Rod Salka

Last updated

Rod Salka
Born (1983-02-28) February 28, 1983 (age 41)
NationalityAmerican
Other namesLightning Rod
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Reach67+12 in (171 cm)
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights30
Wins24
Wins by KO4
Losses6

Rod Salka (born February 28, 1983) is an American professional boxer and politician.

Contents

Background

Born and raised in Bunola, Pennsylvania, Salka served ten years as part of the United States National Guard, joining in 2001. In 2016, he ran as a Republican in the 38th House District of Pennsylvania. [2]

Professional career

Salka vs. García

Salka is most notable for facing light welterweight world champion Danny García on August 9, 2014, a fight in which Salka was brutally knocked out in two rounds. Before and after the event, the fight was heavily criticized by boxing observers as a mismatch. [3] [4]

Salka vs. Vargas

On April 12, 2018, Salka faced former super featherweight world champion Francisco Vargas. During the fight, Salka created controversy by wearing trunks featuring a red, white and blue brick wall pattern and the phrase "America 1st", a reference to Donald Trump's proposed border wall and slogan and policy. Salka would go on to retire on his stool at the end of round six, after being knockdown down by a Vargas combination which left him cut over his left eye. [5] [6]

Professional boxing record

30 fights24 wins6 losses
By knockout43
By decision203
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
30Loss24–6 Alex Saucedo KO1 (8), 2:17Nov 2, 2019 Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, U.S.
29Loss24–5 Francisco Vargas RTD6 (8), 3:00Apr 12, 2018 Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.
28Win24–4Jayro DuranUD8Sep 23, 2017Convention Center, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
27Win23–4 Justin Savi UD8Aug 27, 2016The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, North Strabane, Pennsylvania, U.S.
26Win22–4Michal DufekUD8May 13, 2016The Fight Company, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
25Win21–4Noel EchevarriaKO6 (8), 2:57May 16, 2015 The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, North Strabane, Pennsylvania, U.S.Won vacant NABA USA super featherweight title
24Win20–4Monty Meza-ClayUD10Nov 14, 2014 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.Won vacant WBC FECARBOX lightweight title
23Loss19–4 Danny García KO2 (10), 2:31Aug 9, 2014 Barclays Center, New York City, New York, U.S.
22Win19–3 Alexei Collado UD10Apr 18, 2014Convention Center, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, U.S.Won vacant WBC FECARBOX lightweight title
21Loss18–3 Ricardo Álvarez MD10 Dec 14, 2013 Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.For WBC Continental Americas super lightweight title
20Win18–2Ryan BelascoUD10Oct 12, 2013Green Tree, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.Retained NABA USA lightweight title;
Won vacant IBO International lightweight title
19Win17–2Osnel CharlesUD8May 3, 2013 Cal U Convocation Center, California, Pennsylvania, U.S.
18Win16–2 Emmanuel Lucero TKO5 (10), 0:55Feb 2, 2013Court Time Sports Center, Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, U.S.Won vacant NABA USA lightweight title
17Loss15–2 Dorin Spivey MD10Oct 12, 2012 Tropicana Casino & Resort, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.For NABA lightweight title
16Win15–1Joseph LaryeaSD8Jun 23, 2012 Green Tree, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
15Win14–1Angel RiosUD8Apr 7, 2012Court Time Sports Center, Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, U.S.
14Win13–1Fernando RodriguezUD6Nov 17, 2011Club South, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
13Win12–1Gabriel MorrisUD6Aug 26, 2011Court Time Sports Center, Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, U.S.
12Loss11–1Guillermo SanchezUD8Nov 24, 2010Avalon Hotel, Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
11Win11–0Ikem OrjiUD8Jun 30, 2010Heinz Field VIP Tent, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
10Win10–0Mario HayesUD6Jan 22, 2010Hilton, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
9Win9–0Devarise CraytonUD6Sep 30, 2009Heinz Field VIP Tent, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
8Win8–0James VentryUD6Jun 24, 2009 I.C. Light Amphitheater, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
7Win7–0Victor VasquezUD6Mar 6, 2009 The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
6Win6–0Jose CaraballoUD4May 30, 2008ExpoMart, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
5Win5–0Ryan MaraldoUD4Apr 5, 2008 Wheeling Island Casino Racetrack, Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S.
4Win4–0Eric BurkeUD4Feb 29, 2008Days Inn, Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S.
3Win3–0Shane GierkeTKO4 (4), 1:06Oct 30, 2007Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
2Win2–0Ahmed PoskovicRTD3 (4), 3:00Sep 22, 2007 IceoPlex at Southpointe, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1Win1–0Federico Flores Jr.MD4Jul 21, 2007 Heinz Field South Plaza, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boxing</span> Full contact combat sport and martial art

