All Jose Rodriguez needed was four minutes and 49 seconds in the ring to make one of his dreams come true.
Rodriguez, 50, made his professional debut as a fighter on Oct. 17, 31 years after his amateur career in Puerto Rico ended. He did not look like a 50-year-old man that night when he squared off against Josh Boudreaux about mid-way through T&K Boxing Promotions’ All or Nothing 3 card: Rodriguez knocked his opponent down four times and won by TKO at 1:49 in the second round.
The Plant City Boxing Gym owner overcame Boudreaux’s offensive outpour by waiting patiently for his openings and catching the Mississippi-based fighter when the opportunities arose. It paid off first with three knockdowns in the first round — one of which came right at the the bell, which likely bought Boudreaux more time — and the final blow was struck in the second round. Rodriguez was jubilant afterward, first taking a moment to soak it all in before bouncing around the theatre’s back alleyway on his way back to the locker room, stopping to pose for photos with fight fans.
“I thank God first and foremost,” Rodriguez said. “I gotta thank my team. I thank the audience that came to support me. It was a pleasure, it was an honor and it was a dream come true.”
Aside from Rodriguez’s win, it was a special night for a few other reasons. First, All or Nothing 3 was the first boxing event ever held at the historic Polk Theatre in downtown Lakeland. Second, Plant City native and five-time world champion Chevelle Hallback — who was also in Rodriguez’s corner for the fight — was given a lifetime achievement award by T&K Boxing Promotions for her contributions to the sport.
Photos by Justin Kline