Bad Left Hook Live Boxing Results and Commentary: Edwin Rodriguez v. James McGirt Jr.

Ive said this before, but SHO Box has this weird habit of putting prospects as far away from their home bases as possible where no one really cares. They’re missing out on an opportunity to showcase their stars.

Here we go, kicking off a huge month of coverage. Good to be in action again.

It’s a triple-header!

Johnson-Engel
Davis-Pryor Jr.
Rodriguez-McGirt Jr.

In that order. Good stuff.

Looks like I’m in Ghost Town tonight.

Johnson just tagging Engel to start. BIG right by Johnson, and Engel is just getting blasted in there, but now he’s firing back his right, and he’s got a heavy right. Johnson’s jab has some real snap. It’s fast and sharp. Good right by Engel, though. Johnson’s fast start keeps up with a nice counter right over the top. The difference in speed between the two is massive. Good body shot by Johnson. Right hand by Johnson. Right hand to the body. Nasty left hook to the body by Johnson. Engel is being forced to back up, and misses a long right hand.

Johnson 10-9

Johnson’s simply on another level. Landing to the body nicely, landing to the head. Engel’s defense is non-existent for the most part, but he’s looking to land his big right hand pretty frequently. There’s a stiff left to the head with Engel off-balance. Engel smacks him with a right, and Johnson backs down a little.

Johnson 10-9
Johnson 20-18

Johnson coming out fast to start the third, drilling away to the body. Good right and Engel goes down! Hard, violent fall into the ropes. He’s not badly hurt, but the fall was really fast. Good right by Johnson! Johnson really pouring it on! Huge right! Engel looking to fight back, but just getting POUNDED! Big rights! Engel badly hurt and the referee calls for a standing eight count. He’s in a bad way, but he’ll continue. Johnson drilling him with rights over and over, but Engel trying his best to survive. Still 1:10 left in the round.

Good right hand! Left hand!, and they clinch, and … oh, it’s going to continue, even though the ref said “That’s it, that’s it.” Johnson is killing him this round. Amazingly, Engel survives the round, and barely knows where he is.

Johnson 10-7

Referee stops it after the round.

Marcus “Too Much” Johnson TKO-3

Boy, Pryor is a tall, lanky dude. 6’4 1/2", 80" reach at 168

Sure looks lonely in here.

Pryor nailed with a good right, then gets on his bike. That clearly hurt him a little bit, but he’s smiling it off and moving. He’s really, really awkward, but now makes one of those tall guy bull rushes. Davis ties him up. Davis has been shooting in and out most of the round, not landing a ton. Pryor with a good right.

Davis is one of those “stand up between rounds” guys.

Davis 10-9

Still a lot to figure out here.

Both guys showing some speed to start the round, Davis landing a nice jab and Pryor throwing back in combination. This is the sort of awkward that isn’t painful, but is really awkward anyway. They both have ideas, and are struggling to work the plan. Good right by Pryor. Pryor with a good right, Davis might be hurt a little. Well, if any not a lot. Pryor clips him with a long right. Good round for Pryor.

Pryor 10-9
19-19

I have Pryor sweeping so far. Decent scrap.

Davis starting to get sloppy to start the round, or at least reckless. Pryor hit with a good right on the button. Pryor seems a bit surprised by Davis’ sudden charge of offense, but now he starts flinging long shots of his own. This just might turn into a bit of a slugfest. And there’s a BIG right by Pryor! That one was solid. Just misses another one. Pryor’s right really starting to land hard, and he’s using his length to block Davis’ shots. Another right by Pryor, Davis clips him with a looping left.

Pryor 10-9
Pryor 29-28

Not a bad little fight so far.

Davis just hasn’t found a money punch that he can land consistently yet. Pryor letting that long right loose. His left hand is, as Corey Erdman putting it on Twitter, wandering, however. Good left shakes Davis! Davis knows how to tie up and recover, though. Pryor just wailing at him as Davis won’t let him go. Right potshot by Pryor, and he closes out another strong round.

Pryor 10-9
Pryor 39-37

Davis is now sitting in the corner.

no matter how loudly Pryor telegraphs that right.

