Bam Rodriguez Offers March Date for Naoya Inoue Superfight
Jesse Rodriguez's camp says they can be ready for Naoya Inoue in March, but the undisputed champion may not wait.
Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez wants Naoya Inoue in March. The question is whether the undisputed champion is willing to wait.
Rodriguez's trainer Robert Garcia told The Ring that the timeline has moved up from his original April or May target. "I previously said April or May, but we can be ready for March," Garcia said. The acceleration comes as both camps try to figure out how to make the most anticipated fight in the lower weight classes.
There is a catch. Rodriguez's camp plans to fight WBO bantamweight champion Christian Medina in December first, with Garcia eyeing a December 11 or 19 date. That contract needs to be fulfilled before the end of the year, and the risk of cuts, bruised knuckles, or a hard fight could force extra recovery time that pushes the Inoue timeline back.
The calendar is getting crowded. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has pointed to January in Japan for an Inoue fight. Matchroom's Eddie Hearn has mentioned February or March. No date is agreed, and Garcia said neither he nor Hearn has received an official approach to begin negotiations.
Inoue, the undisputed super bantamweight champion, is reportedly eyeing an eventual move up to featherweight. The longer Rodriguez takes to get to the table, the greater the chance Inoue moves on entirely. At 118 pounds, the window for this fight is not getting wider.
This is the fight I want more than almost anything else in boxing right now, and I am worried Rodriguez is going to let it slip. Inoue does not wait for people. He is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, and if he decides to jump to featherweight, this fight disappears forever.
I understand the business side. Rodriguez has a contract with Medina he needs to honor, and you do not skip a title defense to chase a superfight that has not been formally offered. But the urgency needs to match the opportunity. Every week of delay is another week Inoue's camp can decide they do not need this fight. Garcia moving the timeline up to March is a good sign, but they need to be making calls, not just offering dates through interviews. Get in the room. Get this done.
