Undefeated lightweight contender Ivan Redkach Now trained by Robert Garcia

LOS ANGELES (August 21), 2014 - Undefeated United States Boxing Association (USBA) lightweight champion Ivan "The Terrible" Redkach (17-0, 13 KOs) has changed head trainers, adding former world champion and 2011 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia to his corner. The 28-year-old Redkach, who won 260 of 300 amateur matches and represented his native Ukraine at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing as a team alternate, was always considered a better professional prospect than amateur because of his ferocious style and devastating power in both hands. Rated in the top 10 by three of the four sanctioning bodies - IBF #6, WBC #8 and WBA #10 - Redkach and his manager, Larry Army (Elite Management), felt a world-class trainer was needed on Team Redkach as the Ukrainian fighter closes in on his first world title shot, hopefully, in 2015.  "I have a lot of respect for my former trainer, Mario Morales, but I needed a new trainer to teach me how to win at the championship level," Redkach said. "I didn't show any improvement in my last two fights, something I need to do every fight to be a legitimate world title contender. "Robert Garcia has proven many times that he is a great trainer, one of the best in boxing. I get great sparring at his gym in Oxnard, which is only a one-hour drive from my home (in Los Angeles). I can't wait for my next fight to show everybody how much I've improved." Garcia currently trains world champions such as Nonito Donaire, Evgeny Gradovich, Mickey Garcia and Marcos Antonio Rubio, as well as former world champions and top contenders Marcos Rene Maidana and Brandon Rios. . Redkach captured the vacant USBA title last January, winning a 10-round decision (99-90, 97-92, 97-93) over tough Tony Luis (17-1), and this past June he came out of a fight against awkward Sergey Gulyakevich (41-2) with a victory by way of a 10-round decision (100-90, 99-91, 98-92). "My job as his manager is to provide Ivan with everything he needs to win a world title," Army explained. I saw things in Ivan's last two fights, mistakes that weren't corrected, and it was time for a change. Ivan needed a trainer like Robert Garcia to win at the highest level. "Robert actually saw Ivan fight at the last show (vs. Gulyakevich). He trained a fighter on the same card. We talked after the fights and he immediately seemed like the right fit. We were lucky that, living in LA, Ivan had other options to go with an elite trainer, but  Robert was always our No. 1 choice. He's a great teacher and certainly qualified by any standards. He has some Eastern European/Russian fighters in his gym. Robert has had great success changing their styles to be more potent and that's what we're hoping for with Ivan" Redkach's next fight is expected to be in October.

Ivan 'The Terrible' Redkach Real TV fighter & new USBA lightweight champion

WORCESTER, Mass. (January 23, 2014) - Newly crowned United States Boxing Association (USBA) lightweight champion Ivan "The Terrible" Redkach (16-0, 13 KOs, 1 NC) picked up more than hardware last week headlining ShoBox: The New Generation. The ferocious southpaw firmly established himself in Memphis as an exciting "television fighter" for the future with tremendous upside. Redkach may not have made the quantum leap from prospect to legitimate world title contender, yet, but he gained invaluable experience going 10 rounds for the first time against a game and somewhat awkward Tony "The Lightning" Luis (17-2-1, 7 KOs), who is rated No. 9 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and has been chief sparring partner for world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux. Redkach won a unanimous decision (99-90, 97-93, 97-93), dropping a game Luis once in an action-packed fight from start to finish. "I was pleased with my performance and I'm very happy and proud to be the USBA champion," Redkach said from his home in Los Angeles. "We both showed a lot of heart and I think we gave TV fans a show. I want to thank Showtime, my promoter Lou DiBella and manager Larry Army for that great opportunity. I went 10 hard rounds against my toughest opponent and learned a lot that will help make me an even better fighter. I know I could have made it a lot easier on myself if I had fought in the middle of the ring and stayed away from the ropes. But boxing is all about learning and improving and fans will see that in my next fight. I'll take a week or so off and go right back into the gym to get ready for my next fight." Redkach, rated No. 13 by the World Boxing Council (WBC), fell short of achieving his goal of making the quantum leap from top prospect to legitimate world title contender in only his 17th professional fight. "A world champion in the making like Ivan needs to be taken into deep waters under stressful conditions," Redkach's manager Larry Army explained. "Fighting in his first ShoBox main event certainly was stressful but he went the full distance and won a real war. We had never seen Ivan go deep, so in that respect, it was a perfect fight for us. We learned that he's three or four more fights away from a world title shot, but we believe in him even more than ever as a future world champion. He now realizes that he can't knockout every opponent but he can still win fights. Ivan needs some fine tuning and more big-fight experience as he continues to chase his dream of winning a world title."  The 27-year-old Redkach is going through a normal maturation process in the ring, developing as he tests himself against more talented opponents, in order to eventually reach his full potential. His Ukrainian star is still rising. It just may not reach its zenith as quickly as initially anticipated. Someday he will get to where he ultimately wants to be, standing in the middle of the ring with his arms raised, and a coveted world title belt wrapped around his waist. ABOUT ELITE MANAGEMENT: Founded in 2008 by Atty. Larry Army in Massachusetts, Elite Management is a full-service boxing management firm focused on branding professional boxers. Elite Management is a proven expert in responsibly reviewing contracts, developing talent through effective matchmaking, gaining positive press, and attracting sponsorship and endorsement opportunities for athletes. Mr. Army is highly respected for successfully building a fighter's team: researching, interviewing and securing the right trainer, strength-and-nutrition coach, nutritionist and cut-man.   He is also known for organizing training camps for high-profile fights, as well as obtaining paid sparring partners.

