Emmanuel Rodríguez
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel "El Matador" Rodríguez (born August 8, 1992) is a Puerto Rican
amateur boxer. While still a youth, he was incorporated into Puerto Rico's national team, competing in multiple open-class tournaments, including the Pan-American Championships, where he advanced to the finals. He finished second at the 2010 Youth World Amateur Boxing Championships
, becoming the second consecutive Puerto Rican to win a medal in the flyweight division. Rodríguez was Puerto Rico's flag-bearer at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games
and became the first flyweight champion in the event's history.
. His parents are Awilda Vázquez Soler and Luis Rodríguez. Throughout his childhood he practiced other sports before choosing boxing, including one of Puerto Rico's most widespread team sports, baseball. Rodríguez also served as forward of the local association football team, Invasores de Vega Baja. Due to his skill, he was enrolled at the Escuela Especializada en Deportes del Albergue Olímpico (ECEDAO), a specialized school run by the Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico (COPUR) that provides education, residence, training and facilities to practice specific Olympic sports.
. Despite still being ranked in the Youth category, Rodríguez entered the light flyweight open-class at the 2009 Pan-American Championships when he was 17 years old. He won his debut over Mexican National Light Flyweight Champion, Francisco Meléndez, by unanimous points decision (10:3). In the semifinals, he fought Cuban National Light Flyweight Subchampion, Daniel Matellón, winning a close fight by one point (11:10). In the finals, Rodríguez lost another close fight to Paulo Carvalho of Brasil, 12:9, to secure the silver medal. He had previously entered the 2009 Torneo Nacional de Boxeo Aficionado Isaac Barrientos, Puerto Rico's senior national championships, advancing to the semifinals before losing to Waldemar Pagán (12:9). Between May 19 through 23, Rodríguez participated in the 2009 Torneo Internacional José "Cheo" Aponte, another open-class international tournament. In the semifinals he fought Bryan Aquino, who had defeated Pagán for Puerto Rico's National Light Flyweight Championship, winning by points (19:5). In the finals, he was matched against Waldemar Rodríguez, defeating him by Referee Stopping Contest (RSC) in two rounds to win the gold medal. On July 5, 2009, Rodríguez competed in the finals of the Copa Olímpica Juan Evangelista Venegas, an annual tournament held by the COPUR, defeating Ángel Acosta by RSC in two rounds.
After ascending to the flyweight division, Rodríguez participated in the Copa Internacional de Boxeo Aficionado San Juan Bautista, a boxing dual where foreign golden gloves winners were invited. He was expected to compete in the 2010 Torneo Nacional de Boxeo Aficionado Isaac Barrientos, but he was unable to attend, awarding a walkover victory to his scheduled opponent, Jesús Soler. His next international participation was at the 2010 American Continental Elite Men Championships. Rodríguez competed twice, defeating Mexican National Flyweight Champion, Elías Emigdio, (8:6) and fellow Puerto Rican José Núñez (4:0). At the 2010 Youth World Amateur Boxing Championships which were held in Baku
, Azerbaijan
, he debuted with a RSC victory over Lassana Camara of Mali, after receiving a bye in the first date of eliminatories. In the round of 16, Rodríguez defeated Pahlavon Hojiyev of Uzbekistan, 6:4. He advanced to the semifinals with a 8:1 win over Min Hong of South Korea. His next opponent was Hesham Yehia Mahmoud Abdelaal of Egypt, whom he defeated with scores of 10:3. At the finals, he lost a 6:14 decision to local Shaban Shahpalangov. By winning the silver medal, Rodríguez became the second consecutive Puerto Rican to win recognition in the flyweight division at the Youth World Championships and secured participation in the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics
.
