You would’ve been hard-pressed to find a fan or analyst who thought sluggers Edwin Rodriguez and Thomas Williams Jr. would make it to the finish of their 175-pound world title eliminator on April 30 in Carson, California. Turns out they didn’t even come close.
12 Rounds of Christmas 2016: Round 2
After a bombs-away first round in which both fighters landed knee-wobbling blows, Edwin Rodriguez and Thomas Williams Jr. came out firing big shots again in the second stanza.
The heavy-hitting, back-and-forth action continued right up until the round’s waning moments. That’s when Williams beat Rodriguez to the punch, landing a huge counter right hand followed immediately by a head-swiveling left hook that knocked Rodriguez to the canvas.
Unlike last year, when Rodriguez rallied for a third-round TKO after getting dropped twice by Michael Seals in a three-knockdown opening round that made the 2015 "12 Rounds of Christmas” list, there would be no comeback for the Dominican Republic native.
As for Williams, the good news is his second consecutive second-round stoppage win earned him a shot at 175-pound world champion Adonis Stevenson in July. The bad news for Williams? Well, check back here Thursday for the answer to that one.
For a complete recap of Rodriguez vs Williams, visit our fight page. And to view this year’s 12 Rounds of Christmas series, head over to our video page.
