NISA RODRIGUEZ (2-0) is a rising star in girls’s boxing. The truth is, within the larger weight divisions she is already one of many premier fighters on the earth.
On TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17 she will get a chance to battle earlier than hometown followers as soon as once more as she tackles a six-round function bout at “Vacation Battle Evening 3,” going down at Sony Corridor in Manhattan. It’s a presentation of BOXING INSIDER PROMOTIONS and televised dwell on DAZN, the chief in dwell streamed boxing.
Rodriguez, who proudly represents Puerto Rico, grew up within the Bronx, and admits to having discovered bother typically as a teenager. Sooner or later she wandered into the NYPD’s Cops & Youngsters Health club in Brooklyn, and that was the beginning of her journey. She acquired encouragement each out and in of the ring; she was persuaded to pursue her GED and attend faculty, which she did.
Alongside the way in which, Rodriguez, who has earned the nickname “Candy Destruction,” wound up having an enormous novice profession. Other than eight New York Golden Gloves championships, she captured six NY Metro titles as effectively. However it’s what she did on the nationwide degree that has been probably the most noteworthy. Rodriguez gained three Nationwide Golden Gloves titles and was a runner-up twice.
Finally her experiences, which included working with different boxers at Cops & Youngsters, led her to a educating place in Harlem, which she held for eight years. And she or he additionally began elevating a household. The truth is, her son, who’s now working his approach up the novice ranks, urged her to enter the skilled ranks.
However first, she did one thing that may have been surprising; she turned a police officer in 2022.
At present she works with the NYPD’s Fast Response workforce, aiding at-risk kids and households. And she or he took on boxing legal professional Keith Sullivan as her supervisor.
Each of her skilled fights have been at Madison Sq. Backyard. On March 15 she gained a four-round determination over Jozette Cotton, and on June 8 (which additionally occurred to be Nationwide Puerto Rican Day), she registered one other four-round determination win, this one over Jordanne Garcia.
She has additionally been honored as “Prospect of the 12 months” by two completely different organizations – the Worldwide Girls’s Boxing Corridor of Fame and the New York Boxing Corridor of Fame. She is now rated #9 within the tremendous middleweight division by the World Boxing Affiliation (WBA).
As information of this battle got here, there was a dilemma, in that she had a trip scheduled together with her household. However she is fixing that downside on her European journey by figuring out with the help of her son and husband, who’re each boxers.
She’ll be in form for a bout that, not like her first two, shall be contested as a middleweight, which is her pure division. She’ll have the NYPD out in power (pardon the pun), as her colleagues provide great help.
Her opponent on December 17 is MELODY POPRAVAK (2-1-1, 1 KO), who additionally bought a late begin on her professional profession. Popravak, initially from Blue Island, IL and now residing in Snellville, GA, has frolicked in New York as effectively, definitely lengthy sufficient to get to the finals of the 2019 New York Golden Gloves, dropping to Rachael Washington.
Popravak turned professional in June 2021 with a first-round TKO over Nina Gallegos. in her subsequent bout she got here up towards an previous nemesis, as she was overwhelmed on a cut up determination by Kaitlin LaVigne, who has additionally overwhelmed her as an novice. Popravak has not been out of motion lengthy, as she beat Sonya Dreiling on a six-round determination on October 1.
As we talked about, “Hellfire Mel,” as she is understood, bought a late begin as a professional. She is 39 years previous. However like Rodriguez, she has a life exterior of boxing. Popravak has a background in accounting, graduating with a level from Florida Gulf Coast College. She works as a Senior Finance Affiliate with The Ardent Corporations in Atlanta.
Tickets for the December 17 present at Sony Corridor are priced at $110, $160, $215 and $350 (entrance row), and could also be bought on-line at https://www.ticketweb.com/occasion/boxing-insider-fight-night-sony-hall-tickets/14011593.
Sony Corridor is positioned on the backside of the Paramount Resort Instances Sq., 235 W forty sixth Avenue.
Doorways open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the primary bout at 7:30 p.m. ET.
