Sambaad Patra

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez delivered a star-making performance with an eighth-round stoppage of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday in San Antonio to retain his WBC junior bantamweight title.

Rodriguez (16-0, 11 KOs) floored Rungvisai with a left hand in Round 7 and then finished him off in the following round with a barrage of punches as the former champion was pinned on the ropes. The referee stopped the bout at 1:50 of the round.

“This is the youngest champ in boxing and he already might be a pound-for-pound great,” said Rodriguez’s promoter, Eddie Hearn. “He’s here for legacy; he’s here to be remembered.”

It was a dazzling display from the 22-year-old Rodriguez, who headlined in his hometown for the first time. He used an excellent southpaw jab, beautiful footwork and plenty of angles to keep Rungvisai off-rhythm and at the end of his power shots.

Rungvisai (50-6-1, 43 KOs) owns victories over a pair of future Hall of Famers in their primes — Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada — so it was particularly impressive the way Rodriguez was able to pick off his heavy shots and win every round in dominant fashion.

The plodding 35-year-old from Thailand needs to set his feet to deliver his power shots, but Rodriguez never allowed him to do so. He presented a moving target, and on the rare occasion Rungvisai did close distance, “Bam” turned him around.

“In the third round I felt his power wasn’t the same,” said Rodriguez, who entered the fight rated No. 5 by ESPN at 115 pounds. ” … That’s when I decided to take over. … Having Robert Garcia in my corner is a huge advantage.”

Rodriguez, whose brother Joshua Franco holds a secondary title at 115 pounds, said he could campaign at 112 pounds before returning to the weight class.

“He’s a very underrated fighter and it’s a matter of time until he gets his shot,” Rodriguez said of Franco, who is ESPN’s No. 6 junior bantamweight.

Rungvisai, ESPN’s No. 3 boxer at 115 pounds, lost for just the second time since a 2014 technical decision defeat to Carlos Cuadras. And it was Cuadras whom Rodriguez defeated in February to announce his arrival and pick up his first world title, though Estrada remains the WBC’s franchise champion in the weight class.

What’s next: After that kind of performance, it’d be hard to favor even Gonzalez or Estrada over Rodriguez. The combination of clean punching, excellent southpaw jab and incredible footwork should prove too much for most fighters.

While he appears more than ready for both elite fighters now, his brother Joshua Franco or Gonzalez figures to land a fight with Estrada next. If it is Franco who fights Estrada in the fall, that could open the door for a summit meeting between Rodriguez and Gonzalez.

Or, as Rodriguez suggested, he could chase a title at 112 pounds, where talented boxers Sunny Edwards and Junto Nakatani are the cream of the crop. He could even return to 108 pounds, where he has fought but never challenged for a title.

No matter what Rodriguez does next, it’s clear he isn’t too far away from a spot on the pound-for-pound list.

Round-by-round analysis

Round 8: “Bam” Rodriguez with the TKO 8 victory over Rungvisai to retain his WBC junior bantamweight title in a masterclass! Barrage of punches with Rungvisai pinned on the ropes lead to the referee stoppage. What a performance. This kid is special.

Round 7: Rodriguez floors Rungvisai with a left hand and pours on the punishment late in the round. What a performance. And what a statement it would be if he could stop him. 10-8, Rodriguez. 70-62, Rodriguez.

Round 6: Rodriguez’s footwork, southpaw jab, speed and use of angles are far too much for the plodding Rungvisai, who isn’t able to consistently apply pressure in the face of the moving target. 10-9, Rodriguez. 60-54, Rodriguez.

Round 5: More of the same from Rodriguez, who continues to win each round in dominant fashion. Just a tremendous display of boxing so far from a 22-year-old who’s advanced beyond his years. 10-9, Rodriguez. 50-45, Rodriguez.

Round 4: Masterful stuff from Rodriguez through four. He’s not just evading Rungvisai’s power shots but is making the Thai fighter pay with a series of sharp overhand lefts that continue to land clean. No answers from Rungvisai yet but we know how tough and dangerous he is late in fights. 10-9, Rodriguez. 40-36, Rodriguez.

Round 3: Rungvisai applying more pressure but unable to find a home for those looping power shots. Rodriguez continues to use angles and movement along with sharp, clean punching to win rounds and keep Rungvisai at bay. 10-9, Rodriguez. 30-27, Rodriguez.

Round 2: “Bam” Rodriguez able to keep Rungvisai off-rhythm with a steady diet of jabs and feints. Beautiful boxing from the 22-year-old. Rungvisai has heavy hands but needs his feet set to deliver them. 10-9, Rodriguez. 20-18, Rodriguez.

Round 1: Rungvisai landed a big shot early in the round, but Rodriguez took over in the final 30 seconds with a series of clean shots set up by his excellent jab that could set the tone for the fight. 10-9, Rodriguez.