UNBEATEN IVAN REDKACH LOOKING FOR BREAKOUT YEAR IN 2014

Faces Toughest Test In TONY LUIS This Friday, Jan. 17

At COOK CONVENTION CENTER, Memphis, Tenn.

Four-Fight SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION

Begins at 10 p.m. ET/PT; Live on SHOWTIME^®

New York / Memphis, Tenn. (January 13, 2014) – There is a notion in boxing that the valuable skill of pure power is something you are either born with or you’ll never have.  Watch Ivan Redkach for just one round and that pure power is evident.  When he lands a punch his opponent’s demeanor immediately changes.  If he lands flush, his opponents are disconnected from their senses.  Redkach’s power and ferocity in the ring are downright scary, leading many boxing insiders to believe that it won’t be long before Redkach is wearing a piece of the lightweight championship around his waist.

ShoBox: The New Generation will kick off 2014 this Friday, Jan. 17, when the promising Ukrainian lightweight, puts his undefeated record (15-0, 13 KO’s) on the line against once-beaten Tony Luis (17-1, 7 KO’s) in the 10-round main event of a four-fight telecast airing live on SHOWTIME^® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Growing up on the rough streets of his native Ukraine, Redkach amassed an impressive 260-40 record as an amateur, which culminated in him being a 2008 Olympic Team alternate for his country.  Redkach relocated to Los Angeles and turned pro in November 2009.  Since then, Redkach has continued to impress every time he steps into the ring and forced boxing insiders to take notice. Twelve of Redkach’s 13 knockouts have come in three rounds or less, with six coming in the first.  Redkach has made ESPN.com’s“Top 20 Prospects to Watch” list the last two years (2012 & 2013) and has garnered rave reviews from a number of esteemed boxing media and personnel.

Redkach knows that an impressive showing against the talented Luis on a nationally televised ShoBox event will take him one step closer to fulfilling his ultimate goal of capturing a world championship.

“This has been the best camp of my life,” stated a confident and focused Redkach. “My team has transformed me into a machine that is built to fight.  On Jan. 17, Tony Luis will realize this very quickly and he will feel it in each and every one of my punches.  2014 is my year and I am not going to let Tony Luis stand in my way.”

Manager Larry Army is equally as confident that this will be Redkach’s breakout year and coming out party, proclaiming, “The Chinese have called 2014 the year of the horse, but in boxing, 2014 will be the year of Ivan Redkach.”

