Boxing Results: September 12 at the Fleet Farm in Rochester

Results are not firsthand accounts, but are deemed reliable.

Raphael Butler (now 35-8 with 28 kayos) defeated Marcus Rhode (now 34-39 with 29 kayos) by KO in round 2 of 8 scheduled

Corey Rodriguez (now 4-1 with 3 kayos) is defeated by Dave Peterson (now 11-0 with 6 kayos) by majority decision after 6 rounds

Scott Ball (now 10-6 with 8 kayos) defeated Mike Davis (now 3-6 with 3 kayos) by KO in round 1 of 4 scheduled

Mike Howell (now 2-1 with 1 kayo) defeated Ray Walker (now 1-7 with no kayos) by unanimous decision after 4 rounds

Ronnie Peterson (now 3-0 with 3 kayos) defeated William Bellcourt (now 0-1), by KO in round 1 of 4 scheduled

Upcoming Boxing Event: September 12 in Rochester, MN

What to watch for:  The headliners come from radically different situations: Marcus Rhode would love to win because it would springboard him back to respectability after losing five straight fights, all by kayo or TKO.  Raphael Butler must win to safeguard a planned November showdown with fellow Minnesotan Joey Abell with a state heavyweight championship on the line.

A secondary match is generating much more heat and light within the Minnesota boxing community: unbeaten prospects and legacies Corey Rodriguez (4-0 with 3 kayos) and Dave Peterson (10-0 with 6 kayos) meet at a contracted weight of 154#.  Both young men will have family in their corners on Saturday night – Rodriguez will be seconded by his dad and brother (John Sr and John Jr) and by his uncle Bobby.  Meanwhile, Peterson will have dad Ron in his corner, along with Dan O’Connor and Saverino Garcia.

One of the fascinating aspects of this fight is the difference in size, and much has been said about whether the weight (junior middle) plays to the advantage of the taller and thinner Peterson or the shorter and more solidly-built Rodriguez.  Ron Peterson declined to predict an outcome, except to observe that in his opinion, “Mechanics-wise, sizewise, and powerwise, Dave should have all the advantages.”  It should be mentioned at this point that Corey Rodriguez doesn’t lack for an outstanding boxing pedigree himself, with uncles Rafael, Rudy, and Bobby all having been very good prizefighters in their day.

Other bouts include the comeback of Scott Ball, inactive now for nearly two years, against thrilling brawler Mike Davis from North Dakota, Mike Howell and Ray Walker in a cruiserweight bout, and young Ronnie Peterson in a lightweight bout with an as-yet undisclosed opponent.

• Raphael Butler (34-8 with 27 kayos) -vs- Marcus Rhode (34-38 with 29 kayos), heavyweights, scheduled for 8 rounds
• Corey Rodriguez (4-0 with 3 kayos) -vs- Dave Peterson (10-0 with 6 kayos), light middleweights, scheduled for 6 rounds
• Scott Ball (9-6 with 7 kayos)-vs- Mike Davis (3-5 with 3 kayos), light middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds
• Mike Howell (1-2 with 1 kayo) -vs- Ray Walker (1-6 with no kayos), cruiserweights, scheduled for 4 rounds
• Ronnie Peterson (2-0 with 2 kayos) -vs- TBA, lightweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

First Look at April 18 (Target Center) Boxing Card

Here’s a preview of the April 18 fight card for the Target Center in Minneapolis:

Jason Litzau (23-2 with 19 kayos) -vs- TBA – Matchmaker Cory Rapacz says “Nothing yet for Jason; he’s f’n impossible to match.”

Allen Litzau (13-3 with 7 kayos) -vs- Wilton Hilario (10-0 with 8 kayos), junior lightweights, scheduled for eight rounds

Matt Vanda (39-8 with 22 kayos) -vs- Shelby Pudwill (tentative), middleweights, scheduled for 8 rounds – Rapacz: “A lot depends on how Matt comes out of the [February 21] Duddy fight.”

