As they say in his native Puerto Rico, McWilliams Arroyo “passed La Salsa and Guayacán”, so that was the charm for the third time. But in the end, the Fajardo fighter won a world title belt on Saturday night at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
Arroyo defeated Mexican Abraham Rodríguez by elimination at 1:20 in the fifth round in a fight in which the interim title with the fly weight of the World Boxing Council was at stake, after the reigning champion, all Aztec Julio César Martínez, suffered an injury take it out 24 hours before Friday’s weigh-in.
The fight between Arroyo and Martínez was the co-star of the evening which was played by the defense of the double super-middle champion Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez against the Turkish Avni Yildrim.
For the Puerto Rican, who had tried unsuccessfully on two previous occasions to become world champion, this was his first world title.
The first was lost to the Thai Amnat Ruenroeng, in a very controversial confrontation, and lost in 2016 to Román “Chocolatito” Martínez by unanimous decision, in a fight in which the Puerto Rican had a great demonstration.
The former Olympian, who improved his professional record to 21-4 and 16 KOs, had a wonderful show in the fight, despite the fact that he knew nothing about Rodríguez. He opened the trial with a round of study and then between the third and fourth pressed his march to finally end hostilities in the fifth by forcing the referee to intervene.
Rodriguez, who accepted the starting offer and arrived in Miami less than 24 hours later, won four in a row. The last of these in March 2020. He saw his mark drop to 27-3 and 13 KO’s.