 |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
Nickname | Nino |
| Born | David Rodriguez September 18, 1977 |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | Heavyweight |
| Boxing career | |
| Reach | 79 in (200.7 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 39 |
| Wins | 37 |
| Win by KO | 35 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Draws | 0 |
David "Nino" Rodriguez (born September 18, 1977) is an American heavyweight boxer. He was formerly ranked number 10 in the world by the WBC and number 12 by the WBA.
Rodriguez had a previous unblemished record of 36–0, with 34 by knockout. His first round knockout ratio surpassed every heavyweight in history to date. During training for the first of his 2011 fights, Rodriguez survived a brutal knife attack, the result of which was a near-death experience and a facial scar that extends from his ear to his chin. Shortly thereafter, he also suffered an injury to his knee, sidetracking what was intended to be a career-defining year. Before both of these injuries many boxing critics, experts and aficionados believed David Nino Rodriguez would undoubtedly become the first Mexican Heavyweight Champion of the World. He was even listed on the top 25 best new prospects of the ESPN pound for pound list. [1]
His career eventually ended with a 37–2 record. David Rodriguez held the Texas Heavyweight title, New Mexico Heavyweight title, NABU Heavyweight title, NABA Heavyweight title as well as two of the WBC belts. After 16 months of retirement, Nino finally returned November 21, 2015, with a 42-second 1st round win KO over Miguel Domingues of Brazil (having a record of 23–4, with 21 knockouts).
Rodriguez has not since stepped back into the ring due to chronic back issues. Rodriguez is now seen occasionally on national television commentating Championship boxing. He is also an anti-bullying key note speaker and best-selling author of the book When the Lights Go Out. [2] David has a subscription website, ninoscorner.tv, where he discusses current events, as well as his life history, both in and out of the ring. He uses humor and PG-13 language to inform and entertain his audiences. As of December 2025 [update] , his YouTube channel has 510,000 subscribers, and reaches upwards of 50 million a month with all platforms combined. Rodriguez is the founder and CEO of Ninoscorner.tv which is now a well established media company. David Nino Rodrigues had the rare ability to transition from professional sports to owning his own media company.
As far as his personal life, he tends to keep that private. He is single and not dating anyone as of September 2022. He has several pets, including a beloved dog named Axel. He is close to his parents in El Paso and to his family. He is also a practicing Christian; he attributes the turnaround of his alcoholism to his Christian faith. He does not like to travel much away from his home area due to post-2020 quarantine travel restrictions. [3] He does admit to smoking marijuana.
In 2024, Rodriguez made public accusations that singer Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce "will both go down as traitors." He further claimed that they had both "sold out America and humanity for fame and service to self." [4]
