JESSE 'BAM' RODRIGUEZ-FERNANDO MARTINEZ IN TALKS FOR THE RING, UNIFICATION CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWDOWN
There no longer appears to be any hope for a Fernando Martinez-Kazuto Ioka rematch.
It’s not all bad news for boxing fans, however, as an even more significant junior bantamweight clash appears to be on the horizon.
The Ring has learned that there are ongoing talks between Martinez’s camp and the team surrounding The Ring and WBC 115-pound king Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. The hope is for the title unification between the very best two junior bantamweights on the planet to take place sometime this spring, should the two sides come to an agreement.
Argentina’s Martinez (17-0, 9 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 1 junior bantamweight contender and the current WBA titlist.
San Antonio’s Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs), The Ring’s No. 5 pound-for-pound fighter, is co-promoted by Matchroom Boxing and Teiken Promotions. Matchroom has been in contact with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) representatives for Martinez, though not at a point to suggest whether a deal is on the horizon.
Whatever the case, Martinez’s involvement with Japan’s Ioka (31-3-1, 16 KOs), The Ring’s No. 3 115-pound contender, is one-and-done for the moment.
Martinez defeated Ioka via unanimous decision to unify the WBA and IBF 115-pound titles last July 6 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.
The two were on course for a rematch last New Year’s Eve, only for Martinez to withdraw due to a reported bout with the flu just hours before the official pre-fight weigh-in. Ioka—a former four-division titlist—was left with neither an opponent nor the opportunity to regain his WBA belt.
Martinez already vacated his IBF title ahead of the planned rematch and was prepared to move forward with the rematch for some time in the first quarter of 2025. Those plans were since abandoned, though neither side has replied to messages left by The Ring seeking clarification.
The alternative isn’t so bad for Martinez, however.
Rodriguez regained his WBC belt and won The Ring 115-pound crown last June 29 in Phoenix, Arizona. The two-division titlist had to climb off the canvas to dethrone long-reigning Juan Francisco Estrada (44-4, 28 KOs) for his first true championship.
The win came six months after Rodriguez exited the flyweight division as a unified IBF and WBO titlist. His first defense of The Ring junior bantamweight championship and second tour with the WBC’s belt came in a third-round knockout of Pedro Guevara (42-5-1, 22 KOs) last Nov. 9 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Securing the unification bout is crucial to Martinez, who is up against an overdue mandatory title defense obligation. Costa Rica’s David Jimenez (16-1, 11 KOs), The Ring’s No. 9 115-pound contender, holds the interim version of the WBA title. His team previously confirmed to The Ring that a protest was filed with the sanctioning body to enforce that status.
Alphabet organizations tend to favor unification bouts under such scenarios, though often with the post-fight declaration that the winner would next honor the mandatory.
