Jose Pedraza forces Julian Rodriguez to retire after eight rounds

Former two-weight world champion Jose Pedraza showed his experience and superior skill set to defeat the younger Julian Rodriguez at the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in their 10 rounder. The fight acted as the chief support to Shukur Stevenson's challenge for the Interim WBO Super-featherweight Title against Namibian Jeremia Nakathila.

It seemed that Pedraza's career may have been tailing off after he lost in 10 rounds to Jose Zepeda in September 2019 but, wins over Mikkel LesPierre, Javier Molina, and now Rodriguez, have put him right in the mix to challenge for a third world title having held the IBF junior lightweight and WBO lightweight tiles previously.

Pedraza knew too much for the 26-year-old Rodriguez, outboxing him as the younger man tried to put on the pressure. As Rodriguez tired, both eyes swelling badly, Pedraza continued to pick him off until at the end of the 8th round, Rodriquez told his father in the corner that he couldn't see. The corner pulled the previously unbeaten youngster from Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey out to fight another day.

Pedraza's three opponents after the loss to Zepeda held a combined 65-3-1 record before meeting the 32-year-old from Cidra, Puerto Rico.