The Avila Perspective, Chap. 53: Saul Rodriguez, Cancio, Ruiz and More

Small town guys from Southern California wrapped up world title belts recently. Who’s next?

Riverside’s not exactly Blythe or Imperial, Calif. but when it comes to Southern California desert towns it qualifies heat-wise with temperatures near 100 and above for most summers.

Super featherweight contender Saul “Neno” Rodriguez hails from Riverside and he’s looking to be a world champion soon if not sooner. The heat is on.

Rodriguez (23-0-1, 17 KOs) meets Mexico’s Miguel Angel Gonzalez (24-4, 21 KOs) in a 10-round clash between hard-hitting super featherweights at Pechanga Resort and Casino on Friday, June 28. ESPN will televise. The main event features Richard Commey defending the IBF lightweight title against Raymundo Beltran.

You never know what to expect with Mexican fighters. Their records can be confusing because of their competition.

“He’s a tough person. He’s never been knocked out,” said Rodriguez of his next foe in the boxing ring Gonzalez. “I can’t take him lightly.”

This will be Rodriguez’s third fight since returning to the Top Rank banner and in each of the three fights, the lanky slugger has been assigned tougher and tougher opponents in incremental fashion. This one can tip the scale.

For the past several weeks Rodriguez spent training in the southern Florida area.

“We’ve been working mostly on a lot of defense,” said Rodriguez, 26, who is trained by his father Saul Rodriguez Sr. “We’ve had a lot of different kinds of sparring.”

During his first tenure with Top Rank, the Riverside prizefighter was rocketing up the rankings with some of the most sensational knockouts in all of boxing. British boxing pundits and Spanish television networks called him the most exciting knockout puncher back in 2014 when he blasted out four in a row. His knockouts were the envy of the boxing world.

After signing with Mayweather Promotions in late 2016 the parade stalled.

A near loss to Oscar Bravo and the inability to find suitable opposition put Rodriguez in a wayward path and a mutual parting of the ways with Mayweather Promotions was reached. No hard feelings.

Since returning to Top Rank the knockouts resumed with Rodriguez powering out Brazil’s Aelio Mesquita in five rounds. Now he returns home to Riverside County.

“It’s always good when I’m close to home so my friends and family can come and see me,” said Rodriguez. “My last two fights were in Texas and in Fresno.”

Today the super featherweight division has heated up with local fighter Andrew Cancio recently grabbing the WBA version of the title.

Rodriguez is familiar with Cancio, Gervonta Davis, Miguel Berchelt and all of the other top super featherweights.

“I’ve been sparring with Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans and of course Mexicans,” said Rodriguez. “We’re ready mentally for all obstacles.”

Rodriguez looks to ride the recent success wave that led to championships for Cancio and heavyweight Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz. Southern Californians are rolling sevens and 11s.

More Cancio

After repelling Puerto Rico’s Alberto Machado’s attempt to regain the WBA title, Andrew Cancio now has a clear path to perhaps choose his next foe.

“I’d like to fight Rene Alvarado,” said Cancio of his former foe from Nicaragua. “He deserves it. He’s like me, he has been ranked for a while but hasn’t gotten his shot. I want to give him a shot.”

Back in December 2015, they fought each other at Fantasy Springs Casino. A cut near the eye of Alvarado caused by a Cancio punch ended the fight in the eighth round. Until the stoppage the two were engaged in one heck of a slugfest that both are famous for producing any time they enter the boxing ring.

“Alvarado is a lot like me. I know how he feels,” said Cancio who got his first crack at a world title this past February against Machado and was successful. “He deserves a shot.”

Alvarado’s last fight was a technical decision win in Nicaragua and he’s also defeated Los Angeles banger Carlos Morales and upset Denis Shafikov. The Nicaraguan has never fought for a world title.

The ball is in Golden Boy Promotion’s court. Don’t be surprised if it happens.

Andy Ruiz

Since winning the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles, Andy Ruiz has also captured the hearts and minds of mothers and daughters throughout North America. Maybe even South America too.

When I get a phone call from my mom asking about “this Chicano kid who won the world title” then I know the regular world has been shaken to its core. Boxing can do that even to moms that don’t watch television or read newspapers.

The recent hometown parade given to the big-boned Ruiz by the town of Imperial was heartwarming stuff and carried by numerous newspapers and television networks. Mothers everywhere were swooning over watching Ruiz take in the attention. Suddenly the new heavyweight champion has become the darling of anyone who knows his story.

Mothers, go let your sons and daughters grow up to be prizefighters.

Fights to Watch

Fri. 7 p.m. ESPN: Richard Commey (28-2) vs Raymundo Beltran (36-8-1); Saul Rodriguez (23-0-1) vs Miguel Angel Gonzalez (24-4).

Sat. 6 p.m. Showtime: Jermall Charlo (28-0) vs Brandon Adams (21-2).

Sat. 6 p.m. DAZN: Demetrius Andrade (27-0) vs Maciej Sulecki (28-1); Khalid Yafai (25-0) vs Norberto Jimenez (29-8-4).

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