After the World Championships, Rodríguez entered the Copa Olímpica Juan Evangelista Venegas 2010. In his debut, he defeated Eddie Valenzuela of Guatemala by points (11:2). In the finals he was matched against his predecessor, 2008 AIBA Youth World Champion and senior Puerto Rico National Flyweight Champion, Jonathan González
. Rodríguez used a defensive strategy, while González was the aggressor. Employing his counter punching, he was able to gain an advantage of 3 points, while González focused on punches to the body, that are generally not scored under AIBA regulation. Rodríguez closed the contest ahead 4:1, winning the first encounter between Puerto Rico's most recent Youth medalists. Despite this result, González was selected to be part of the national team assembled for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
. This was due to recommendations made by the amateur boxing federation and High Performance Department, who wanted Rodríguez to have an uninterrupted preparation for the upcoming event. He was selected to be Puerto Rico's Olympic flag-bearer at the Youth Olympic Games
, receiving the flag from David Bernier, president of the COPUR. In his debut, Rodríguez defeated Vasily Vetkin of Russia by points, finishing with scores of 11:4 after an even start. In the semifinals, he fought in a rematch against Abdelaal. Rodríguez was ahead in the scores throughout the fight, finishing the first round ahead 3:0, scoring two more points in the second and six in the third. Abdelaal was only able to score once during the second round, for a final score of 11:1. The other boxer to advance was DJ Maaki of Nauru. Rodríguez opened the final fight ahead 9:1 after the first round, scoring thrice in the second and thrice in the third before the referee stopped the contest in his favor at the 1:34 mark. This was Puerto Rico's first Olympic gold medal, the fact that it was won by a boxer in the national team's first participation in the competition mimics the feat accomplished by Juan Evangelista Venegas
, who won bronze in the delegation's debut at the 1948 Summer Olympics
. Rodríguez returned to the archipelago five days later, receiving recognitions from the COPUR and municipal government of Vega Baja for his performance. Subsequently, a request for inclusion in the High Performance Full-Time Athlete Program was sent to the government, citing an exception to the standard rule, which was drafted to include medalists at the Pan American Games, World Championships or senior Olympics.
, but he did not receive authorization, instead being told to spend several months of additional recovery to avoid injuries in the scar tissue.
division. He went on to dominate the tournament, winning his first two contests following the incident with scores of 12:2 and RSC-3.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
amateur boxer. While still a youth, he was incorporated into Puerto Rico's national team, competing in multiple open-class tournaments, including the Pan-American Championships, where he advanced to the finals. He finished second at the 2010 Youth World Amateur Boxing Championships
2010 Youth World Amateur Boxing Championships
The 2010 Youth World Amateur Boxing Championships were held in Baku, Azerbaijan from April 25 to May 3, 2010.It was the second edition of the Youth World Championships which had taken over from the Junior World Championship....
, becoming the second consecutive Puerto Rican to win a medal in the flyweight division. Rodríguez was Puerto Rico's flag-bearer at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games
Youth Olympic Games
The Youth Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event first held in Singapore from August 14 to August 26, 2010. The games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consistent with the current Olympic Games format. The age limitation of the athletes is between 14 to 18...
and became the first flyweight champion in the event's history.
Early life
Rodríguez is originally from Urbanización Villa Real near Ojo de Agua, a middle class urban sector of Vega Baja, Puerto RicoVega Baja, Puerto Rico
Vega Baja is a municipality in north central Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Morovis; east of Manatí; and west of Vega Alta. Vega Baja is spread over 13 wards and Vega Baja Pueblo...
. His parents are Awilda Vázquez Soler and Luis Rodríguez. Throughout his childhood he practiced other sports before choosing boxing, including one of Puerto Rico's most widespread team sports, baseball. Rodríguez also served as forward of the local association football team, Invasores de Vega Baja. Due to his skill, he was enrolled at the Escuela Especializada en Deportes del Albergue Olímpico (ECEDAO), a specialized school run by the Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico (COPUR) that provides education, residence, training and facilities to practice specific Olympic sports.
Early international competition and Youth Olympic championship
By 2006, Rodríguez was already competing at a national Youth level, participating in the Juegos Nacionales Escolares 2006, where he defeated Emmanuel Ramírez of Arecibo (2:1) in the 13–14 years (41 kg) division. As an amateur, his corner team is led by Arturo Ríos and Orlando Rodríguez Zayas, who trained Puerto Rico's previous Olympic medalist, Daniel SantosDaniel Santos (boxer)
Daniel Santos is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. As an amateur Santos represented Puerto Rico in international events, including the 1990 and 1992 Junior World Championships, Pan American Boxing Tournament, Goodwill Games, 1995 Pan American Games and the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he won a...