Ceresso Fort (4-0 with 4 kayos) -vs- TBA, middleweights, scheduled for 6 rounds – Rapacz: “We will have to see how [Fort] comes out of Hinckley before making any commitments to an opponent.”

Tyler Gould (5-3 with 5 kayos) -vs- Danny Schleinz (7-15 with 4 kayos), welterweights, scheduled for 4 rounds – Rapacz: “Hoping to get Danny Schleinz or else we’ll try Magdaleno.”

Donny Tierney (pro debut) -vs- David Duncan (0-1), junior middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds – Rapacz: “[This] was agreed to today.”

I asked Cory whether he is the matchmaker who Corey Rodriguez had mentioned talking to about an April return and he confirmed:  “Yep, I’m talking with C-Rod about April 18th.”

Final remarks: “We’re planning on…about eight fights total so we’ll see what we end up with!”

Corey Rodriguez Looking at an April Return

Corey Rodriguez of New Hope (4-0) has disclosed that he may return to the prizefighting ring as soon as April.

Rodriguez says that his legal battle for custody of  his daughter may be over soon.  He also notes that his employer will be closing for business in November, and hints that he might be ready to give full-time boxing a try.

Says Rodriguez, “I’ve been back in the gym and getting back into shape…I’m looking to make a comeback and have been talking with a matchmaker for a possible fight in April!”

Corey Rodriguez Retires

Local welterweight Corey Rodriguez has retired from professional boxing with a record of 4-0 (3 kayos).

In a statement to the Fistic Mystic blog Rodriguez explained, “I am [retiring] because I will be spending all of my time taking care of my kids.  This is more important to me and requires all of my energy.”

Rodriguez had been engaged in a custody battle with the mother of his children, finally winning custody early this fall.  “I haven’t been able to train properly or stay fully focused in preparation for fights.  This has mentally drained me as an athlete, as a father, and as a provider. I have done everything in my power to keep myself in the sport of boxing, however it is a sport that requires an incredible amount of devotion, focus, and proper training.  Given the great obstacles or challenges in life I am unable to keep boxing in my life.”

Corey Rodriguez: Bigger and (hopefully) Busier

A while back Corey Rodriguez reported to the Fistic Mystic that he intended to take the summer off due to the difficulty of selling tickets and fatigue from long-term training.  Back in July he said, “I just needed a break to catch up on the other things in life. I was training consistantly for 2 years! My body needs the rest and believe me, I’ll be bigger, better, and slicker than ever.”

Now it’s September and Rodriguez is bigger and wants to get busier.  Saturday Rodriguez posted on a public bulletin board, “I will continue to be active this October. I hope to fight 2 or 3 times by the end of the year.”  Later he remarked privately, “Right now I weigh 173 lbs. I will be ready in October and I will probably be fighting at light middleweight. Nothing set yet. Just training and waiting for the call.”

Profile: “Golden” Caleb Truax

The interview takes place at the Olympia Café in downtown Osseo, just blocks from Caleb’s home.  He says he eats here all the time, and while we eat the owner comes out to greet him and shoot the breeze.  Dimitri says that Caleb isn’t just a customer, he’s part of the family.  Truax says he sees himself as a nice guy – and he seems to be both friendly and thoroughly at ease.  “I’m approachable, people can talk to me.  People who know boxing know that we all aren’t like Mike Tyson.  People say to me all the time, ‘you don’t seem like a boxer; you don’t seem angry.’”  Truax smiles.  He orders the “Big Fat Greek Omelete,” and I order the same.  It is delicious.  Thank you, Caleb, for introducing me to this restaurant.  We talk for an hour over our omelets, and Truax is very open and enthusiastic.

The story of how Caleb “Golden” Truax became a boxer has been told and retold, but it’s worth repeating here.  Truax was an exceptional athlete as a child.  “I’ve always been an athletic dude ever since I was a little kid…baseball and football were my games.”  He also likes to fish: “I’m from Minnesota, what else would I do?”  Truax was a very good high school football player despite painful knees, and signed up to play football for Division II Virginia State.  Arriving at Virginia State, Truax participated in practices, but the discomfort in his knees became too much.  Not wanting to submit to surgery, Truax chose instead to give up his sport.  After returning to Minnesota and enrolling at the U of M, Truax happened upon an ad for ACR Gym in City Pages, and walked in.  He had always been a casual fan of boxing, but had never imagined fighting – in fact he didn’t even know there were any gyms in Minnesota before finding the ACR ad.  His first coaches were John Hoffman (then the proprietor of ACR), Ron Lyke, and Tom Halstad, who is still his coach today.