In co-featured bouts on Jan. 17, unbeaten junior middleweights John Thompson (14-0, 5 KO’s) and Frank Galarza (11-0-2, 7 KO’s) collide in an eight-round matchup and fast-rising and highly regarded up-and-coming prospect Antoine Douglas (11-0, 7 KO’s) squares off against Marquis Davis (8-0-2, 5 KO’s) in an eight-round middleweight showdown.  Opening the telecast will be hard-hitting Maurice Hooker (12-0-1, 9 KO’s) taking on fellow undefeated prospect Abel Ramos (8-0, 4 KO’s) in an eight-round junior welterweight matchup.  

The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, in association with GH3 Promotions, Greg Cohen Promotions and Prize Fight Boxing, and will take place at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn.  The SHOWTIME telecast will air live at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with boxing historian Steve Farhood and former World Champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall withRichard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

About ShoBox: The New GenerationSince its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. The growing list of fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Berto, Leonard Dorin, Scott Harrison, Juan Diaz, Jeff Lacy, Ricky Hatton, Joan Guzman, Juan Urango, David Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Malignaggi, Kendall Holt, Timothy Bradley, Bernard Dunne, Yonnhy Perez, Yuri Foreman, Andre Ward, Cornelius Bundrage, Austin Trout, Rico Ramos and, most recently, Shawn Porter.

Ivan 'The Terrible' Redkach Set to graduate from prospect to contender

Friday night on ShoBox vs. Tony Luis for USBA title

(L-R) - Danny Garcia, Ivan "The Terrible" Redkach and Mario Morales LOS ANGELES (January 12, 2014) - Featuring a ferocious style in a similar beast-mode as fellow Slavic fighters Gennady Golovkin and Sergey Kovalev, undefeated Ukrainian lightweight Ivan "The Terrible" Redkach (15-0, 13 KOs) plans to graduate from prospect to contender this Friday night in his U.S. network debut, airing live on ShoBox: The New Generation from Memphis, Tennessee. Redkach takes on Canadian boxer Tony "The Lightning" Luis (17-1-1, 7 KOs), who is rated No. 9 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), in the 10-round main event for the vacant United States Boxing Association (USBA) lightweight title. "I'm humbled to have been named by some media as one of the top prospects in boxing," the fearsome 27-year-old southpaw said, "but I'm going to make a statementFriday night that I'm a legitimate contender and no longer a prospect.  I'm ready to fight the top 135-pounders in the world.  I'm not looking past my opponent but I want to fight (Yuriokis) Gamboa.   I'm really looking forward to 2014 as the year I establish myself as one of the top 135-pound fighters in the world." The Lou DiBella-promoted Redkach is rated No. 13 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and capturing the USBA title will also position him among the top 15 lightweights in the International Boxing Federation (IBF).  Redkach is a real fighter, not a slick boxer in any sense.  His knockouts are highlight films, leaving media and fans alike, as well as potential opponents, frightened about the long-term health of his opponents after a fight. "Ivan has power like Golovkin, Kovalev and (Adonis) Stevenson, the type of fighters fans love to watch," added Redkach's manager, Elite Management president Larry Army.  "Before I signed him, Ivan did practically everything on his own, outside of Lou and his trainer. Mario Morales, who is the only Team Redkach member we retained. Like any good manager, I set out to put together the best people to support Ivan, in and out of the ring, starting with his strength-and-conditioning coach, Danny Garcia. He's done a great job with Leo Santa Cruz, who Ivan has sparred with in Los Angeles.   Ivan has already put on 10 pounds of muscle.  I also brought in Victor Conte to help with Ivan's nutrition, vitamins and supplements. Ivan was right on weight early and he hasn't had to struggle at all. Another key addition is assistant trainer and cut-man Russ Anber (Rival Boxing).  He won't be in Ivan's corner for this fight because he's also worked Luis' corner in the past.  Ivan's still in great hands becauseDanny Milano will be his cut-man for this fight." Redkach is a brutal, dangerous punching-machine. Fighters such as Golovkin, Kovalev and Stevenson rank among the most popular contemporary fighters because of the unadulterated savagery they unleash in the ring.  Redkach is a rising star who represents the next wave of made-for-television fighters.