Boxing is a combat sport and a martial art in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar De La Hoya</span> Mexican-American boxer (born 1973)

Oscar De La Hoya is an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. His accolades include winning 11 world titles in six weight classes, including the lineal championship in three weight classes. De La Hoya was nicknamed "The Golden Boy of boxing" by the media when he represented the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics where, shortly after having graduated from James A. Garfield High School, he won a gold medal in the lightweight division, and reportedly "set a sport back on its feet."

Jesús Carlos Zárate Serna is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1970 to 1988, and held the WBC bantamweight title from 1976 to 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik Morales</span> Mexican boxer

Erik Isaac Morales Elvira is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2012. He is the first Mexico-born boxer in history to win world championships in four weight classes, ranging from super bantamweight to light welterweight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amir Khan (boxer)</span> British boxer (born 1986)

Amir Iqbal Khan is a British former professional boxer who competed from 2005 to 2022. He held unified light-welterweight world championships between 2009 and 2012, including the WBA and IBF titles. At regional level, he held the Commonwealth lightweight title from 2007 to 2008. He also held the WBC Silver welterweight title from 2014 to 2016, and once challenged for the WBC and Ring magazine middleweight titles in 2016.

Orlando Salido Rivera is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2017. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight title in 2010, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title twice between 2011 and 2014, and the WBO interim junior lightweight title from 2014 to 2015.

Devin Vargas is an American professional boxer. As an amateur, he won a bronze medal at the 2003 Pan American Games and competed at the 2004 Olympics, both in the heavyweight division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nonito Donaire</span> Filipino professional boxer

Nonito Gonzales Donaire Jr. is a Filipino American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in four weight classes from flyweight to featherweight, and is the oldest boxer in history to win a bantamweight world title, as well as being the first three-time champion in that weight class. Donaire has also held world championships in three consecutive decades: the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s, being the sixth boxer to do so after Evander Holyfield, Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins, Erik Morales, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Ortiz</span> American boxer

Victor Ortiz is a Mexican American Former professional boxer and film actor. He held the WBC welterweight title in 2011, and was formerly rated as one of the world's top three active welterweights by most sporting news and boxing websites, including The Ring magazine, BoxRec, and ESPN. His crowd-pleasing and aggressive fighting style also made him the 2008 ESPN Prospect of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadam Ali</span> American boxer (born 1988)

Sadam Ali is an American former professional boxer who held the WBO junior middleweight title from 2017 to 2018. He also challenged once for the WBO welterweight title in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Román González (boxer)</span> Nicaraguan boxer (born 1987)

Román Alberto González Luna, best known by his nickname "Chocolatito", is a Nicaraguan professional boxer. He is the first boxer from Nicaragua to win world titles in four weight classes, having surpassed his mentor, idol, and former three-weight world champion, the late great Alexis Argüello.

Danny Óscar Garcia is an American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the unified WBA (Super), WBC, Ring magazine and lineal light welterweight titles between 2012 and 2015, and the WBC welterweight title from 2016 to 2017. As of August 2020, he is ranked as the world's sixth best active welterweight by The Ring, seventh by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and eighth by BoxRec.

