Two successful defenses of the title were made, until a loss to Kostya Tszyu in 1995. Later that year Rodríguez challenged WBC welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker, but lost via knockout.
Rodríguez successfully defended his title twice before suffering a loss to Kostya Tszyu in 1995. That same year, he challenged WBC welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker and lost by knockout.