The Philadelphia Daily News reports: Chicago boxer Francisco Rodriguez died Sunday night in Philadelphia after being removed from life support, according to his older brother and manager, Alex. Rodriguez was injured during a 10th-round knockout loss to Teon Kennedy in a fight for the vacant USBA super bantamweight championship. He was 25.
Rodriguez won the 2001 national Golden Gloves title and was a five-time Chicago Golden Gloves champion.
Shortly after being helped onto his stool following the stoppage in the scheduled 12-round bout, Rodriguez went limp and his breathing became labored. Ring physicians and EMS personnel treated him before he was removed on a stretcher and taken to a hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure for a brain bleed.
Rodriguez is survived by his wife, Sonia, his 5-month-old daughter, Ginette, his parents and two brothers. His family said today that Rodriguez's organs would be donated to help others in need.
An account has just been established in Rodriguez's name to assist the family with their medical and funeral expenses. Donations can be made at any Chase Bank.
Get the full story: Philly.com
Rodriguez won the 2001 national Golden Gloves title and was a five-time Chicago Golden Gloves champion.
Shortly after being helped onto his stool following the stoppage in the scheduled 12-round bout, Rodriguez went limp and his breathing became labored. Ring physicians and EMS personnel treated him before he was removed on a stretcher and taken to a hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure for a brain bleed.
Rodriguez is survived by his wife, Sonia, his 5-month-old daughter, Ginette, his parents and two brothers. His family said today that Rodriguez's organs would be donated to help others in need.
An account has just been established in Rodriguez's name to assist the family with their medical and funeral expenses. Donations can be made at any Chase Bank.
Get the full story: Philly.com
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If you have ever done martial arts you would understand why boxing is not barbaric or antiquated.
Who cares? The guy was a pion upon whom I wagered. Win or lose, he is dead and we move on. When is the next fight?
Hey its too bad about what happend to this boxer and i feel very bad for his family however boxing is a great sport and its loved by many people. Of course if your going to be a boxer, you know what can happen in the ring. You take that chance for the love of the sport. Just like any dangerous sport such as football, autoracing, ufc, and yes boxing! You don't ban a sport just because its dangerous. Thats what makes it a sport people!!!
"Everyday American" - Your personal attacks on my comments and lack of addressing anything I said other than to say I shouldn't say them leaves me still Not Convinced, but a bit disappointed in the debating styles of "Everyday Americans".
RIP - Francisco: http://urdead2me.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/rip-francisco-rodriquez/
my husband and i are about the same age as Francisco and his wife and we have a three month old baby, our first. I hope that this message will be recieved by the wife, Sonia. Sonia, i feel for you so much! my husband has a perfectly safe job and yet I worry constantly now that i have a baby that he wont make it home or that something will just go terribly wrong, so i can hardly imagine the horror you felt as these things unfolded. you most likely are in a blur of darkness and sadness with out your love and supporter, i would be. But i would like to reach out and say hold on to hope that someday daily life will be bareable, then the hope that you will someday be ok, then after that the hope that someday you will be happy. I will pray for you to have people to support you, that your family will be safe, and that God if He is good, and He is, give you Grace and comfort. once again i say i feel for you the loss, not just the one you love but all the dreams you shared for your future and your daughters future and the teammate in surviving life! God works in mysterious ways!
Don't blame the sport or the poor man who died in the ring. This is the profession he chose to feed and care for his family, it was his GOD given talent, so please don't bash him or the sport. If you don't have anything nice to say then keep your comments to yourself.
This is a very very sad story, my deepest sympathies go out to his wife and daughter. I'm glad to say I was fortunate enough to fight with Cisco in 2001 when he won the nationals, we fought on the same team out in Reno, NV. Very humble character who loved everyone and enjoyed fighting. God Bless your family.
Nick Torres
Hmmm... I imagine that those making reference(s) to dog fighting and institutionalized violence are individuals that do not eat factory farmed poultry and abstain from using products that are fossil-fuel derived. Well, what is cruelty...What is "institutionalized" violence. My point is not to be disagreeable, but to point out inherent inconsistencies in these cliche-driven leaps of logic. Better yet are those calling boxing 'stupid,' and 'disgusting,' thank you for balanced and well formulated insights. Scarier than dying, is living with the illusion of absolute(s). Only the Mad Man is Certain. Stop spewing your hate---your "violence."
Isn't this another form of "dog fighting" just like "ultimate cage fighting." The only difference is one is human and the other is animal.
