In an intense revelation from The Simple Man Podcast’s CJI 2 recap episode, team coaches Nicky Ryan and Damien Anderson disclosed that star competitor Nicky Rod was hospitalized with a severe staph infection just days before the championship tournament. The infection was so serious that it nearly forced him to withdraw from the competition entirely.
According to the podcast hosts, Nicky Rod’s ordeal began a week before the tournament when he developed a staph infection on his knee. The situation deteriorated rapidly after the team landed in Las Vegas, where his condition became visibly alarming.
“When we land, his knee is just super [ ] swollen. There’s a hole in his leg and he starts getting a fever,”
explained one of the coaches.
The infection had progressed to a dangerous state, with Nicky Rod experiencing night sweats and visible physical distress. Team coach Nicky Ryan immediately recognized the severity of the situation, insisting that IV antibiotics were urgently needed.
“As soon as we land, I’m like, ‘You have to go straight to the hospital and get IV antibiotics,'”
Ryan recalled.
The medical emergency created significant uncertainty for the team’s competition strategy. While Nicky Rod spent six hours at the hospital receiving treatment, coaches scrambled to arrange a potential replacement. Roberto Jimenez, who was teaching a camp in Morocco at the time, was contacted as a backup option and agreed to fly in despite the short notice.
When Nicky Rod returned from the hospital late that night, his condition remained concerning.
“He comes in and he’s just shaking uncontrollably, just like can barely walk, [ ] shaking. His face looks wild,”
described one teammate. The severity of his condition led to serious discussions about whether he should compete at all.
The coaches addressed safety concerns regarding contagiousness, noting that after 48 hours on antibiotics, patients are no longer contagious. The IV antibiotics began showing positive effects and Nicky Rod’s condition gradually improved enough for him to commit to competing.
Despite the medical setback affecting his training and physical condition, Nicky Rod ultimately participated in CJI 2 and contributed to his team’s victory. However, he acknowledged that the infection impacted his cardio and overall performance during the matches.
Rodriguez mentioned a medical case following the controversial victory announcement saying:
“What I want next? Uh, more money, more competitions. I think that’s kind of the goal right now. Um, I’m living good thanks to Craig Jones and Seth Belisle. And uh, yeah, I’m just kind of—I’m going to keep on with it. Honestly, Tuesday, Tuesday, I was actually in the hospital, couldn’t walk. They were—I was quite unhealthy and unsure if I was going to be able to compete. But, uh, you know, I honestly sat down, prayed, I talked to God. I was like, “Give me the strength to heal up and come out here and compete, do what I love.” And, uh, He did just that. And, you know, in the nick of time, I was healthy enough to train and, uh, get on the mats and do what I love.”