ABOUT ELITE MANAGEMENT:  Found in 2008 by Atty. Larry Army in Massachusetts, Elite Management is a full-service boxing management firm focused on branding professional boxers.  Elite Management is a proven expert in responsibly reviewing contracts, developing talent through effective matchmaking, gaining positive press, and attracting sponsorship and endorsement opportunities for athletes.  Mr. Army is highly respected for successfully building a fighter's team:  researching, interviewing and securing the right trainer, strength-and-nutrition coach, nutritionist and cut-man.   He is also known for organizing training camps for high-profile fights, as well as obtaining paid sparring partners.

Undefeated lightweight prospect Ivan Redkach following American dream ShoBox debut Jan. 17 vs. Tony Luis

LOS ANGELES (December 29, 2013) - Undefeated Ukrainian lightweight prospectIvan "The Terrible" Redkach (15-0, 13 KOs) will continue to follow his American dream on January 17, in Memphis as he makes his U.S. network debut in the 10-round main event against Canadian Tony "The Lightning" Luis (17-1-1, 7 KOs) onShoBox: The New Generation. Redkach, who lives in Los Angeles, gained invaluable experience working there with world champions Brian Viloria and the late Edwin Valero. Currently rated No. 13 by the World Boxing Council (WBC), the ferocious 27-year-old Redkach has knocked out 13 of his 15 professional opponents.  The lethal southpaw had a 260-40 amateur record and he was a 2008 Ukraine Olympic Team alternate. "This opportunity is what I have worked so hard for since I was eight years old," Redkach said from his training camp in LA with head trainer Mario Morales. "National exposure in the U.S. is why I uprooted my life and moved here.  So many world champions started out fighting on ShoBox and now it's my turn." Luis was a standout Canadian amateur who was a seven-time Provincial and three-time National silver Mittens champion.  Styles make fights and the 25-year-old Luis is a consummate boxer, as opposed to the power-punching Redkach, to combine for a potential 2014 standout fight. "Luis has an excellent amateur background," noted Redkach, who is promoted by DiBella Entertainment.  "He has great speed and is a pure boxer.  This fight will be a great test for me.  Based on what I've seen of him on tape, I believe he'll dance around the ring with me being a predator; make no mistake, I will catch him!" Redkach is carrying on a rich Ukrainian boxing history, starting with world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and continuing with contemporary Ukrainian world-class fighters such as cruiserweight Dmytro Kucher, middleweight Max Bursak, junior welterweight Viktor Postol, and featherweight Vasyl Lomachenko. Redkach's manager, Elite Management president Larry Army, is high on his newest signee.  "There comes a time in every manager's career when he finds out what he really has in a fighter," Army added.  "I know Ivan is a tremendous fighter with awesome power. On January 17th, the boxing world will know what I already do - Ivan Redkach will be a world champion."

ABOUT ELITE MANAGEMENT:  Found in 2008 by Atty. Larry Army in Massachusetts, Elite Management is a full-service boxing management firm focused on branding professional boxers.  Elite Management is a proven expert in responsibly reviewing contracts, developing talent through effective matchmaking, gaining positive press, and attracting sponsorship and endorsement opportunities for athletes.  Mr. Army is highly respected for successfully building a fighter's team: researching, interviewing and securing the right trainer, strength-and-nutrition coach, nutritionist and cut-man.   He is also known for organizing training camps for high-profile fights, as well as obtaining paid sparring partners.

