Kenneth Sims Jr Pulls Off Major Upset Over Elvis Rodriguez!
Rising junior welterweight prospect Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez (11-0-1, 10ko) will step into the ring with another tough opponent that has never been knocked out in Kenneth “Bossman” Sims Jr. (15-2-1, 5ko).
ELVIS RODRIGUEZ
Rodriguez is more than just a power puncher. His ability to fight at mid-range and inside is rare to see in a young fighter. Fighting out of the southpaw stance, if the straight left hand down the pipe doesn’t get you, then the right hook is the secondary weapon of choice.
While the COVID-19 pandemic was at it’s peak, he caught the eye of the boxing community with four straight knockouts inside the Top Rank Bubble at the MGM Grand. He went the distance in his last outing against Luis Alberto Veron. However, it was still a dominating performance by the Freddie Roach trained fighter.
KENNETH SIMS JR
Sims Jr, once a promising prospect, has not been able to transition into the professional ranks with the same level of success from the amateur ranks. He suffered three major career setbacks with losses to Rolando Chinea, Samuel Teah, and a draw against Montana Love. As an amateur, he fought noticeable contenders like Toka Kahn Clary, Ryan Martin, Lamont Roach Jr, Albert Bell, and unified champion Jose Ramirez. A victory against the highly gifted Rodriguez would rejuvenate the career of the 27-year-old Chicago native.
It looks like he got the win he needed!
AN UPSET IN THE MAKING
The opening round of Rodriguez vs Sims Jr was rather lackluster. The underdog immediately came out pumping his jab. In doing so, he would befuddle the unbeaten power-punching opponent, keeping him ineffective. This would continue for the next few rounds as Sims Jr would really turn up the offense, continuing to shoot his jab followed by accurate right hands. The first half of the fight really consisted of the favorite attempting to solve the puzzle of his opponent.
Rodriguez did find some success in rounds four and five landing his hard straight left hand flush several times. This is the same shot that has concussed opponents in the past. However, the durable Sims Jr ate those shots and fired back each time! For a highly touted prospect tabbed as a possible future world champion, Rodriguez’s lack of consistent use of his jab and body work raised the eyebrows of this writer.
Round seven was huge for the underdog! He really showed his versatility. In walking down Rodriguez, he would mix his attack well. Two-handed combos to the head of his unbeaten adversary would rock him. Additionally, he sent some nice body work as well for good measure.
Overall it was an impressive performance for Sims Jr. The Chicago native was not expected to be too much of a challenge but silenced his critics in the end. With scores of 76-76 and 78-74 twice, Sims Jr takes home a majority decision victory.
This was a well earned win as Sims Jr showed his skills should be respected moving forward. As for Rodriguez, he needs to go back to the drawing board and continue to work on his craft. In particular utilizing his jab more, punching more to the body and working on his head movement.
By: Jerrell Fletcher
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