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UNCASVILLE, Connecticut – Jonathan Rodriguez realizes there are boxing fans that don’t expect much from him Saturday night because they aren’t familiar with what he has done during his 23-fight, five-year pro career.
The Mexican contender cannot wait to introduce himself in by far the biggest fight of his career – a shot at IBF junior bantamweight champion Jerwin Ancajas. Rodriguez, the mandatory challenger for Ancajas’ championship, and Ancajas will meet in the 12-round opener of a “Showtime Championship Boxing” tripleheader from Mohegan Sun Arena (9 p.m. ET; 6 p.m. PT).
A confident Rodriguez predicted during an interview with BoxingScene.com that he will knock out Ancajas in “a true Filipino-Mexican war.”
“I absolutely believe that I can knock him out,” Rodriguez said. “In fact, I’m certain that this fight is not gonna be left up to the judges at all.”
The Philippines’ Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs) will make the ninth defense of the IBF 115-pound championship he won by out-pointing Puerto Rico’s McJoe Arroyo (18-4, 8 KOs) in June 2016. Ancajas is undoubtedly the best opponent of Rodriguez’s career, but Rodriguez is 6-0 against southpaws and certain that he is ready for this type of fight against a left-handed champion.
“As far as the jump in difficulty, I would compare him to someone I fought, Felipe Orucuta,” Rodriguez said. “And to tell you the truth, the rise in difficulty, the sheer jump, is not that big at all. I’m not afraid in the least. I’m ready for Ancajas, just like I was ready for Orucuta back then.”
Rodriguez (22-1, 16 KOs) stopped Orucuta in the 10th round of their June 2019 bout in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Orucuta suffered brain damage from that defeat, underwent emergency surgery and was placed in a medically induced coma.
The 25-year-old Rodriguez knocked out Julian Yedras (24-8, 13 KOs) in the first round of his only fight since he stopped Orucuta (36-6, 30 KOs).
That bout took place December 4 in Monterrey, Mexico. Ancajas hasn’t fought since December 2019, when he stopped Mexico’s Miguel Gonzalez (31-3, 8 KOs) in the sixth round of their title fight in Puebla, Mexico.
Ancajas and Rodriguez were supposed to fight last April 11 in Las Vegas, but that card was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ancajas is a great Filipino boxer and someone that I respect greatly,” Rodriguez said. “But I plan to pressure him throughout, from the start of the fight until the end. And if I fall down 11 times, I plan to get up 12 times. I’m gonna win, no matter what.”
Rodriguez has drawn more motivation from the recent birth of his daughter, Daylin. She was born Saturday in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, but Rodriguez missed her birth because he was wrapping up training camp in New Orleans for this title shot.
“It hurts to not be able to hug her and see her smile,” Rodriguez said. “But at the same time, just being able to see her on FaceTime, it’s lighting a fire under me like you have no idea. My motivation is through the roof. She’s my inspiration. She’s my everything. I wanna win this championship for her. That’s the bottom line.”
Following Ancajas-Rodriguez, Showtime will televise two 12-round welterweight fights Saturday night.
In the co-feature, a WBA elimination match, Lithuania’s Eimantas Stanionis (12-0, 9 KOs) will oppose Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs). In the main event, Philadelphia’s Jaron Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs, 1 NC) is set to face Kazakhstan’s Sergey Lipinets (16-1-1, 12 KOs).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.