"Not Convinced," you are wrong on so many assertions and on so many levels, there's too much to address.
I'll simply point out the obvious fact that in spite of your professed ignorance for sports, you claim to know a lot about the mentality of fighters. Are you really so arrogant to think you actually know how someone whose occupation you admit you're ignorant regarding is thinking, or are you just dumb enough to make blatantly contradictory comments based on your very limited experiences and world view?
Either way, your opinion, one of admitted ignorance, is not one that should be taken seriously by anyone who wants to discuss the issue in meaningful, relevant and realistic terms.
Boxing is a great sport. If you don't like it, don't watch it. But don't bleat for banning it because YOU are too weak and cowardly to read a story that makes YOU feel uncomfortable. Truth be told, nobody really cares about your fragile sensibilities. Do you people get whipped into hysterics when you hear about other job-related deaths? Perhaps we should ban cops, firefighters, mining, construction and farm workers...you know, to protect people from making their own choices, and to save your weak mind from having to read a tragic story.
Gee, who wouldn't want to go into a ring and get smashed multiple times in the head? It's a wonder there is any brain to actually damage in these guys...and the people who thinks it's fun to watch. Barbarians.
It is fascinating to me how many comments here are accusing those who decry the institutionalized violence inherent in boxing as being uninformed or otherwise disingenuous - as people who feel like I do are likely football fans?! I am neither.
I disagree with our country's support of college and professional sport in general. Despite someone's ability to make it through the end zone with a ball under his arm, to knock someone out with a gloved or un-gloved fist, or to hit a ball with a stick, or shoot it through a basket - I do not look to these people as role models and wish that my opinion was shared by more of my countrymen/women.
The issue about boxing is even more confusing. We applaud people for punching one another, and - apparently from the comments below - we assume that they are barbaric enough to fight in the streets if not given a ring to fight in.
Yes, we need to empower those who are otherwise helpless to change the cycle of violence and poverty that we ask them to live in - but glorifying fighting is not the answer.
As for boxers making the choice to engage in a dangerous occupation - wake up. The boxer does not think that they are in anymore danger than a bus driver or office worker. "Shake it off" is much more likely the common sentiment as opposed "trust yourself, and err on the side of caution". Would you supporters of boxing exult someone who ran into walls over and over again to demonstrate their strength - seems to me the only difference is that the wall in this case fights back and presents more of a possibility to make a wager.
The 10 most dangerous jobs
Occupation Fatalities per 100,000
Timber cutters 117.8
Fishers 71.1
Pilots and navigators 69.8
Structural metal workers 58.2
Drivers-sales workers 37.9
Roofers 37
Electrical power installers 32.5
Farm occupations 28
Construction laborers 27.7
Truck drivers 25
Hitting isn't the focus in FOOTBALL? That is the most ridiculous comment I've ever heard. First of all there are Hundreds of thousands of Boxers and that's just in the USA
as well as Millions of Football Players. In the events that someones is seriously hurt in any of those sports I would contend that it is less dangerous than many occupations. Football is a contact sport Boxing is a contact sport. Anytime there is contact there is risk of injury. In football kids start playing at age 5 or 6 all the way through to College. Boxing is no different. How boring would our lives be without SPORTS. We compete because it is in our nature to compete. It beats clubbing each other to death like the caveman. We our a member of the human society and as such it is in our nature to survive. It is what keeps us from being extinct. Rather than have random acts of violence we coordinate our efforts and create outlets for our aggressive nature. It is the key to the word
Civilized:
1. Having a highly developed society and culture.
2. Showing evidence of moral and intellectual advancement; humane, ethical, and reasonable
3. Marked by refinement in taste and manners; cultured; polished.
Boxing, like bull fighting and fox hunting, is a barbaric, antiquated "sport" that should be abolished off the face of the earth. It's brutality for brutality's sake, and has no merits outside "who can make the other guy the bloodiest."
How many boxers have died during or immediately after fights? Now compare that to the number of football players who have died as a direct result of their injuries sustained while playing. You simply can't compare the two.
Q.E.P.D. Mr. Rodriguez, may god look over the child and the wife left behind.
It is the risk he choose to take, not different than race car drivers, football, etc...it is sad none the less.
You just have to shake your head at the thinking of some people. First, we don't yet know what happened. Did he have some kind of pre-condition where one blw might have done the job? So lectures about what his corner or what the ref should have done are premature. An MMA guy thinks his sport is safer than boxing? The same sport that does not use boxing gloves and kicking is allowed? Yes, football has more dangers. Football also has helmets, shoulder pads, hip pads, and other safety devices, in addition to the fact that hitting is not the focus in football that it is in boxing.
