Replay: Delvin Rodriguez vs Pawel Wolak

Junior middleweight contender Pawel Wolak (right) and former welterweight contender Delvin Rodriguez got into a fight last Friday night at the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan. Unfortunately our esteemed editor was waiting outside a tony Aldwych Hotel in London waiting for the first public comments of News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch, so we were unable to bring you our typical ringside coverage.

In hindsight New York would have been the bigger story. Last weekend’s ferocious draw has easily displaced Berto-Ortiz as our early leader for Fight of the Year. Thankfully ESPN was kind enough to replay it this week before this week’s Friday Night Fights and hopefully enough casual observers were around to catch a fight that could turn anyone with a strong stomach into a diehard fight fan.

We didn’t score the fight; it was too engrossing. But even if we did it would be hard to quibble with the scorecards (97-93 for Rodriguez and 95-95 twice). As we watched the final round our prevailing thought was this: if a winner must be declared it should be Rodriguez, especially when karmic justice is taken into account. But it would be heartbreaking to deny Wolak after his courageous and relentless effort. A draw felt just and justice should be the first consideration of any public official.

This was a fight for the ages, one that fans lucky enough to be in attendance will be speaking of for many years to come. Wolak is known for his constant pressure, which helped him make short order of former beltholder Yuri Foreman in his last fight. A world title shot loomed should he win in similarly impressive fashion against Rodriguez, expected to be above his depth at the heaviest weight of his career.

The charismatic Dominican’s return to the ring came after a layoff of over a year, doubtless to recover from wounds both physical and mental. The victim of a string of controversial decisions, Delvin appeared well-positioned for the transition to his next career thanks to his gig calling fight for ESPN in Spanish. But he clearly felt he had unfinished business in the ring.

Delvin’s experience, craftiness, and ability to keep his head under pressure proved to be the perfect foil for the New Jersey-based Pole who has appropriately adopted the moniker “Raging Bull.” From the outset Wolak set the tone with his relentless pressure and Rodriguez did his best to evade the hardest blows, responding in kind by creating space and shooting his powerful right hand. Wolak’s approach is effective but it also results in him sustaining a good amount of damage, early on mostly from uppercuts as he charged in head-first.

Halfway through the fight some swelling appeared on Wolak’s brow and Delvin wisely realized the left hook was the most direct route to inflicting pain on his opponent. He re-directed his attack and focused on pounding Wolak’s right eye, one of several strategic shifts that helped him control the fight against his more-esteemed opponent. Soon the swelling erupted in grotesque fashion, spawning a hematoma that looked as if a melon had been shoved through Pawel’s eye socket.

Referee Steve Smoger admirably let them fight one after first consulting with the ringside physician, who showed a similarly stoic constitution. Wolak for his part was undeterred; no mere trifle like the prospect of future vision loss would prevent him from securing the title shot he has sought for so long. With hundreds of Polish fans chanting his name he continued to bring the pressure and force Rodriguez to tie up and lean on the ropes in hopes of smothering the worst of his attack.

The final two rounds saw Rodriguez reach deep within himself and produce the stuff of which champions are made. He quickened his movement and pushed off Wolak to create enough space to deliver heavy combinations to the face, always punctuated by a left hook that landed more often than not. It was clear that Delvin was coming on at the end of the fight and had it been scheduled for 12 rounds we have little doubt he would have secured the result. As it was a draw seems more than fair.

But little matter. Both men have indicated interest in a re-match and no other fight that could be made for either would have half as much appeal or box office value. There is talk of the undercard of Cotto-Margarito in Madison Square Garden on December 3rd; should that take place rest assured Stiff Jab will be ringside. We have many faults but making the same mistake more than once is thankfully not one them.