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Edwin Rodriguez picked up a third straight win today in Boston, scoring a third round TKO win over Craig Baker when referee Robert Benoit stopped the fight at an odd time, pulling the plug way too early for most anyone's liking.
Rodriguez (27-1, 18 KO) was dominating the fight, but didn't appear to have Baker (16-1, 12 KO) in any real trouble when Benoit stepped in and stopped the fight. Baker tried to plead his case, as his faculties were clearly intact and he hadn't gone down or anything, or even been given a warning by the referee that he needed to do more.
"I was a little surprised, but I know that in the end, it was going to be the same result, because it was going to be hard for him to get out of there," Rodriguez said after the fight. "I was pacing myself and hitting him with hard shots."
Rodriguez, 30, may now be in line for a shot at Adonis Stevenson, a fellow Al Haymon fighter who is the WBC and RING Magazine world champion at light heavyweight.