Remember people, this is their choice to fight. There are safeguards in place. And, I agree that it can be an alternative to street violence for kids in need. People need to respect that this is the boxers' job. Part of their job is potential injury. It's no different than football, hockey, ultimate fighting, or any other contact sport. This is what they want to do, and so they knowingly and willingly put themselves in harms way. Do I agree with it? Do you agree with it? That doesn't matter - it's their choice! At least there are safeguards in place.
My son wrote a speech in high school for the state speech contest dealing with this very subject. It's so sad for his widow and daughter, who will never get the chance to know her father. Condolences to all.
I agree 100% with erikj on November 23, 2009 1:09 PM.
Many of other comments are from people who probably never studied the sport. I would bet that many of these folks are football fans ~ do we need to discuss the dangers, which there are more of, in football?
These are all awful, uninformed comments. Boxing has at least 4 safe guards to stop the fight. The fighter can stop the fight (by turning his back, taking a knee, saying 'i quit, i can't go on'...). The ref can stop the fight if he feels someone is in danger. The corner can stop the fight by throwing in the towel, or the doctor can stop the fight if he feels the boxer is in danger. But mostly the fighter is responsible for himself, if he or his corner is not willing, the fight stops, same as in MMA (@al). His corner is the one that really needs to take care of the guy. If they thought he was in danger and let him go on, it ruins their career if he gets hurt, let alone dies in the ring. These guys want to fight, thats why they do it. If they didn't do it in the ring, they might be doing it on the street without any of those fail safes.
Sometimes, people die doing what they love. I think that could be the case here.
RIP Rodriguez, Gatti, and Correles.
Boxing like many sports has a degree of danger. This is a great sport but needs to have new rules in place. The referee should step in much sooner and stop fights once a fighter can not defend themselves.
Also, besides the referee, the judges should be able to step in and stop or slow down the fight.
Comments like this sport is outdated, wake up people, you should also stop football, there are many long lasting injuries to football players too. ALL SPORTS NEED TO BE EXAMINED FOR SAFETY.
As a mixed martial artist I too am against boxing as a sport. How can anyone recover from a concussion in 8-10 seconds. It's ridiculous. In MMA bouts, the fight ends immediately if the fighter can't defend himself. In boxing, a fighter can literally be concussed and given a standing 8 count to "recover". That's absurd to let a dazed fighter make the decision to return to fight with a concussion. I know that there are those who don't believe in combative sports and that's fine, but keeping the willing participant safe should be the fight promoter 1st priority. Sadly, in boxing the first priority is to keep the fight going at all costs, human or otherwise.
Boxing is a way out from poverty for many kids.
Those who oppose the violent nature of Boxing
should understand that many of the kids involved in boxing would otherwise be dead from gang violence. It is a controlled sport which like many professions has an element of danger. We as a society should stop being so judgemental. People jump out of airplanes or scale a mountain or go deep sea diving. People have died from those activities also. People who are fortunate enough to die doing what they love have lived their lives to the fullest while the rest of us sit on our couches and complain about how other people choose to live their lives. Boxers are well aware of the consequences of their sport. A man got trampled to death at a Walmart last year. Do you think he woke up thinking he would die? Boxers go into the ring with that fear and courageously step in anyway. It is a sport. All sports have inherent dangers. We as spectators would chang places with any one of them. If only we had the talent.
Interesting to phrase it that "Rodriguez was injured" during the bout - seems that if it wasn't for the industry that "supported" the fight this would have been termed "Rodriguez was killed as a resulted of injuries sustained..." When are we going to stop supporting institutionalized violence?
This is an outdated 'sport'. It has no use in today's society. People that promote this are just as bad as those who do dog fights.
I didn't know Ali has MS. I thought it was Parkinsons??
A WORTHLESS, USELESS, STUPID SPORT!!!
This a very sad sport's story. My condolences to family & friends of the late Mr. Rodriguez. I grew up on boxing. I actually still watch fights, from time to time. But I also know this is a very primitive and combative sport. No one, absolutely no one, can kid himself or herself in thinking or believing everything will be alright. Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini knocked a guys years and the guy died. Muhammad Ali, America's boxing legend, also got in the ring, one too many times, and today suffers from MS. I don't think there is any true safety regulation that could prevent any serious harm. I would not doubt it if they have fighters signing waivers of liability.
RE