[Rocco Del Sesto]

01/18/67 Wednesday
St. Paul, MN, USA
Rudy Rodriguez – LHW (12-8-5) vs. Jimmy Adams – WW (6-9-1)

Rudy Rodriguez - Rating 1 USA
Light Heavyweight 1961-68
20 wins / 17 losses / 6 draws / 9 KO

Hometown: Minneapolis, MN.

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Fairly busy LHW of the 60's, unfortunately fought very few meaningful opponents. He fougth and lost to Art Hernandez three times, was KO'd by Gomeo Brennan in 7 rounds in 1967 and lost a 10 round decision to Brian Kelly. In September 1968 he was stopped in the 4th round by Luis Manuel Rodriguez when Rodriguez was late in his career. It turned out Rudy Rodriguez then did not fight again until he came out of "retirement" in February 1974 to fight a meaningless affair against a Chuck Warfield in Chicago. Warfield KO'd Rudy in the 3rd round.

Jimmy Adams - Rating 1 USA
Welterweight 1956-61,66-67
6 wins / 10 losses / 1 draw / 6 KO

Hometown: Milwaukee, WI

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Fought 2 or 3 times a year from 1956 through 1961 compiling a 4-9-1,4KO record as a welterweight. He then did not fight until coming out in November 1966 to take on LHW Rudy Rodriguez. He KO'd Rodriguez in the 5th round! Then after Knocking out Billy Novak in 2 rounds a couple weeks later Adams came back for a rematch with Rodriguez on Jan. 18th, 1967. This time the two fought to a 6 round decision which Rodriguez won. That was it for Adams' career.

The fight...
Jimmy Adams was a welterweight from the late 50’s – early 60’s who’d been out of the ring since April 1961 when he came out of “retirement” in November 1966 to battle Light Heavyweight Rudy Rodriguez. Rudy was a fairly busy club fighter around Minnesota throughout the 60’s. He was coming off 2 wins and a draw against Henry Burton (0-15-1) to give you some idea of Rudy’s competition up till then. That fight in November, Adams shocked the Rodriguez camp with a 5th round KO. Each of these guys fought again in December before meeting here St. Paul for this rematch. Adams KO’d Billy Novak(9-0-3) in 2 while Rodriguez fought to a 6 round draw with Ray Christian(14-2-0). The Scheduled 6 round rematch fight ended in a 6 round decision for Rodriguez. For Adams it was the end of his career.
Rodriguez dominated throughout our replay fight. At the 1:11 mark of the 1st round, Rudy threw a strong hook that dropped Adams for an 8 count. Rodriguez might have stopped Adams there in that 1st round, but he kept missing with most of his punches and could not mount the knockout punch needed. The 2nd round though, Rudy begins to connect. He first hits Jimmy with a strong uppercut that almost has him down on one knee on the canvas. Then a straight right and a solid left right after that stops Adams cold. Rudy keeps swinging away landing combinations and uppercuts and keeps trying to slide that left jab in some more to catch Jimmy off guard. Somehow Adams survives the round though. The 3rd round picks up where the 2nd ended with Rodriguez coming out right away and connecting with a straight right and then a strong cross. Then a strong right again and a crushing hook has Adams eyes rolling back in his head. With a little more then a minute to go it’s amazing Adams is holding on. Finally after Rodriguez lands some more devastating punches, the referee finally steps in at the 2:44 mark in the 3rd round and stops the fight for a TKO victory for Rudy Rodriguez. After a modest 11-4 point edge in the first round, Rodriguez out pointed Adams 49-4 in the 2nd and 3rd before the fight was finally ended. That’s how one sided it got.