Francisco Rodriguez (boxer, born 1984)
Encyclopedia
- This is about a Mexican boxer. For Venezuelan boxer, see Francisco Rodríguez (boxer, born 1945)
Francisco "Paco" Rodríguez (born June 15, 1984 in Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 22, 2009) was a Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
professional boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
in Super Bantamweight
Super Bantamweight
Super bantamweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 122 pounds, or roughly 55.34 kilograms....
division.
Amateur career
Francisco had a stellar amateur boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
career, that included five wins at the regional Chicago Golden Gloves
Chicago Golden Gloves
This amateur boxing tournament is considered by many boxing aficionados as one of the three most elite Golden Gloves titles, along with the Intercity Golden Gloves and the New York Golden Gloves. The tournament is also more formally known as the Chicago Tribune Charities Golden Gloves Tournament of...
and a win at the 2001 National Golden Gloves Championships.
Professional career
Rodríguez became a professional boxer in January 2005. Known as "El Nino Azteca", Rodríguez was a fan favorite, especially in the ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
area.
Death
Rodríguez died at the age of 25 after losing a bout against undefeated prospect Teon KennedyTeon Kennedy
Teon Kennedy is the current North American and United States Boxing Association dual Super Bantamweight champion...
collapsing immediately after the match referee stopped the fight in the 10th round. He lost consciousness as he sat waiting for the decision. He was rushed to a hospital for emergency brain surgery and died 2 days later. Rodriguez was 14-2 going into his last fatal bout against Kennedy for the vacant USBA Super Bantamweight
Super Bantamweight
Super bantamweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 122 pounds, or roughly 55.34 kilograms....
title.
Legacy/New Life
After Paco's death, his family was asked by Gift of Life donor program to donate his organs, including both kidneys, pancreas, lungs, and his heart. Paco was featured on ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
program E:60
E:60
E:60 is a weekly investigative journalism newsmagazine show. It premiered on ESPN on October 16, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. PT. The show is one hour long....
, where his brother Alex said, "I would think he'd be disappointed to see all the hard work he did to keep his body in the shape that he kept it, his heart, to let it stop beating. I think, we should give someone else a chance." The donations saved several lives including that of Paco's uncle Ramon and Victoria Davis. Other recipients included Ashley Owens, Alexis Sloan, and Meagan Kingsley. They had the opportunity to meet Paco's family. Paco's wife Sonia told them, "it's a shame that he's not here, but what happened didn't happen in vain. You guys...it was meant to happen, for you guys to receive this gift. So, you know, enjoy it to the fullest just like he did when he had it all."