Video Hype: E:60 Feature on Francisco "Paco" Rodriguez

For those who may have missed the E:60 feature that aired on Friday Night Fights this weekend on the life, tragic death, and ultimately uplifting and heroic story of Chicago-based Mexican fighter Francisco "Paco" Rodriguez, here it is. I highly recommend watching this piece. Paco died 48 hours after a 2009 fight in Philadelphia due to brain injuries suffered in the ring, at the young age of 25. But in death, he saved multiple lives as an organ donor. This is a young man who will not soon be forgotten, and shouldn't be.

On another note, this isn't something that gets said much, and it's a tough subject to approach, but it makes me happy to see that Teon Kennedy, the young Philadelphia fighter who was in the ring with Rodriguez on that fateful night, has fought on and fought well. Boxing is a dangerous sport, and no matter how many precautions are taken or how careful any commission is or how dutiful a job any referee does, the harsh reality is that injuries and even deaths are bound to occur. We are lucky that so many people have worked so hard to minimize these tragedies. Kennedy, now 24 years old, is currently 17-0-1 (7 KO) and a developing prospect in the super bantamweight division. It is no doubt unimaginably hard to resume a career after something like that, but Teon has done so. I like to think Paco Rodriguez would be happy that Teon Kennedy has fought on.