Apparently Kanye’s Graduation just made it to North Dakota.

it makes me think of Howard Dean

Hey, Pryor landed something that you might call a jab. Davis with a right, and now Pryor’s backing away. Uppercut by Pryor, and now they’re both throwing. When Davis gets really aggressive, Pryor has some real trouble with him. Doesn’t do it enough, though. Right hand by Pryor again. Pryor with that long right, this time Davis blocks it. Davis is constantly punching from too far away and not even close to landing. He’s really not an awful fighter or anything like that, but the height advantage Pryor has seems to be totally bewildering him for the most part.

This was a closer round, but Pryor still takes it.

Pryor 10-9
Pryor 49-46

Not really, but his haircut really looks like a pimp

Now Pryor unloading to start the sixth! Davis getting wailed on! Blood coming according to Menefee, but can’t see yet. Pryor is all over him and clearly coming for the kill. Yeah, Davis is cut near the eye. Pryor really going for it, but Davis really does already have some nice survival skills. And in close, Davis still fighting. Not effectively, really, but fighting.

Just caught a shot of the full arena, and that place is e-m-p-t-y.

Now Pryor looks tired. He’s still dominating, but he’s gassing. Glancing blow sends Davis back again. Pryor still trying to close the show, but here comes Davis! Hey! An uppercut! Davis has no quit in him. Davis sent back again, but he survives the round.

Pryor 10-9
Pryor 59-55

I see he has two losses, one looks pretty bad

Right and a left from Pryor. That cut’s opened back up. Davis still really trying, but he’s not so reckless that he presents any major danger to Pryor, and he’s just reckless enough to keep getting hit. Both guys are pretty tired.

Pryor 10-9
Pryor 69-64

Long rights still landing for Pryor, whose corner encouraged a knockout as apparently Dyah Davis is a big star and the judges will be favoring him. Beats me. Big 1-2 from Pryor. Another right hand. Pryor staying on him, chasing him, throwing, and Davis is clearly in some pain as he clinches again. 20 seconds to go. Pryor still flinging his 80" reach around. …eighty-inch reacharound.

…

Pryor 10-9
Pryor 79-73

Two Good Things for… Aaron Pryor Jr. and Dyah Davis:

Pryor
1. He’s tall.
2. He has a long reach.

Davis
1. He clinches well.
2. He can take a punch.

“he failed”

for real this time

79-73
79-73
78-74

Aaron Pryor Jr. by unanimous decision

where the hell did that come from? He retired not long ago, and I didn’t see that reported anywhere.

I know I shouldn’t invite any more Pavlik-bashing on the site, but is it just me, or do you figure that Bute signing with Showtime is like 80% Pavlik’s fault? They clearly brought him to HBO to fight Pavlik.

With all of the Jr’s and other sons of known boxers on this card, does anyone else think ShoBox is taking “The Next Generation” a little too literal here? Shit’s like ‘Wuthering Heights’ in this mug.

Rodriguez throwing his right to the body to start. Rodriguez BANGING to the body in the first minute, but Lil’ Buddy is firing back hard. Edwin clearly not intimidated by McGirt in the slightest. He goes to the body with serious intent, and not only throws a lot, but throws hard a lot. Left hook by Rodriguez, uppercut sneaks in. Rodriguez is just refusing to not throw at McGirt. Body shot again. Rodriguez is switching southpaw now. Fun first round.

Rodriguez 10-9

I love a young fighter who loves to throw body shots. Also, he managed to put himself in the position to get easily knocked down with awful balance. These are both reasons I like watching him: power combined with (at this stage) danger to himself.

Nice right hook by McGirt. Rodriguez pops him with a left! McGirt almost broke his arm in the ropes. Body shot by Rodriguez. He’s backing McGirt up to the ropes constantly. McGirt landing some light shots off the ropes, but then backs himself into the corner, and Rodriguez starts doing cartoonish shit at him. Body shot by McGirt. James really isn’t fighting poorly. Left hand lands for McGirt, but Rodriguez comes back on him. Edwin clearly feels he’s the better puncher (and is almost surely right).

