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But that conflict was a mere skirmish compared to his second fight of the year. On October 10, 2009, Mtagwa challenged rising superstar Juan Manuel Lopez for his WBO Super Bantamweight crown. Mtagwa went into the fight as a giant underdog, with little chance against the young champion. But Rogers Mtagwa has always been in the business of surprising his opponents and his fans. The battle he staged against Juanma at Madison Square Garden was nothing short of miraculous. It was a life-and-death struggle that rates as not only boxing's best bout of the year, but one of the best of all time.
In 2009, Mtagwa not only earned "Philly Fighter of the Year" honors but once again proved that he is truly a classic Philly fighter. Not bad for a kid from Tanzania. Rogers Mtagwa will be presented with his Briscoe Award on October 4, 2010 at the Veteran Boxers Association Club in Philadelphia. (PHOTOS)__________________________________________________________________
The other
nominees for 2009 Philly Fighter of the Year:
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Amateur rivals Teon Kennedy and Francisco Rodriguez resumed their feud by waging real warfare in a spectacular and unforgettable contest that played out in three thrilling acts. Both fighters proved their worth in this fight, and by the end, what separated them was very little. The fight was a rollercoaster that placed victory within reach of both combatants, and Teon and Francisco gave everything they had to win it.
The fight was promoted by Peltz Boxing Promotions and Joe Hand Promotions. Teon Kennedy and Francisco's brother Alex Rodriguez will be presented with Briscoe Awards on October 4, 2010 at the Veteran Boxers Association Club in Philadelphia. (PHOTOS)__________________________________________________________________
The other
nominees for 2009 Philly Fight of the Year:
2)
Anthony Ferrante W8 Billy Bailey, July 10, 2009 at
the South Philly Arena, promoted by Shalyte Entertainment
(Blaine Garner). |
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2008 WINNERS (Year #2) |
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2007 WINNERS (Year #1) |
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2009
was a typical year for Rogers Mtagwa. He won some and he lost
some (1-1). But both of his fights were memorable affairs, and
he once again proved himself to be Philadelphia's most exciting
fighter of the this era. He may even belong on the all-time list
of the most thrilling Philly warriors ever. So you may want to
think of this Briscoe as a "lifetime achievement award". Perhaps
that is what the voters were thinking. Mtagwa's fights are
usually among the very best of the year, and it was no different
in 2009. 
Rogers brawled his
way to victory at the Blue Horizon against tough Ricardo Medina on May
1, 2009. It was a bloody, all-action, 10-round slugfest won by Mtagwa in his typical plucky fashion
(W10). It wasn't easy, but it was
beautiful. 
Mtagwa
tested the talented Juanma and brought him to the very brink of
defeat. Behind on points near the end of the fight, Mtagwa went
for the KO as the fight came to a close. He rocked the champion
at the end of the 11th, and then had Lopez out on his feet
through most of the final round. Mtagwa was just
one punch away from taking the title and dishing the
champion his first-ever loss. Somehow, Juanma stayed on his feet
and survived to take the decision based on his early lead.
Mtagwa lost
the fight, but considering the pedigree of his opponent and
the odds against him, it was way more than a moral victory.
Of all the great battles he's had in his career, this near upset was
the one that Mtagwa will always be remembered for. To everyone who watched, it was boxing's fight of the year, but for Rogers Mtagwa, it was just
another day at the office as the ultimate crowd pleaser.
On
November 20, 2009, North Philly's Blue Horizon was the site of
the Philly Fight of the Year for the third consecutive year.
The fight was an amazing two-way war that far exceeded all
expectations going in. But what happened in the ring was only
part of the story. 
Kennedy started fast
and appeared to have the match in complete control. In fact,
Rodriguez barely made it out of the first round. But
Rodriguez showed his toughness and answered well. He fought
back hard and won over the Blue Horizon crowd - not an easy
task for a visitor. By the middle
rounds, Rodriguez had Teon in serious trouble and appeared to be on the brink
of winning it all. Then, in the final third of the fight, Kennedy
miraculously found his way back. He regained control, and
scored the stoppage in round ten. Many in the crowd felt the
bout was stopped too quickly. Little did they know. The victory brought
Kennedy his first title belt as a pro (the regional USBA
championship), but the glory was far overshadowed by the
tragedy that followed. 
After walking back to his
corner on his own power, Rodriguez lost consciousness while
still in the ring.
He was taken to Hahnemann Hospital and underwent brain surgery
that same night. Unfortunately, Rodriguez
did not recover from his injuries and passed away two days
later. He was 25 years old. Many felt the tragedy demonstrated what is wrong with
boxing. But we feel that the death of Francisco Rodriguez
was a reminder of the stakes that make boxing more than a
sport, and make boxers more than athletes. |
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