Truax trained for a couple of months before his first amateur bout, which ended in a surprising knockout win.  In his first year as an amateur, Truax beat the odds by participating in the Minneapolis Golden Gloves tournament (in only his fourth fight, a slight breach of the rules), winning the Upper Midwest golden gloves at the 178 pound weight, and making the semifinals in the Ringside international tournament.

Turning pro wasn’t part of Truax’s plans at the time, but just as he was hitting his stride as an amateur, someone notified the state amateur governing body that he had participated in a novice-level amateur toughman competition before his first amateur bout, and he was disqualified from further competition.  This disqualification is the cause of some controversy even now, but the issue is dead, as Truax did indeed turn pro in April of 2007.

To date, Truax is flaunting a record of 7-0 (4 kayos), his most recent match being a breakthrough: he was invited to participate in a Goossen-Tutor promoted card at the Taachi Palace Casino in Lemoore, California.  Truax virtually glows as he describes the treatment he received: He was picked up at the airport by a limousine, given a $100/day meal allowance, and bunked in his own room with a king-sized bed: “First class all the way.”  He didn’t meet Dan Goossen, but he dealt extensively with Dan’s son Craig Goossen.  Truax’s final word on Goossen-Tutor: “The whole operation was great.”

In training a couple of weeks before that fight (against then 3-1-2 Thomas Rittenbaugh on June 26) Truax had been sparring with Matt Vanda and Mohamed Kayongo.  While sparring with Kayongo, Truax had his nose rearranged a bit by a strong uppercut and the resulting tenderness resulted in some quick bleeding against Rittenbaugh.  Nevertheless, Truax decisively beat Rittenbaugh by scores of 60-54, 60-54, and 59-55.  His performance must have pleased the out-of-town promoter, as he was offered an opportunity to fight on the July 18 card in southern California that now includes St Paul’s Antonio Johnson.  This was an opportunity he had to pass on, to give his nose a chance to heal.

What does the future hold?  Truax is unusually forthcoming when asked about his ambitions.  First of all, he never planned to turn pro, so this all seems like a bonus to him.  He seems thrilled to be undefeated, but he’s getting a grip on his situation and is starting to think big.  In the immediate future he’s planning a move down from super middleweight to middleweight, beginning with an incremental move in his next bout (August 29 at Grand Casino Hinckley), which he thinks will be contested at 164.  His opponent for that one was initially announced as Butch Hajicek, but now Butch is out and Stephan Pryor (the son of Aaron Pryor) is the tentative opponent.  Should Pryor fall through, Kendall Gould and Jorge Alberto Gonzalez have been mentioned.

Asked who he would like to face, Truax doesn’t beat around the bush. “Right now I’d love to get two or three more fights and then get in with Kenny Kost.  He’s an interesting guy, and he’s been around the block.  He’s a little smaller than me, but I can get down to his weight without too much trouble.  Hopefully he’ll think the same way…and maybe it’ll happen this fall at the U of M or in Maple Grove.”  That’s pretty interesting, considering that right now Truax is walking around at 185#, and Kost has lately been fighting as a middleweight.  “My coach, Tom Hall, is always getting on my case, wants me to stay around 180, but all through high school I was a solid 190.  (laughs)  “I just can’t drink too much beer, and no candy, and stuff like that.”

