A walk through the stream of ‘Bud’ Crawford’s training video might reveal a familiar figure to the keen observer. He is present in almost all the footage of the world champion. For those who don’t know, he is Crawford’s childhood friend, fellow Omahan, and United States Army veteran, Steven Nelson. The unbeaten super middleweight has been training hard to prepare for his upcoming clash. He will face Mexico’s Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez for a ten-round bout at the upcoming headline fight between Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov.

The Riyadh Season show at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium features four championship fights. Additionally, four more (subject to change) non-title fights will happen. Besides the Nelson-Rodriguez bout, the show includes two heavyweight fights: Jared Anderson vs. Martin Bakole and former world champion Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Jarrell Miller. A welterweight fight between Saudi Arabia-born Ziyad Almaayouf and Michal Bulik is also in place. Let’s explore how Steven Nelson and Marcos Rodriguez stack up against each other.

Steven Nelson vs. Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez: Breaking Down Each Fighter’s Arsenal

On June 4, this year, Steven Nelson turned 36, nearly a year older than his Mexican counterpart, who will turn 35 on September 23. The latter’s hand-reach details remain unavailable. Standing at 5 feet and 11 inches, or 180 centimeters, ‘Zurdo’ is an inch taller than ‘So Cold’, who is 5 feet and ten inches, or 178 centimeters. The American boxer enjoys a reach extending up to 75 1/2 inches, or 192 centimeters.

The exact weight of both fighters will only be known after the final weigh-in on Friday. Otherwise, in his last fight, Steven Nelson weighed around 167.5 pounds, while ‘Zurdo’ Rodriguez recorded a weight of 168.8 pounds in April 2023.

In terms of records, ‘So Cold’ Nelson remains unbeaten. Out of the 19 fights in his 6-year-old career, the Omaha resident secured 15 via knockouts, boasting a knockout-to-win rate of 78.95%. That gives him a distinct advantage over Marcos Rodriguez, who has a 50% knockout rate. Like Nelson, Rodriguez also commenced his career in 2016 and has so far fought 21 times. Aside from a lone draw and a no-contest, he has yet to suffer a professional loss.

Steven Nelson vs. Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez: Who has the edge?

It’s worth noting that both Steven Nelson and Marcos Rodriguez are entering the ring after a 12-month gap. Nelson’s last fight, along with the one before and the upcoming bout, took place on his friend Terence Crawford’s undercard. The US Army veteran defeated Rowdy Legend Montgomery by a unanimous decision on July 29 last year. After a string of knockout victories, the fight was the fourth of his career to go the whole distance.

Marcos Rodriguez seems to be upping his game by stepping out of his comfort zone. All of the professional fights thus far have occurred in Mexico. So the match in Los Angeles will be his first one out of home. ‘Zurdo’s last bout took place on April 1, 2023. He defeated fellow Mexican Eric Robles by a unanimous decision.

But the Mexican boxer seems to have an upper hand when it comes to fighting a longer battle. Four years ago, he defeated Gabriel Lopez in a 12-round fight for the vacant Mexican super middleweight championship. In contrast, Steven Nelson has yet to face such a long battle. Questions about ring rust remain for both boxers, and details on ‘Zurdo’ training are limited.

Before he turned professional, Steven Nelson was a part of the boxing team of the US Army’s World Class Athlete Program. Given his training, sparring with ‘Bud’ Crawford, and extensive exposure, it would be reasonable to assume that Steven Nelson has a better chance of winning the fight. Neither boxer holds a world title, nor do they currently appear in the top 15 rankings of the four sanctioning bodies. Therefore, winning the match at the BMO stadium makes all the more sense. A triumph will shift the balance in favor and bring forth more opportunities to rise in ranks.

While no detail is available regarding the bookmaker’s favorite, the ‘Sport Betting’ portal displays Steven Nelson as having -800 odds of winning against Marcos Rodriguez, who has +500 odds of winning.

Between Nelson and Rodriguez, who is your pick for the win on August 3?