LeShawn “Lightning” Rodriguez Aims To Entertain on Kovalev Undercard

Published by Shawn C.

*Shirley, New York) – *Boxing is full of big talkers. *LeShawn “Lightning”
Rodriguez *(8-0, 7 KOs) isn’t one of them. The 24-year-old undefeated
middleweight prefers to deliver his big statements in the boxing ring and
relishes the opportunity to entertain his fans at every bout.

“Of course, I want to be an entertainer,” says the hard-hitting Rodriguez.
“When I go see boxing, I want to see a show. When I go into the ring, I put
on the best show I can.”

Rodriguez gets his next chance to entertain in his return to The Theater at
Madison Square Garden on the non-televised undercard of Sergey Kovalev vs.
Igor Mikhalkin and Dmitry Bivol vs. Sullivan Barrera on Saturday, March 3.
Rodriguez hopes to extend his knockout streak to seven in a row against
opponent *Martez Jackson* (4-1-2, 2 KOs) of Valdosta, Georgia.

Rodriguez says he gets energy and motivation from his growing fan base,
who’ve picked up on the buzz about him and like what they see. “The new
fans, I’m getting a lot of support from them and congratulations on social
media. ‘Great KO power’ and ‘You’re going to be a superstar.’ When people
come to support me, I put on an even better show so they’ll come back again
and watch again,” said Rodriguez.

As a result, Rodriguez can be his toughest critic when assessing his
efforts. Although his last bout ended in a third round TKO, he gave himself
no more than a “B-plus … I could have done it a little sooner. I took my
time … It’s true, I’m my biggest critic, honestly. I always want to be
better than the last time. I work harder and I push myself. It’s a benefit,
I think,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez channels his competitive drive into everything he does outside
the boxing ring as well as inside. He still shows up at his local fitness
center and plays basketball, showing no mercy to his friends or any new
players unfamiliar with the knockout artist who’s coming down the floor at
them.

If your competitive tastes run to video games like the popular “Call of
Duty,” you better watch out for online player “PeakKnight123.” Yes, it’s
Rodriguez, a big gamer who plays Xbox One games to relax. “Of course, I’m
competitive in everything!” admits Rodriguez.

Rodriguez knows his next opponent, Martez Jackson, scored draws with two
previously undefeated fighters, and he doesn’t want to make it three. “I’m
going to take that into consideration, and do my best.”

Rodriguez says he hopes to be 13 or 14 and 0 by the end of 2018, with a
title shot opportunity in 2019, all with an eye toward his knockout
percentage.

Rodriguez has a final word for his fans: “Come out, watch the future of
boxing. Get in on the ground floor. I’m going to keep my knockout streak
going for you!”

*About March 3: *The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey “Krusher”
Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light
Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York
City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion
Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. Tickets
range from $50 to $300 and are available at TicketMaster.com and the
Madison Square Garden box office. The event is promoted by Main Events,
Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box
Promotions and will be televised live on HBO World Championship
Boxing® at 10:05
p.m. ET/PT.