Results:

Akhmadaliev finishes Rios late to score TKO victory

Murodjon Akhmadaliev retained his IBF and WBA “super” junior featherweight titles with a 12th-round TKO of Ronny Rios.

The Olympic bronze medalist from Uzbekistan buckled Rios with a left hand to the body before he punished him with a barrage of punches to the face to produce the first knockdown of the fight.

Rios beat the count but Akhmadaliev pressed for the finish and unloaded shots until the referee stopped the bout with 54 seconds remaining in the contest.

“Unfortunately in the second round I hurt my left hand when I buckled him,” said Akhmadaliev, ESPN’s No. 2 junior bantamweight. ” … My corner told me, ‘Just go ahead, forget about the pain and we’ll deal with it later.’ … Maybe he landed a couple of shots on me but that’s it.”

Akhmadaliev (11-0, 8 KOs) hurt Rios in Round 4 after he dug a left hand to the body before he unleashed a flurry of power shots to the head. The 27-year-old southpaw boxed beautifully, using his excellent jab and the right hook off the lead punch to rack up points.

Akhmadaliev was able to control range and turn Rios around any time he closed distance. It was the third defense of the two junior bantamweight titles he won from Daniel Roman in January 2020,

Rios (33-4, 16 KOs) was challenging for a title for the second time. The 32-year-old from Southern California dropped a unanimous decision to Rey Vargas in a 2017 title fight. Rios, who entered the ring rated No. 9 by ESPN at 122 pounds, was slated to fight Akhmadaliev in November before he was diagnosed with COVID and the fight was postponed.

What’s next: Hopefully, it’s a fight against fellow unified champion Stephen Fulton for the undisputed 122-pound championship. Like Akhmadaliev, the Philadelphian holds two junior bantamweight titles. It’s a fascinating fight that figures to deliver nonstop action, but boxing politics could provide a roadblock.

Akhmadaliev is promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and competes exclusively on DAZN. Fulton, who is with PBC and fights on Showtime, tweeted “Man, let’s make the fight happen. Easy work.”

Akhmadaliev, when asked if he wants Fulton next, said, “I’ll fight anyone.”

McCaskill makes Ibarra quit, retains all four belts

Jessica McCaskill retained her undisputed welterweight championship with a fourth-round stoppage of Alma Ibarra.

McCaskill (12-2, 5 KOs) appeared to land power shots at will and seemed well on her way to victory when Ibarra surprisingly refused to come out for Round 4, after complaining to her trainer that the champion was holding too much.

McCaskill stunned Ibarra (10-2, 5 KOs) in the opening round and was in control until the closing moments of Round 3 when she delivered a hook that caught the 34-year-old Mexican’s attention.

The 37-year-old champion from Chicago has now made three defenses of the four 147-pound titles she won from Cecilia Braekhus in August 2020.

What’s next: There doesn’t appear to be anyone currently competing at welterweight who can present a stern challenge for McCaskill. For her to truly be tested, she might have to move down in weight to face IBF and WBC champion Chantelle Cameron. McCaskill said during the postfight interview that she wants to face Cameron next.

McCaskill, who is rated No. 4 pound-for-pound by ESPN, could also seek out a title at 154 pounds against Natasha Jonas or Marie-Eve Dicaire.

Ford dominates Medina to stay unbeaten

Ray Ford remained undefeated with a unanimous-decision victory over Richard Medina Jr. in a 10-round featherweight bout.

The 23-year-old from Camden, New Jersey, used his superior strength, speed and boxing ability to prevail via shutout on two cards 100-90, along with a 99-91 score.

Ford (12-0-1, 6 KOs) connected on 181 punches to just 79 from Medina, a 21-year-old fighting in his hometown of San Antonio.

Ford, who’s signed with Matchroom Boxing, was coming off a split-decision victory over Edward Vazquez in February. Medina lost for the first time as a pro and is now 13-1 with seven KOs.

EUGENE, Ore. — Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin bested her own world record in the 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. outdoor track and field championships Saturday.

McLaughlin flashed a broad smile when her time was announced, then gave a thumbs-up. She crossed the finish line in 51.41 seconds, breaking her own record of 51.46 set last year at the Tokyo Games, where she won the gold medal.

She said she had no idea what to expect as she cleared the last hurdle.

“I was just gonna finish the race. You know anything is possible,” she said. “I’m just really grateful for it.”

The top three finishers in each event at the national championships will represent the United States in the world outdoor championships, also at Eugene’s Hayward Field, next month. It is the first time that track and field’s biggest event outside of the Olympics will be held on American soil.

Allyson Felix, the most decorated woman in track history, finished sixth in the 400 meters, in what was her final national championship race.

Felix, who announced in April that this will be her final season, is enjoying the final days of her illustrious career — which includes 11 Olympic medals. She plans to run her final official race in her native Los Angeles in August. Despite her finish, Felix will is expected make the mixed relay team at worlds.

