Q & A with Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez

New England’s Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez is an up and coming Middleweight. He’s currently 10-0(7) and just 24 years old. He has a solid grounding from his amateur days which saw him win a Golden Gloves title in 2006. He hopes to breath new life into the local scene which has seen a some of the more established guard retire in the last few years. He has recently has an opperation on his elbow but is already looking to the future and hopes to be back in action soon.

Anson Wainwright - Firstly you won your last fight on 19 March with a second round KO. What can you tell us about this fight?

Edwin Rodriguez - My last fight was very exciting on many levels. First and foremost it was the first time I have ever fought in my hometown of Worcester Massachusetts. To be able to fight at home in front of my fans was an amazing experience and I hope to be able to do it again soon. As for the fight itself, I am very happy with the outcome. Patrick Thompson is a very durable and skilled fighter that has gone the distance with some great boxers. Having stopped him in devastating fashion is a big feather in my cap. While I am not surprised at how quickly I got him out of there, I am surprised at the level of progression I have shown. I think my last four fights show that I am not afraid to fight anyone and that my skill level is advancing at a great pace.
Anson Wainwright - I believe you have had an operation on your elbow? What can you tell us about this, how long will it keep you out of action?

Edwin Rodriguez - I recently had elbow surgery to remove some bone chips that have accumulated through the years. It was a scheduled surgery and not an emergency. I had the best doctor in the world, Dr. William Morgan, do the surgery so I knew I was in good hands. Dr. Morgan was the Boston Red Sox team physician and has operated on athletes such as Curt Schilling and Bret Saberhagen. My recovery is right on track and I am already back in the gym preparing for the next opportunity that my promoter puts in front of me.

Anson Wainwright - Can you tell us about team Rodriguez? Who is your manager, trainer and promoter etc is.

Edwin Rodriguez - Team Rodriguez is made up of some of the most professional, honest and competent people in the game. My manager is a Boston attorney and entrepreneur, Larry Army Jr. Larry had put together a game plan that enabled us to sign with one of the best promoters in the game, Lou DiBella, CEO of DiBella Entertainment. Larry was also instrumental in bringing on Peter Manfredo, Sr. as my pro trainer. All in all, I feel blessed to be surrounded by these guys. They focus on the business part of the game and I focus on winning. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Anson Wainwright - What can you tell us about your amateur career? What titles did you win and what was your final record?

Edwin Rodriguez - My amateur career ended with me winning two USA national championships (2005 USA NATIONAL CHAMPION 165lbs and 2006 National Golden Glove Champion 165lbs.). I had just about 100 amateur fights and lost 7 of those. My goal as an amateur was to represent the United States of America in the Olympics, but that dream was put on hold when my fiancé gave birth to our twins, Edwin and Serena. My kids were born premature with both weighing about 1 pound each. Theor struggle to live has inspired me to be the best I can be. When it comes to being a champion all I need to do is look at my children to see what makes up a Champ.

Anson Wainwright - There seems to be a void that you can fill in New England with Micky Ward & Jose Rivera having retired in the last few years. Do you see this as your chance to bring big fights to Massachusetts?

Edwin Rodriguez - Massachusetts boxing history is very rich. With fighters like Rocky Marciano, Marvin Hagler, Tony DeMarco, Micky Ward, Jose Rivera, Peter Manfredo, Jr. and John Ruiz, I have big shoes to fill. I do feel as though I am ready to do just that. This area of the country is really becoming a hot bed with a lot of top-tiered professionals coming out of here. The fans are used to great fighters and support me 100-percent. Again, I feel blessed to have all of those guys and many more come before me and open-up the doors to many different and exciting opportunities.

Anson Wainwright - How did you get into Boxing?

Edwin Rodriguez - I began boxing when I was 16 years old through the Boys and Girls Club of Worcester. I was introduced to Carlos Garcia at the club and he took my under his wing. Carlos started the career of guys like Jose Rivera, Bobby Harris and Sean Fitzgerald. I got into boxing because it is a sport that has no off season. I love training and fighting and with boxing I can do it every day.

Anson Wainwright - Who is your Boxing hero?

Edwin Rodriguez - My boxing hero is Rocky Marciano. Rocky was a Hall of Famer and Massachusetts fighter who retired with a 49-0 record in a time when you fought everybody and opponent’s weren’t ducked but rather sought out. What is better than that!

Anson Wainwright - What do you like to do away from Boxing?

Edwin Rodriguez - Outside of boxing I have been working on obtaining my college degree and spending as much time with my kids as possible. The truth be told, boxing is pretty much my life right now. The only way I will reach my goal of becoming a champion is by doing the things that other boxers will not do. This means constant honing of my skills, eating right, and training about 4 -5 hours per day. I am fortunate to have a manager that makes this possible for me.

Anson Wainwright - What do you make of the current state of the Middleweight division? Do you see an opportunity to gatecrash the division with the lack of quality contenders.

Edwin Rodriguez - I don’t see anyone in the middleweight division that can or will ever beat me. I believe my promoter, Lou DiBella, will guide my career in such a way that I will be a World Champion within 24 months. I hope that this doesn’t sound cocky because that is not my intention. I just believe in my heart that I am destined to become a World Champion.

Anson Wainwright - Finally do you have any message for anyone out there?

Edwin Rodriguez - I would like to thank all of my fans and your readers who have taken the time to read about me. If anyone would like you can follow my career they can do so by signing up as a member of Team Rodriguez at my web site: www.edwinrodriguezboxing.com.

Thanks for your time Edwin

Thank your for taking the time out of your busy schedule to interview me!

Anson Wainwright

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