The big picture is less clear, but Truax does offer this:  “I love what I’m doing – it’s really coming at me fast, but I’m learning a lot.  I never thought I was gonna be a pro…I had always said, ‘that’s not something I’m gonna do, getting beat up for a little money,’ I never thought I was gonna be a pro, but I’m loving it more and more as I’m getting deeper and deeper into it….it’s been awesome so far, the first year in.”  Truax is proud to be a Minnesota boxer and says that fighting on the Minnesota scene is okay, but “within the next year I’d definitely like to get a TV fight.  I like that I’ve started out right, here in Minnesota.  But I’d like to get on TV a bit and develop a little bit of a national following…you’ve got to let other people see you…I see myself getting to about 12-0 and then starting to take the bigger fights, traveling a lot and fighting on TV.”

On the topic of boxing in Minnesota, Truax speaks of his pride in the current crop of very good professionals.  “We’ve got a lot of good fighters [in Minnesota] right now.  Vanda, Jungle Boy and Andy Kolle, the boys from up north, lots of other guys, too.  Phil Williams, I’m excited to see what he’ll do.  Jonny Schmidt, Wilton Hilario, I love to watch him fight.  And Anthony Bonsante.”  This leads us to a discussion of Bonsante.  Truax disagrees with his friend Corey Rodriguez, who said that Bonsante goes easy in sparring.  “That’s because Rodriguez is a little guy!  I’m bigger, so he’s pretty hard on me.”  Truax laughs heartily, and then speaks of Bonsante with some seriousness.  “When I first turned pro Bonsante was a good guy to me.  He taught me some stuff, some veteran tricks.  He was very cool.”

One gets the idea, talking to Truax, that he’s a natural born networker, and he confirms that.  He’s friendly with other fighters, he says, but “I won’t even talk to guys I’m going to fight.  I’ll say ‘hi,’ but that’s all.”  This led to an awkward moment before his last fight, when Rittenbaugh tried to be friendly and Truax wouldn’t engage.  He tried to make up for it after the fight, though, buying Rittenbaugh a beer and chatting him up a little bit.

I asked Truax about his management team, and he spoke highly of four men:  “Tony G [promoter Tony Grygelko], he’s a good guy, a bubbly personality.  He’s always talking and joking, and…he took me under his wing when I was just starting as an amateur and he was still a pro fighter.  He gave me advice and tips, and we were friends before he became a promoter.  When I turned pro I could trust him and he was my friend – that’s a big thing.  And he’s a hard worker and is keeping me busy, [so] we’re going nowhere but up.  Ron Lyke is a great manager and also a coach. He’s got a ton of experience, he’s an old-timer who gives me the right tips.  Jim Maurine, my cut man/coach/punching bag, spends a lot of time working with me.  And Tom Halstad is an innovator, an awesome coach.  He’s taught me a lot and he has me in awesome shape.”  Bottom line: “I’m really happy with my team and where I’m at right now.”

Editor’s note: Truax made a point of mentioning some amateur boxers from the area who he likes, and I can’t let this pass without making a mention:  “Tony Lee is good, everybody knows Javontae Starks.  Jamal James…also keep an eye on Bruce Butler, and there a bunch more of them, man…and David Colon.  He’s amazing to watch, he’s only eleven years old but he fights like he’s 18, his comfort and the way he moves.”  Truax chuckles.  “He’s one to watch, man.”

Profile: Corey Rodriguez

Corey Michael Rodriguez of New Hope is (like this writer) a graduate of Robbinsdale Cooper High School, albeit from different classes (‘92 for the writer, ‘97 for Rodriguez).  Corey’s brother is John Rodriguez, back in the mid nineties a star baseball player for the Hawks, though Corey is partial to football and boxing.  His uncles Raphael, Rudy, Bobby, and Kenny all fought as pros, though his father John did not.  The Fistic Mystic had decided to dispense with the customary first-interview starter (“how did you get into boxing”), but Corey volunteered that his dad began putting mitts on him when he was three years old and first brought him to the Camden Gym when he was ten years old.  Rodriguez had two amateur careers: the first one, which lasted from age 11 to 17, culminated in an Upper Midwest Golden Gloves championship at 139#.  After moving away for college and then getting a job, Rodriguez took up the sport again eight years later with the intention of going pro.  On his father’s advice Corey planned to log about 20 more amateur fights before turning pro, hoping to recapture the form he’d had before quitting the first time.  He exceeded that goal by a bit, eventually winning two more Upper Midwest titles at 141# and 152# and compiling a final amateur record of 60-16.  Corey very candidly admits that it took him some time to get comfortable in the ring again during the second go-around, but says that he finally feels like he’s got it all back.  He also proudly notes that during his amateur career he faced Mark Suarez, Charles Haley, Javontae Starks, Anthony Hanshaw, Jacob Hudson, and Daniel Hernandez, among notable others.