. Despite still being ranked in the Youth category, Rodríguez entered the light flyweight open-class at the 2009 Pan-American Championships when he was 17 years old. He won his debut over Mexican National Light Flyweight Champion, Francisco Meléndez, by unanimous points decision (10:3). In the semifinals, he fought Cuban National Light Flyweight Subchampion, Daniel Matellón, winning a close fight by one point (11:10). In the finals, Rodríguez lost another close fight to Paulo Carvalho of Brasil, 12:9, to secure the silver medal. He had previously entered the 2009 Torneo Nacional de Boxeo Aficionado Isaac Barrientos, Puerto Rico's senior national championships, advancing to the semifinals before losing to Waldemar Pagán (12:9). Between May 19 through 23, Rodríguez participated in the 2009 Torneo Internacional José "Cheo" Aponte, another open-class international tournament. In the semifinals he fought Bryan Aquino, who had defeated Pagán for Puerto Rico's National Light Flyweight Championship, winning by points (19:5). In the finals, he was matched against Waldemar Rodríguez, defeating him by Referee Stopping Contest (RSC) in two rounds to win the gold medal. On July 5, 2009, Rodríguez competed in the finals of the Copa Olímpica Juan Evangelista Venegas, an annual tournament held by the COPUR, defeating Ángel Acosta by RSC in two rounds.
After ascending to the flyweight division, Rodríguez participated in the Copa Internacional de Boxeo Aficionado San Juan Bautista, a boxing dual where foreign golden gloves winners were invited. He was expected to compete in the 2010 Torneo Nacional de Boxeo Aficionado Isaac Barrientos, but he was unable to attend, awarding a walkover victory to his scheduled opponent, Jesús Soler. His next international participation was at the 2010 American Continental Elite Men Championships. Rodríguez competed twice, defeating Mexican National Flyweight Champion, Elías Emigdio, (8:6) and fellow Puerto Rican José Núñez (4:0). At the 2010 Youth World Amateur Boxing Championships which were held in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, he debuted with a RSC victory over Lassana Camara of Mali, after receiving a bye in the first date of eliminatories. In the round of 16, Rodríguez defeated Pahlavon Hojiyev of Uzbekistan, 6:4. He advanced to the semifinals with a 8:1 win over Min Hong of South Korea. His next opponent was Hesham Yehia Mahmoud Abdelaal of Egypt, whom he defeated with scores of 10:3. At the finals, he lost a 6:14 decision to local Shaban Shahpalangov. By winning the silver medal, Rodríguez became the second consecutive Puerto Rican to win recognition in the flyweight division at the Youth World Championships and secured participation in the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, officially known as the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games , were an international multi-sport event for youths that took place in the city-state of Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010, in the XXIX Olympiad. They were the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics, a major...
.
After the World Championships, Rodríguez entered the Copa Olímpica Juan Evangelista Venegas 2010. In his debut, he defeated Eddie Valenzuela of Guatemala by points (11:2). In the finals he was matched against his predecessor, 2008 AIBA Youth World Champion and senior Puerto Rico National Flyweight Champion, Jonathan González
Jonathan González (flyweight)
Jonathan González is a Puerto Rican boxer. He learned the sport from his father, practicing it since the age of four. As an amateur, González has represented Puerto Rico at numerous international events, while competing in the flyweight limit of 51 kg...
. Rodríguez used a defensive strategy, while González was the aggressor. Employing his counter punching, he was able to gain an advantage of 3 points, while González focused on punches to the body, that are generally not scored under AIBA regulation. Rodríguez closed the contest ahead 4:1, winning the first encounter between Puerto Rico's most recent Youth medalists. Despite this result, González was selected to be part of the national team assembled for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 21st Central American and Caribbean Games took place in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, from July 18, 2010 to August 1, 2010.-Bid:...
