Timing of the essence to pursue 'Bam' Rodriguez-Naoya Inoue showdown
If Saturday night’s bantamweight debut by Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a WBA title fight was spent as a referendum on his readiness for Naoya Inoue, then the first four rounds were a no and the last two were a “Grab-your-popcorn” affirmation.
Now a three-division champion at 26 thanks to his sixth-round destruction of former champion Antonio Vargas at Desert Diamond Arena, Rodriguez will let his team, headed by trainer-manager Robert Garcia and promoter Eddie Hearn, dictate what to do next.
Another – and perhaps most important – contributor to that conversation is Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh, who has the power to fund a showdown that became much richer in both value and appetite after Rodriguez’s showing.
Garcia told Boxing Scene he received some post-fight text messages from Alalshikh, but he declined to read them aloud likely out of respect for Alalshikh and Rodriguez, and maybe also because Garcia’s not too keen on the idea of jumping right to undisputed 122lbs champion Inoue 33-0 (27 KOs) when time allots for another 118lbs title fight.
“If I’m not mistaken, from what Eddie is saying, the [Inoue] fight could happen in [early 2027], so why can’t we get one before then? Simple as that,” Garcia said. “It’s not like we don’t want to fight Inoue. I think ‘Bam’s good enough to possibly beat Inoue, but one more fight would be a good thing for me as a trainer. It’s not like we’re changing the date or asking for six months later. I’m just asking for another fight against a solid 118-pounder sometime in September-October.”
With Alalshikh throwing a “Mexico against the world” card September 12 in Saudi Arabia headlined by Mexico’s four-division champion Canelo Alvarez’s bid to recapture the WBC super-middleweight belt from champion Christian Mbilli, Garcia wants to send Texas’ Rodriguez 24-0 (17 KOs) against Mexico’s WBO bantamweight champion Christian Medina 27-4 (19 KOs).
“Why can’t that happen? I want to keep ‘Bam’ busy – three fights a year,” Garcia said.
Rodriguez, after winning three super-flyweight belts, moved to bantamweight and found a game and bigger Vargas, who said he was going to rehydrate toward 130lbs for the bout.
Not only did Vargas weather Rodriguez’s quality punches through the first four rounds, he left Rodriguez saying afterward that the former champion had more “pop” in his punches than he expected.
Yet, in the most telling portion of the night, Rodriguez tweaked his footwork and positioning, amplified his punching torque and found his power does indeed translate in the move up three pounds by first decking Vargas in the fifth, then finishing him before half of the sixth round was complete.
Both knockdowns were the result of punishing facial blows from the left hand.
“In the first four rounds, he was getting in for the fight with Vargas. People don’t talk about how good Antonio Vargas is: Olympian, world champion,” Hearn said. “It was just a case of getting through the gears. As soon as he went through the gears, it was like watching Picasso. It was just pure art in there. Pure ability. Pure skill.
“The big question was, will the power carry up to 118. I mean, that part of the question was clearly answered tonight.”
The timing of it all now becomes a significant factor.
Inoue, 33, fought in early May and could want another bout this calendar year after getting in the ring four times last year, but he’s swept out the junior-featherweight division and could be lured to featherweight, where champions Rafael Espinoza, Brandon Figueroa, Angelo Leo and Bruce Carrington would crave the Inoue challenge and pay day.
“If we don’t do it soon, we’re probably going to miss the boat,” Hearn said. “Being at 118 and one division away makes it much more realistic. It was [Rodriguez’s] first one tonight. I know there’s weight classes for a reason, but I don’t think the step is too far for him at 122. It is a disadvantage against Naoya Inoue, a much bigger guy.
“Robert and ‘Bam’ are going to have to weigh up a decision: Do you do it now or run the risk of letting [the fight escape] forever. I don’t think it’s a bad decision because ‘Bam’ can stay at 118lbs. A lot depends on the offer, I’ve got to be honest.”
Hearn said in looking at pound-for-pound No. 1 versus No. 2, a mega-fight in Japan after Inoue just drew 55,000 to Tokyo Dome in May, with global interest, the right offer will likely compel Rodriguez to take the fight.
Rodriguez has repeatedly rebuffed lesser fights in his past, pressing for demanding unifications or a move up in weight, Hearn noted.
That brought the conversation to Rodriguez, who said in the ring after the bout that he’ll follow the advice of his team.
“Whoever they put in front of me, I’m going to say yes,” Rodriguez said.
And while fighting Inoue certainly enriches Rodriguez, rushing to that bout with some preparation and testing undone could stain the legacy of the first three-division champion from San Antonio.
Asked at the post-fight news conference if he feels he can enhance his legacy and his income by taking an Inoue fight in the near future based on what he did to Vargas, Rodriguez told BS, “I think so. I feel I’m capable of beating anyone the team puts in front of me.
“Money’s very important, but legacy is also important. I feel like I can’t retire without fighting Inoue, so I need to get that fight before I retire so I can beat him, make the money and enjoy it with my family.”