 

Corey turned pro in 2007.  To date, his professional record stands at 4-0 with 3 kayos.  He’s frequently mentioned as an opponent for other welterweights from the upper Midwest, and there are a lot of them.  Welter is probably the most populous weight class in the region, and it’s generally (though not universally) agreed that Rodriguez represents the cream of the crop.

 

In his most recent bout, against Raphael Magdaleno of the Rice Street Gym at the St Paul Armory on May 17, Rodriguez was dominant.  It’s known that an altercation occurred between Rodriguez and some gentlemen from the Rice Street Gym following his destruction of Magdaleno, but exactly what happened is only rumored.  Does Rodriguez want to comment on the scene at the Armory that night?  “Er…not really.  My version of what happened is on paper.”  Does that mean that there’s something going on in the legal realm?  “Yeah, there’s legal stuff happening.  That’s really all I want to say right now…but there were people from Rice Street in the locker room who shouldn’t have been in the locker room.”  Rodriguez does say that he wasn’t cut as badly in the Magdaleno fight as was rumored, though he confirms he needed eight stitches and he does have a nearly inch-long scar running horizontally below his left eyebrow.

 

The welterweight’s current walking-around weight is about 165#.  Though he’s able to make weight at welter without much drama, he’s still thinking seriously about moving up to junior middle or middleweight.  He said he isn’t taking any fights this summer, only because summer isn’t a good time to try to sell tickets.  Rodriguez speaks at length about his desire to cultivate a positive image.  For him, that effort means keeping in touch with reporters from the mainstream press as well as web-based writers, and keeping up a profile on a variety of message boards.

 

Asked to name a professional boxer he admires, Rodriguez smiles broadly.  Oscar De La Hoya before he got rich…Miguel Cotto…Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.  He is not especially high on Floyd Mayweather, who he feels gets away with too much in terms of questionable defensive tactics and and who he says can’t be considered a true #1 until he gets in the ring with Cotto.  Though reluctant to name anyone from Minnesota whom he admires, he does speak very respectfully of Minnesota middleweight titleholder Anthony Bosante.  Rodriguez remarks, “He’s worked really hard to get to where he is.  It didn’t happen overnight.”  When it is pointed out to Rodriguez that he and Bonsante are the same height (5′9″) he makes an interesting inside observation: Bonsante (with whom Rodriguez has sparred) doesn’t spar the way he fights.  “He is a very strong guy but he doesn’t always show it…He doesn’t really go all out in sparring; he kind of takes it easy.  When he’s in a real fight, Bonsante can kick it up a couple of notches.”  On the subject of Bonsante being called out by light heavyweight Zach Walters (23-2) of Horton’s Gym in Duluth, Rodriguez doesn’t see the logic.  “I think that what the whole state really wants to see is Bonsante versus Andy Kolle (a 17-1 middleweight from Fergus Falls).”  Rodriguez has an idea how it should go down, too: “Kolle and Kenny Kost (14-4) should fight, and the winner of that one gets Bonsante.”  He thinks that that event would get a lot of attention and sell a lot of tickets, and he’s probably right.

 

Rodriguez passed on the opportunity to make mention of any desired opponents.  In fact, he takes a decidedly low-key attitude on the subject, offering no comments even when solicited.  But everyone must know by now about the trash-talking that occurred between him and Sam Morales this spring.  John Johnson of the Rice Street Gym has declared publicly that there’s no longer any chance of the two meeting, but if both remain unbeaten after a few more bouts, you can expect the talk to start up again.