Young manager Larry Army Potential power broker in boxing

Signs Ivan Redkach, others negotiating for services

Larry Army's Elite Management signs hot, undefeated prospect Ivan Redkach (photo courtesy of DiBella Entertainment)  WORCESTER, Mass. (July 29, 2013) - In a relatively short period of time, Massachusetts-based attorney Larry Army went from questioning whether he was out of boxing, into a potential up-and-coming power broker among the leading managers in the industry. The newest manager on the block is parlaying the tremendous success he had with his first and now former boxing client, undefeated world-rated super middleweight Edwin Rodriguez. Army also successfully convinced Peter Manfredo, Jr. to come out of retirement after losing to Sakio Biko and reinvented him as a middleweight.  Army guided Manfredo to eight quality wins, ultimately leading to Manfredo's world title shot against Julio Chavez, Jr. When his management relationship with Rodriguez ended after this past July's championship final of the Monaco Million Dollar Super 4 Tournament, Army really thought he might be all done with boxing. "To be able to put Edwin Rodriguez into a position to become a millionaire and the thought that the Monaco fight would be my last in the sport was tough," Army admitted. However, before he left Monaco, the 42-year-old Army had already laid the foundation to continue his managerial work, and today his Elite Management is formally announcing the signing of unbeaten Ukrainian lightweight prospect Ivan "Junito" Redkach (14-0, 12 KOs) to an exclusive, long-term managerial contract. Because Army was the architect of an incredibly well-designed campaign for Rodriguez, other high-profile, world-class boxers have recently contacted him about representing them.  "When I had the opportunity to speak to Ivan and see what type of athlete he is," Army explained, "I knew there was the potential to do even bigger and better things. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work with him. He has everything real boxing fans want to see in a fighter; an entertaining style featuring pure knockout power. There's no doubt in my mind that he's on his way to becoming world champion." "Ivan regularly trains and spars in California with some of the top fighters from 135 pounds to 147 like (Miguel) Vasquez, (Michael) Katsidis, and (Daniel) Ponce De Leon.  Standing 5' 10", he can fight effectively in any division from lightweight to welterweight.  Unlike some other fighters, Ivan trains like a machine; he has dedicated his life to boxing and the pursuit to become the best boxer in the world.  As a sample of his daily routine, Ivan runs 10 miles every morning, goes to the gym to work 12 rounds on the pads, and then finishes things off with a rigorous swim." Redkach, a southpaw now living in Los Angeles, is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and trained by Mario Morales, who has worked with world champions Brian Viloria and the late Edwin Valero. Rated No. 15 in the world by the World Boxing Council (WBC), the 27-year-old Redkach has knocked out 12 of his 14 professional opponents.  The dangerous southpaw had a 260-40 amateur record and he was a 2008 Ukraine Olympic Team alternate.' "I saw what Mr. Army did with Edwin Rodriguez and wanted him managing my career," Redkach said.  "He made Rodriguez a millionaire, built him to 24-0, and now he's on the verge of a world title shot.  I'm excited.  One man's loss is another man's gain, I guess.  I'm confident that Mr. Army will get me a shot at my dream of winning a world championship."    "Ivan is the first of many significant signings Elite Management plans to make during the next six months," Army concluded. "Elite Management guides the careers of blue-chip fighters to put them in position to be wealthy champions. We just don't take a fighter's money, we earn it."

ABOUT ELITE MANAGEMENT:  Found in 2008 by Atty. Larry Army in Massachusetts, Elite Management is a full-service boxing management firm focused on branding professional boxers.  Elite Management is a proven expert in responsibly reviewing contracts, developing talent through effective matchmaking, gaining positive press, and attracting sponsorship and endorsement opportunities for athletes. Mr. Army is highly respected for successfully building a fighter's team:  researching, interviewing and securing the right trainer, strength-and-nutrition coach, nutritionist and cut-man.   He is also known for organizing training camps for high-profile fights, as well as obtaining paid sparring partners.

Edwin 'La Bomba' Rodriguez lands in Monaco for 'Monte Carlo Million Dollar Super Four'