Francisco Javier Vargas Peláez is a Mexican professional boxer, also known for his nickname "El Bandido." As an amateur, Vargas represented Mexico at the 2008 Olympics as a lightweight. He held the WBC super featherweight title between 2015 and 2017.

Lucas Martín Matthysse is an Argentine former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2018. He held the WBA (Regular) welterweight title in 2018 and the WBC interim super lightweight title from 2012 to 2013. Matthysse was known for his aggressive pressure fighting style and formidable punching power. He is the younger brother of welterweight contender, Walter Matthysse and former featherweight world champion of boxing, Edith Soledad Matthysse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessie Vargas</span> American boxer

Jessie Vargas is an American professional boxer. He is a former world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBA (Regular) and IBO super lightweight titles in 2014, and the WBO welterweight title in 2016. As of August 2021, he is ranked as the world's eleventh best active welterweight by BoxRec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Ruiz Jr.</span> Mexican-American boxer (born 1989)

Andrés Ponce Ruiz Jr. is a Mexican-American professional boxer. He is a former unified heavyweight world champion, having defeated Anthony Joshua to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles in 2019. He lost the titles in the rematch against Joshua six months later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Thurman</span> American boxer

Keith Fitzgerald Thurman is an American professional boxer. He is a former unified welterweight world champion, having held the WBA title from 2015 to 2019, and the WBC title from 2017 to 2018. As of July 2022, he is ranked as the world's fifth best active welterweight by BoxRec.

Miguel Ángel Berchelt Cervera is a Mexican professional boxer who held the WBC super featherweight title from 2017 to 2021.

Anthony David Benavidez is an American professional boxer. He is a two-time WBC super middleweight champion and the current interim champion, having held the title from 2017 to 2018 and again from 2019 to 2020 before winning the interim title in 2022. Claiming his first belt at 20 years, eight months, three weeks and one day old, Benavidez holds the record as the youngest super middleweight title holder in history. He is ranked second by The Ring, second by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and fourth by BoxRec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Garcia</span> American boxer (born 1998)

Ryan Garcia is an American professional boxer. He held the World Boxing Council (WBC) interim lightweight title in 2021.

References

  1. Oliver, Jeff (November 14, 2013). "Bunola-native boxer Salka signs with Golden Boy Promotions". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review . Richard Mellon Scaife. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  2. Field, Nick (February 1, 2016). "Professional Boxer Enters Political Arena". PoliticsPA. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  3. Santoliquito, Joseph (August 9, 2015). "Danny Garcia makes easy work of Rod Salka". The Ring . Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  4. Rivera, Miguel (March 14, 2018). "Francisco Vargas vs. Rod Salka on April 12 at Fantasy Springs". BoxingScene. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  5. Hale, Andreas (April 13, 2018). "Mexico's Francisco Vargas pummels opponent wearing 'America 1st' trunks into submission". Yahoo Sports . Yahoo!. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  6. Lauletta, Tyler (April 13, 2018). "An American boxer wearing trunks supporting Trump's wall got knocked out by a Mexican opponent". Business Insider . Retrieved January 26, 2019.
Sporting positions
Regional boxing titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Luis Ramos Jr.
NABA lightweight champion
February 2, 2013 – December 2013
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Reynaldo Ojeda
Vacant
Title last held by
Ben Jones
IBO International
lightweight champion

October 12, 2013 – December 2013
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Xolisani Ndongeni
Vacant
Title last held by
Anthony Lora
WBC FECARBOX
lightweight champion

April 18, 2014 – August 2014
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Himself
Vacant
Title last held by
Himself
WBC FECARBOX
lightweight champion

November 14, 2014 – May 2015
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Reynaldo Ojeda
Vacant
Title last held by
Omar Douglas
NABA super featherweight champion
May 16, 2015 – February 2016
Vacated
Vacant
Title next held by
Bekman Soylybayev