Knockout artist Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez aims to leave the building with one last knockout to end 2020. Rodriguez, who has four knockouts in three rounds or less since July, will face veteran “Lethal” Larry Fryers in a six-round welterweight contest Saturday at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Rodriguez-Fryers will be part of the ESPN+ undercard stream (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT) preceding the ESPN-televised tripleheader (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) headlined by the junior lightweight battle between Shakur Stevenson and Toka Kahn Clary.
“I am grateful for the opportunities that Top Rank has given me and the effort of my team to keep me fit and ready,” Rodriguez said. “I would like to be recognized as Prospect of the Year. It would be a great recognition of my talent, effort, sacrifice and discipline. I believe that I would be the first Dominican boxer named Prospect of the Year. Representing the Dominican flag is a source of pride for me. I feel committed to bringing a world title to my country.”
Said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum, “I have not seen a more talented prospect this year than Elvis Rodriguez, and with the incomparable Freddie Roach in his corner, he is in wonderful hands.”
Rodriguez (10-0-1, 10 KOs) is 5-0 in 2020, including a slew of highlight-reel knockouts since making his Bubble debut July 2 with a one-punch knockout over Danny Murray. He last fought Oct. 9 and knocked out the usually durable veteran Cameron Krael with a right hook in the third round. Fryers (11-3, 4 KOs), a New York-based Irishman, returns to The Bubble following a unanimous decision loss in June to unbeaten prospect John Bauza.