Saturday afternoon on Integrated Sports PPV in North America TEAM LA BOMBA (L-R): Larry Army, manager, undefeated Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez, and Ronnie Shields, head trainer. WORCESTER, Mass. (March 24, 2013) - Undefeated super middleweight contender Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs) broke his Houston training camp yesterday and he landed today in Monaco with his team for this Saturday afternoon's "Monte Carlo Million Dollar Super 4" at Casino de Monte-Carlo. Rodriguez, the reigning United States Boxing Assocaition (USBA) champion, meets unbeaten 2008 Argentina Olympian Ezequiel "El Olimpico" Maderna (19-0, 13 KOs) in the opening round of four-fighter tournament, which also includes a light heavyweight fight between two-time, two division world champion Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18 KOs) and Denis Grachev (12-1-1, 8 KOs). The two winners will advance to the $1,000,000 (60-40 split) "Super Four," championship final, to be contested at a catch-weight of 171 ½ lbs., on July 13 in Monaco.   The "Monte Carlo Million Dollar Super 4" is being distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 3:00 p.m. ET - 12:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH and Avail-TVN in the United States and in Canada via Bell TV for a suggest retail price of only $24.95.  In addition, the event will be available via on-line Pay Per View at http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Gennady_Golovkin_vs_Nobuhiro_Ishida/1896 To order the "Super Four" PPV, headlined by WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin defending against former world champion Nobuhiro Ishida, go to your cable company's PPV listings for Saturday afternoon (starting at 3 p.m. ET; event telecast starting at 3:30 p.m. ET ) and look under boxing for Golovkin vs. Ishida. "We had a great training camp," Rodriguez said before he departed. "I got in a lot of great work with (world-rated light heavyweight) Cornelius White, who is 6' 3" with a long reach. We sparred a lot of rounds. I feel that, since I've been working with (head trainer) Ronnie (Shields), I've become a more complete fighter. I've tightened-up my defense and my offense has been great. There's always room for improvement, though, and the key to getting better is long training camps like this one." Rodriguez is the No. 3-rated super middleweight in the world in the World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF), as well as ranked No. 12 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and No. 10 by The Ring Magazine. Fighting outside of his native country for the first time, 2008 Argentina Olympian Maderna is ranked No. 5 by the WBO and No. 13 by the IBF. "He's a good boxer-puncher," Rodriguez spoke about his relatively unknown opponent. "He resembles Aaron Pryor, Jr. a little. I'm confident going into this fight. I always am because I believe in my ability and skills. I'll be ready Saturday night." Rodriguez must get past Maderna to fight the Erdei-Grachev winner in the most lucrative fight of his career. The 27-year-old Dominican Republic native, who was a two-time U.S. national amateur champion, won't allow the Super Four championship fight to be a distraction, nor the birth of his third child in a few weeks. "I'm a professional and I will not allow any distractions," Rodriguez concluded. "I'm a laid back person and 100-percent focused on this fight. I'm fighting a 19-0 former Olympian in the toughest challenge of my life. I can't afford to look past him or I won't be in the championship fight. The big money in the championship motivates me. I honestly feel the same way going into every fight. Boxing is a tough sport. I need to win and do it impressively to get where I want to be - world champion. Everything starts with this fight." Follow Edwin Rodriguez on Twitter @labombaboxing.

Undefeated Super Middleweight Edwin Rodriguez Targets World Champions & Top Contenders