 

At the end of the interview Rodriguez is in a hurry to get back to his two kids.  He’s left them in his parents’ care on this Saturday morning, and his desire to be with them underlines what’s important to him.  The young man whose boxing career is a product of his father’s training and encouragement and who is driven by his uncles’ accomplishments, who speaks with pride of his brother’s amateur baseball career, needs to spend time with his children.   At the Rodriguez house, it’s family first.

Matt Vanda Wins, and Other Results from the St Paul Armory, May 17

Matt Vanda took a unanimous decision win against a badly overmatched opponent at the St Paul Armory tonight.

Bruce Rumbolz barely put up a fight, his jabs pawing at empty air and his hooks hovering like a bee and stinging like a butterfly.  He did what was expected of him, giving Vanda a much-needed “W” that improved his record to 38-6 with 21 wins by knockout.  Rumbolz dropped his sixth straight boxing match (and the thirteenth out of sixteen) to fall to 21-17 with 15 wins by kayo.

Matchups like tonight’s are inevitable as long as some fighters need guaranteed wins and others need cash.  Unfortunately this was a boring dog of a fight, with Vanda showing more respect for Rumbolz than was probably deserved, and Rumbolz unwilling or unable to do anything to hurt Vanda.

Tonight’s results are below.  Full results will be published as they are verified and finalized.

• Matt Vanda (now 38-6 with 21 kayos) defeated Bruce Rumbolz (now 21-17 with 15 kayos) by UD in 8 rounds.
• Caleb Truax (6-0 with 4 kayos) defeated James Crayton (34-28 with 21 kayos) by TKO in round XX
• Corey Rodriguez (4-0 with 3 kayos) defeated Raphael Magdaleno (1-6 with zero kayos) by UD in four rounds
• Brad Patraw -vs- Vlad Ustimchuk Jr: fight canceled
• Robert Kliewer (8-4 with 4 kayos) defeated Ray Walker (1-5 with zero kayos) by UD in four rounds

Upcoming Boxing Event: St Paul Armory, May 17 (part 2)

Some ruminations on this weekend’s event at the St Paul Armory…

• The Vanda train has to get back on the rails Saturday night.  Vanda hasn’t forgotten how to fight in the last two years, but his level of competition has never been higher, so he’s mixed some losses in with the occasional wins.  Vanda claims to be stronger and more skilled than ever, and the world needs to see that this is true – otherwise he’ll drop to “opponent” status and end his career far too late after a string of ten or twenty losses, as so many fighters do.  Here’s hoping Vanda wins convincingly on Saturday to set up a rematch with Kenny Kost, which Vanda recently demanded: “I want a rematch with Kost. I want the rematch with Kolle that his team promised me after the fight. And I want a rematch with Bonsante…Its time for some of these guys to give me the opportunity I gave them.”
• According to Boxrec.com, Caleb Truax is scheduled to face Jason Medina (3-9 with 3 wins by kayo).  But the internet bulletin board chatter is that he’ll actually square off against rugged veteran James Crayton.  Crayton, despite his long-lived losing streak, is still a skilled tactician and should provide a good test for our favorite Gopher scholar/pugilist.
• Corey Rodriguez should defeat Raphael Magdaleno Saturday night, although there are no guarantees in life.  And if Rodriguez wins, don’t be surprised if he shows up in a grudge match against Sam Morales later this spring.  Rodriguez and Morales have been talking tough, and it’s time for them to back up their words.
• Brad Patraw will try to prove that he’s worthy of the hype and praise that’s been showered on him when he takes on Vlad Ustimchuk Jr – this will be Ustimchuk’s pro debut, so we won’t know what to expect from him until the bell rings.  Many fighters look very different as pros than they did as amateurs, and I’m not talking about the headgear.
• Robert Kliewer will try to extend his hot streak.  After starting his career with a disappointing 2-3-2 stretch, Kliewer has put together a run of 5-1.  Odds are that Ray Walker (1-4 with no kayos) won’t be much more than a speed bump, but you never do know.  That’s why they fight the fights in the ring and not on paper.  Bottom line: if Kliewer doesn’t beat Walker on Saturday, he should probably consider a different line of work.