LAS VEGAS – Elvis Rodriguez will now seek a rematch to his most recent bout where he believed he was wronged on the scorecards.

A tightly contested ten-round junior welterweight bout with Mexico’s Lindolfo Delgado saw Rodriguez unlucky to have left with a majority decision defeat. Scores of 96-94 on the cards of Eric Cheek and David Sutherland overruled Chris Migliore’s 95-95 tally in their ESPN+ co-feature Saturday evening from the Pearl Concert Theater in Palms Casino in Las Vegas. Rodriguez now hopes for a rematch next. 

The majority of viewers seemed to agree with the Dominican’s insistence that the outcome went in the wrong direction.

“The whole world saw what happened in that ring tonight,” Rodriguez told BoxingScene via translator. “I outlanded him, I outworked him, I hurt him and knocked him down, and still they gave him the fight.”

Rodriguez, 17-2-1 (13 KOs), was on a six-fight win streak. The loss didn’t just hurt his record; it also left him out of the title mix for the time being. Delgado advanced in the WBC 140lbs. rankings with the win.

Adding to the controversy was a ninth-round sequence where it was argued that Delgado, 23-0 (17 KOs) should have been called for a knockdown. Rodriguez landed a left hand that that forced Delgado to fallfall into the ropes, using his arm to break his fall. 

“They didn’t count the knockdown,” Rodriguez said. “He was held up by the ropes twice. He was hurt. I had Mexican kids and fans coming up to me telling me I won and I got robbed.

“I deserve a rematch. I should be going home, the mandatory for the WBC and the world knows it.”

Delgado, 30, moved closer to title contention with the win. The 2016 Mexican Olympian Delgado from Linares, Mexico—who is trained by Robert Garcia—aims to capitalize on the moment as he will try to lure a title shot against WBC beltholder Alberto Puello.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez, who is trained by Freddie Roach in Hollywood, California, lobbied to the fans to support his cause for a rematch. 

“Look at his corner’s reaction,” Rodriguez said. “I am honestly shocked that anyone could give him the fight.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.