WBO champ Arthur Abraham No. 1 on Dominican's Hit List Win No. 22 for Edwin Rodriguez (L) as referee Steve Smoger is shown stopping the fight against Jason Escalera.  (Photo by Edward Diller)  WORCESTER, MA (October 4, 2012) - Fresh off his thorough destruction of previously unbeaten Jason Escalera last Saturday night on HBO Boxing After Dark, undefeated Dominican dandy Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs) is targeting world champions and top 10 contenders in the super middleweight division. The only problem for Rodriguez last Saturday evening was getting glitter from Escalera's trunks off his face. "I'm ready to fight the best at 168-pounds," Rodriguez said. "I wanted to make a major statement in my last fight and did. I've feel that I've earned a world title shot. I trust my promoter, Lou DiBella, and manager, Larry Army, to get my world title shot as soon as possible. I'll fight anybody they put in the ring with me, whether it's a world champion, or a top contender. My time is now." Having gained invaluable experience sparring with the likes of past and present world champions such as Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Daniel Geale, and Jean Pascal, the 27-year-old Rodriguez has developed into a complete fighter in the past year working with head coach Ronnie Shields in his last four fights. The super middleweight division is still somewhat muddled. World Boxing Council (WBC)/World Boxing Association (WBA) World champion Andre Ward is clearly the contemporary King who has options to pick-and-choose his next opponent. However, if the WBC strips him for also being the WBA champion, something that governing body has threatened to do, Rodriguez could be involved in a box-off as the No. 3 contender along with relatively unknown Nikola Sjekloca ranked No. 1, one spot ahead of veteran Sakio Bika. International Boxing Federation (IBF) title-holder Froch has his dance card full with a title defense November 17 vs. Yusaf Mack, followed by a contractually required rematch in the spring with the former champion he defeated for the crown, Lucian Bute, and later next year a mandatory against the winner of the October 12th IBF title eliminator between Adonis Stevenson and Donovan George. (Rodriguez defeated George this past March by 10-round unanimous decision for the United States Boxing Association championship.) Therefore, the most likely title shot opportunity for Rodriguez, at least in the immediate future, is December 15 against World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Arthur Abraham in Germany. "We're confident in traveling to Germany to fight Abraham," Rodriguez' manager Larry Army remarked, "as long as it's broadcast in America in case there's questionable judging. We believe Edwin is ready right now to face any of the world champions. If we're unable to secure a world title shot, we want to fight the best available top 10 contender like Jermain Taylor or Kelly Pavlik, and even Andy Lee would make for a good fight. "Edwin has fought three B+ fighters in his last three fights - (Will) Rosinsky, George and Escalera. Edwin is always looking to challenge himself and he's approaching his peak. He is ready to make his mark in the super middleweight division." Rodriguez is rapidly building a strong following, too. He's also rated No. 4 by the IBF and No. 8 by the WBA, as well as No. 9 by The Ring Magazine, in addition to fighting seven times on national television: twice on HBO (headlining Boxing After Dark once vs. Escalera), three times on Showtime (twice in the ShoBox main event), and twice on ESPN Friday Night Fights. His last six opponents had an accumulative record of 96-7-3 when they stepped into the ring to face Rodriguez. What's missing from his boxing resume is a world title and/or victory against a top 10 contender. Rodriguez represents the future of the super middleweight division. If he's offered the Dec. 15 title fight against Abraham, the future could come sooner rather than later. Follow Edwin Rodriguez on Twitter @labombaboxing.

Rodriguez ready to replace Dirrell

Edwin 'La Bomba' Rodriguez Ready to replace Dirrell In WBC super middleweight title fight

Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez (Photo by Howard Schatz) WORCESTER, Mass. (May 14, 2012) - Undefeated super middleweight contender Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez is ready, willing and able to replace No. 1 contender Anthony Dirrell, who was recently injured in a motorcycle accident, and fight No. 2 rated Nikola Sjekloca for the vacant World Boxing Council ("WBC") 168-pound title. Sjekloca and Dirrell, who is out of action for a reported six months, were ordered to fight for the WBC title, after Andre Ward was declared "Champion in Recess."  "This is why I signed with Lou DiBella," Rodriguez said from Andy Lee's training camp where he is sparring with the Irish middleweight contender.  "It's my time and I'm ready to replace Dirrell against Sjekloca.  If anybody can get this opportunity for me it's Lou." The 27-year-old Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs), a native of the Dominican Republic who lives in Worcester (MA), has been showcased on HBO, three times on ShoBox, and featured twice on ESPN.  In his last five fights, he has beaten opponents with a combined record of 83-7-2, including three world-rated fighters (Don George, Aaron Pryor, Jr. and James McGirt), as well as unbeaten National amateur champion Will Rosinsky). "We're ready for the best but it looks like Ward's moving up in weight and (Lucian) Bute's tied-up with (Carl) Froch," Rodriguez' manager Larry Army noted.  "Right now, though, Edwin has earned a world title shot and we're confident he's ready to fight and beat Sjekloca." Sjekloca (24-0, 7 KOs), a 33-year-old Serbian who lives in Montenegro, is the reigning WBC International super middleweight champion.  However, he has fought only once outside of Montenegro and Serbia, in 2010 against 8-24 Artem Vychkin in a win by six-round decision.  The lone opponent of note Sjekloca has fought is four-time world title challenger and former European champion, Khoren Gevor, who lost a close 12-round decision to Sjekloca last year. Rodriguez, who cracked The Ring Magazine world ratings last week at No. 10, is ranked  No. 3 International Boxing Federation ("IBF"), No. 5 by the WBC, #8 World Boxing Association ("WBA") and #13 World Boxing Organization ("WBO"). Go online to www.EdwinRodriguezBoxing.com for more information.