting. McGirt lays on the ropes and lets Rodriguez work. McGirt just throws a few right jabs in between Rodriguez setting his feet. They get off the ropes and McGirt lands a short left uppercut but there's nothing on it. Rodriguez ducks a lazy McGirt right hook.

69-64 Rodriguez

 

Here it is...

Buddy McGirt: Son, I'm not gonna sit there and let you take those shots like that...