Rodriguez 10-9
Rodriguez 20-18

Two rounds in a row you’re hearing the wrong corner.

Lopez TKO8
Williams UD
Pacquiao KO4

Rodriguez’s balance is…just awful. McGirt actually having a nice little round now, as he’s cutting off Rodriguez’s power punches, and landing some little shots countering. McGirt with a left. Rodriguez might have poured too much energy into the first two rounds.

McGirt 10-9
Rodriguez 29-28

Though I was tempted to go 10-10. Edwin was more active, but McGirt landed the better shots

His balance is tuuuurrrrrible.

Rodriguez—his shoes don’t look flush to the floor, like the last isn’t broad enough, or his feet are weird or something

Stereo left hands. Rodriguez letting McGirt come at him now, and lands a left hook counter. McGirt drives him into the ropes. Rodriguez’s balance issues show up once again. Rodriguez has really slowed down after the first two rounds. Time called as McGirt’s mouthpiece comes out. Rodriguez targeting the body still. McGirt eats a right down the pipe. Rodriguez fires away to end the round, but McGirt lands the final shot.

Rodriguez 10-9
Rodriguez 39-37

Great exchange:

Buddy: Takin’ too many shots, son!
James: Yeah?
Buddy: YEAH!

Now Rodriguez turning up the heat again. I really like Edwin, but this feels like one of those fights where if a fighter (in this case, McGirt) were about 7% better, the fight would look a LOT different. Rodriguez with a left, then a right hand. BIG SHOTS BY MCGIRT! Then Rodriguez lands a hard shot of his own. That looked like some Fight Night Round 3 shit.

Farhood expresses concern re: Rodriguez. Meanwhile, James McGirt is expressing distaste for the leather of Rodriguez’s gloves.

Rodriguez 10-9
Rodriguez 49-46

McGirt laying in the corner and getting hit again. Blocking a lot of it, but still not doing anything. Much slower round as these two are making eyes at center ring. Rodriguez takes a round that McGirt basically gave away.

Rodriguez 10-9
Rodriguez 59-55

It seems that Lil’ Buddy throws a lot less when Edwin turns southpaw, which is probably why he fought most of that round southpaw. He seemed to almost be taking the round off, but still won it because McGirt did nothing.

From now on I’m calling McGirt Chief Tuckachin

Rodriguez unloading in the corner once again, but McGirt snakes his way out, still can’t get off the ropes, and now he’s in another corner. Uppercut lands! Rodriguez lets him get off. Body shots landing. McGirt is circling the ring on the ropes and taking shots. Rodriguez just throwing and throwing this round, but doesn’t seem to be hurting McGirt, mostly because he’s not landing too much flush. Really big offensive round for Rodriguez, and I think Brick’s right — toward the end, as he was tiring, Rodriguez switched to southpaw, which shut down McGirt’s throwing.

Rodriguez 10-9
Rodriguez 69-64

But as much as he’s mentoring Rodriguez, McGirt ain’t doing himself any favors turning into Clottey Jr.

I think he hit Steve Farhood

Rodriguez hammering away in the first minute of this round. McGirt isn’t throwing anything and the referee is taking a really close look. Good uppercut lands from Rodriguez. Straight right just misses. Straight right this time lands. McGirt throwing back for a moment, and then Rodriguez goes southpaw again. Body shot by McGirt. Rodriguez takes the last minute of the round off. Good left by McGirt, but Rodriguez comes back and throws until the bell.

Rodriguez 10-9
Rodriguez 79-73

“Pa, don’t stop this fight.”

This is…uncomfortable. Buddy and the ref are giving him one more round.

“Look at me look at me LOOK AT ME give me some water double up the jab”

Rodriguez throwing, but not a ton, and not really landing to start this round. McGirt still not really throwing at all. McGirt again stuck in the corner. He’s half-heartedly throwing to get out, but not much and nothing on what he does throw. And it’s stopped. McGirt objects.

Edwin Rodriguez TKO-9

Soft stop in terms of damage, but McGirt threw his last hard punch in the 7th.

Boy that annoys the hell out of me.