Lilly Rodriguez
From the LA Times comes that Lilly Rodriguez has died at age 59. Lilly was a former martial arts champion who helped open up kickboxing for women. Rodriguez, who owned the Heart of Champions gym in Sylmar, died Jan. 13 at UCLA Medical Center of complications relating to an infection, her family said.
Lilly is the sister of Benny “The Jet” Urquidez.
The Women Boxing Archive Network says that Rodriguez “…was one of the most versatile featherweights in women’s boxing in the 70’s and early 80’s. She had already made great strides and successes as a kickboxer, and came from a famous family that pioneered kickboxing. She was a very talented fighter that could excite the crowd so much that they would literally throw money into the ring.”
“Some highlights of Rodriguez’ career included being one of the first women to fight on the All-women boxing card in California on July 13, 1979. She also can be credited for fighting at the infamous Madison Square Garden where the ABC Wide World of Sports covered the event.”
See also the writeup from the Boxing In Las Vegas web site.
~~The ODDones for OurDailyDead.com
Technorati tags: LA Times, Lilly Rodriguez, died, martial arts, champion, kickboxing, women, Heart of Champions, The Jet, Madison Square Garden, ABC Wide World of Sports