. This was due to recommendations made by the amateur boxing federation and High Performance Department, who wanted Rodríguez to have an uninterrupted preparation for the upcoming event. He was selected to be Puerto Rico's Olympic flag-bearer at the Youth Olympic Games
Boxing at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics – Men's 51 kg
These are the results of the Men's Fly 51kg competition in boxing at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore. Preliminaries were held on August 21, semifinals on August 22, 5th place bout on August 23, the bronze medal bout on August 24 and the Final bout on August 25.Unlike world...
, receiving the flag from David Bernier, president of the COPUR. In his debut, Rodríguez defeated Vasily Vetkin of Russia by points, finishing with scores of 11:4 after an even start. In the semifinals, he fought in a rematch against Abdelaal. Rodríguez was ahead in the scores throughout the fight, finishing the first round ahead 3:0, scoring two more points in the second and six in the third. Abdelaal was only able to score once during the second round, for a final score of 11:1. The other boxer to advance was DJ Maaki of Nauru. Rodríguez opened the final fight ahead 9:1 after the first round, scoring thrice in the second and thrice in the third before the referee stopped the contest in his favor at the 1:34 mark. This was Puerto Rico's first Olympic gold medal, the fact that it was won by a boxer in the national team's first participation in the competition mimics the feat accomplished by Juan Evangelista Venegas
Juan Evangelista Venegas
Juan Evangelista Venegas was the first Puerto Rican to win an Olympic medal.-Early years:Venegas was born in an underprivileged section of San Juan, Puerto Rico where fighting was a common way of life. Many of the youth at that time saw the sport of boxing as a way to a better life...
, who won bronze in the delegation's debut at the 1948 Summer Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
. Rodríguez returned to the archipelago five days later, receiving recognitions from the COPUR and municipal government of Vega Baja for his performance. Subsequently, a request for inclusion in the High Performance Full-Time Athlete Program was sent to the government, citing an exception to the standard rule, which was drafted to include medalists at the Pan American Games, World Championships or senior Olympics.
Immolation and recovery
On November 12, 2010, Rodríguez was involved in an incident where a pickup truck was partially damaged. He and a companion were burned, being initially attended at a hospital in Vega Baja, before both were transferred to the specialized burn care unit of Centro Médico in San Juan, where he was placed in preventive intubation to ease the stress on his lungs. Rodríguez suffered second degree burns in approximately 66% of his body, most of the damage focusing in his back and legs. Due to the incident, Rodríguez was removed from a scheduled dual, but was kept among the recipients of a grant issued by the COPUR. By late December he was already training two to three days per week, while admitted in the burn unit and still wearing bandages around one of his arms and both legs. His trainer, Orlando Rodríguez, noted that this was the first time that he worked with a pugilist while still recovering in a hospital. Consequently, a special regime was prepared to work on his footwork, speed and strength, while including other standard practices such as shadow boxing and pads. In his first interview since the incident, Rodríguez noted that he intended to focus on his career and education from that point onwards, severing ties with any negative influence. The following week, the possibility of infection was dismissed by the medical personnel, who allowed more contact with external items, including haircutting tools. Upon being released, the original plan was to participate in the qualification of the 2011 Pan American Games2011 Pan American Games
The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, Puerto Vallarta, Lagos de Moreno and Tapalpa...
, but he did not receive authorization, instead being told to spend several months of additional recovery to avoid injuries in the scar tissue.
Return and Olympic qualification events
On September 14, 2011, Rodríguez made his official in-ring return at the V Copa Ángel "Cholo" Espada, competing within the super flyweightSuper flyweight
Super flyweight is a weight division in professional boxing. It is alternatively referred to as junior bantamweight and light bantamweight...
division. He went on to dominate the tournament, winning his first two contests following the incident with scores of 12:2 and RSC-3.
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions
- Sports in Puerto RicoSports in Puerto RicoSports in Puerto Rico can be traced from the ceremonial competitions amongst the pre-Columbian Native Americans of the Arawak tribes which inhabited the island to the modern era in which sports activities consist of an organized physical activity or skill carried out with a recreational purpose...
- List of Olympic medalists in boxing