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IWBHF VIDEOS 2019
 

WENDY RODRIGUEZ  - 2019 IWBHF  INDUCTEE

 

Wendy Rodriguez was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, majored in Child Development at Cal. State L.A. and plans to become a teacher. Before she began boxing, she participated in Cross Country/Field and Dance at Roosevelt High School.

Wendy Rodriguez fought professionally from 1999 to 2008, accumulating multiple world titles with the IBA, WIBF, IFBA, NABA as a junior flyweight, with a 19-4-3 (3KO) record. When she was actively boxing in the sport she was trained by Victor Hernandez at the L.A. Boxing Gym in Los Angeles, California. Wendy's boxing skills and smooth moves in the ring more than compensate for her small size at just 4'11", and she proved to be a tricky and frustrating opponent for the best in the world at her weight. Before boxing professionally she had six amateur bouts.

Wendy made her pro debut on May 14, 1999 at the Pechanga Center in Temecula, California, taking a clear four-round unanimous decision over Lisa Butler of Leonard, Texas. She continued to fight many of the top female boxers in the sport that included Carina Moreno, Hollie Dunaway, Regina Halmich, Yvonne Caples, Margaret Sidoroff, and many more.

WBAN covered her fight on June 13, 2008 at the Isleta Casino and Resort in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when she won a close bout by a ten-round split decision over Hollie Dunaway. The two were fighting for the (104 lbs) vacant IFBA and IBA strawweight world titles.

Wendy told WBAN at the time when actively boxing, "It was always a guy thing for me, and that was because I had never seen women boxing. When I first got involved with boxing, I wanted a self defense class, and I wanted to lose weight. As time went by, I began to like its technique. It was something different for me ... now I see boxing in a whole new way."

In 2005, Victor Hernandez, Wendy's trainer wrote to WBAN an open letter saying the following: "Wendy Rodriguez is thinking about retiring due to the lack of fights. It's a shame that LA promoters would prefer to put these no talent models who call themselves fighters. It's a shame that Wendy has worked so hard and not get the respect and recognition for her talents as a true champion. It is a shame that these models get paid all these dollars while their skills make no sense. Too bad we don't get the support from our hometown because Wendy is willing to fight every champion or top contender in her weight class---But never received any offer from any promoter to fight these fights."

Wendy, a part of history who helped pave the way for others was an exciting fighter, who gave it her all in the ring. She did not get those opportunities that some of the top female boxers are getting today, but even not having those opportunities, she excelled as one of the top female boxers in the world when she was active in the ring.

 

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