NCAA champion Talitha Diggs of Florida won the 400 in 50.22 seconds. Dalilah Muhammad sat out of the race because of a slight injury, but she has already qualified for the world championships as the defending champion in the event.

“It was a great field. So just wanted to make sure to maintain my form, engage my core and just push,” Diggs said.

Asked if she was disappointed with the finish, Felix laughed.

“Honestly, no. You guys know the 400 is hard for me. It’s not my natural passion — it’s always just been something I challenged myself with,” she said.

Michael Norman ran the men’s 400 in a world-leading 43.56. He finished first at the Olympic trials last year and went on to place fifth in Tokyo.

World-record holder Keni Harrison won the women’s 100 hurdles in 12:34.

Temperatures at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus soared to the low 90s. Events for Sunday, the meet’s final day, were moved up earlier in the day because of the heat.

Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson made it through to the 200 final on Sunday by finishing second in her heat.

Richardson, known for her ever-changing hair color and long nails, did not qualify for the 100 final, even though she was among the favorites after winning the event at the Olympic trials last year. Richardson did not make the U.S. team for Tokyo after she tested positive for marijuana following the race.

Richardson’s heat was marked by several late scratches, but she finished in 22.69 seconds. Kentucky’s Abby Steiner, who set a collegiate record in the 200 meters at the NCAA track and field championships, had the best time in the heats at 22.14.

American-record holder Kara Winger won the javelin with a throw of 210 feet, 10 inches, her ninth career national title in the event. Sinclaire Johnson, the 2019 NCAA champion, won the 1,500 meters in 4:03.29.

On the men’s side Cooper Teare finished first in 3:45.86. Teare is also entered in the 5,000 on Sunday. Olympic silver medalist Chris Nilsen won the pole vault. Hillary Bor won the steeplechase by such a wide margin that he pointed to the stands in celebration down the stretch.

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Canadian 15-year-old Summer McIntosh won another gold medal and Italy pipped the United States to the men’s 4×100 medley relay title on the final night of racing at the world swimming championships.

The American women clinched the United States’ record 45th medal of the week by winning their 4×100 medley final. Regan Smith, Lilly King, Torri Huske and Claire Curzan were 0.47 of a second ahead of Australia and 1.23 ahead of Canada.

Canadian swimmers finished with 11 medals for their most successful worlds.

Veteran Gregorio Paltrinieri also won a thrilling men’s 1,500 freestyle Saturday, as Italy ended the week’s swimming events with five golds.

Paltrinieri was well under world-record pace as he built a huge lead over his rivals before eventually finishing in a championship record 14 minutes, 32.80 seconds.

Only Sun Yang’s world record of 14:31.02 from the 2012 Olympics has been faster. The Chinese swimmer is suspended for a doping violation.

Bobby Finke, who has made an art of finishing strongly to overtake rivals, was unable to catch Paltrinieri as he finished 3.90 behind in an American record 14:36.70. Finke’s silver was America’s record-breaking 39th medal this week, eclipsing its tally from Budapest in 2017.

Germany’s Florian Wellbrock was third.

McIntosh wrapped up a highly successful week for Canadian swimming with her second world title, clocking 4:32.04 in the women’s 400 individual medley. It was yet another world junior record for the teen.

Katie Grimes, who is just seven months older than McIntosh, pushed her rival all the way before finishing 0.63 of a second behind for silver. Another American, Emma Weyant, was third, 3.96 behind.

After some confusion, the United States’ Justin Ress was confirmed as the men’s 50 backstroke champion.

Ress’ elation at winning the race in 24.12 ended promptly when he was disqualified for being submerged at the finish. Teammate Hunter Armstrong, who finished two-hundredths of a second behind, was awarded the win, while the 17-year-old Ksawery Masiuk of Poland was bumped up to silver and Italy star Thomas Ceccon grabbed the bronze.

But — after the award ceremony — FINA overturned the disqualification, meaning Ress was awarded gold, Armstrong silver and Masiuk bronze.

Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström won the women’s 50 freestyle for her 10th gold at a worlds, all in individual events. It was the second time she completed the 50 free/butterfly double at a single worlds after Budapest in 2017.

Italy didn’t have it all its own way when Lithuanian swimmer Rūta Meilutytė upset world-record holder Benedetta Pilato by one-tenth of a second to win the women’s 50 breaststroke in 29.70.

But Italian journalists, team officials and support staff applauded when Paltrinieri came through the mixed zone following his tilt at the world record. Ceccon also interrupted Paltrinieri’s interviews to give his teammate a hug.

The Italians were celebrating again later when Ceccon, Nicolo Martinenghi, Federico Burdisso and Alessandro Miressi set a European record of 3:27.51 to win the men’s 4×100 medley by 0.28 of a second ahead of the Americans.