Erislandy Lara was absolutely dominant on Friday night in Chicago. The skilled Cuban completely dismantled Delvin Rodriguez en route to a lopsided unanimous-decision win in the main event of the latest version of Premier Boxing Champions on Spike TV.
Pablo Viruega of ESPN has the official scorecards and an image of the lopsided punch stats:
Lara gana DU 120-107(3) Rodriguez #LaraRodriguez Erislandy necesita mejores rivales Delvin replantear su continuidad pic.twitter.com/eFlMEWHVy2
— Pablo Viruega ESPN (@pabloviruega) June 13, 2015 This one was never in doubt. Lara found a home for his hard straight left hand all night. Known as a defensive wizard, Lara didn't neglect that aspect of his game in this virtuoso performance. Along with his signature head movement, Lara implemented some Pernell Whitaker-like crouching to avoid the limited attack Rodriguez was able to mount.
The damage hit its peak in the sixth round, when Lara dropped Rodriguez on a nasty combination. Rodriguez was game and rose to his feet, but he never seemed to make an adjustment. All night long, the rugged Dominican tried to outbox a superior boxer. The result might not have been any different, but Rodriguez needed to muck up the action and make the fight a brawl. That never happened.
Rodriguez found no success with his approach.
Instead, Lara used his face as a bull's-eye and a launching pad toward what the Cuban hopes will be a major fight. If Twitter was any indication, Lara looked skilled but not exciting. Boxing Monthly's Graham Houston had a common comparison for Lara:
Lara bigger version of G. Rigondeaux, clever but ultra-cautious. In other words: boring to watch
— Graham Houston (@fightwriterone) June 13, 2015 Perennial welterweight contender Andre Berto seemed to appreciate Lara's performance. Unfortunately, Berto doesn't represent the demographic Lara is aiming to impress:
Lara's arms are so long and he's sharp as a tack smh... Smart, tactical and strong. He's a bad boy @SpikeSports @#LaraRodriguez
— Andre Berto (@AndreBerto) June 13, 2015 Fans—especially the casual ones—won't be moved by Lara's pure boxing display. It was like a Floyd Mayweather Jr. performance minus the charisma and polarizing quality. When the fight was over, Lara called out some of the biggest names in the sport.
Per the Spike broadcast, Lara said this through a translator: "I'm ready for [Floyd] Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Gennady Golovkin...at 160 pounds. Bleacher Report's Kevin McRae isn't so sure the gifted but less-than-marketable Lara can get any of those guys in the ring:
Lara never gets any of those guys when he allows Rodriguez to go 12 in a fight that should've been over in five. #LaraRodriguez
— Kevin McRae (@McRaeBoxing) June 13, 2015 Lara has the worst kind of dilemma a fighter can have. He's extraordinarily skilled in the ring, which represents a really tough assignment for anyone in his weight region. Yet, even with his skill set, he's a relative unknown among casual fans because of his style and inability to speak English.
The latter two factors aren't fair, but they are true hindrances to his marketability. Where does he go from here? It's hard to tell, but he probably won't be facing any of the guys he called out anytime soon—if at all.
As for Rodriguez, it may be time for him to hang up the gloves. He's a tough, hardworking guy who has hit his ceiling in the sport. It's unlikely he'll ever beat another fighter of notable stature.
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