Robert Garcia Says Inoue vs Bam Rodriguez Could Happen Next
Bam Rodriguez's trainer says Inoue's camp is pushing hard for the superfight, but there's a timeline: make the deal by March or Inoue moves up.
Robert Garcia, the longtime trainer of Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, says a superfight between his fighter and undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue is closer than ever. Garcia told the True Hustle Podcast that Inoue's camp has been applying pressure to get the deal done.
"I think that it is going to happen. It will happen," Garcia said, though he added he cannot guarantee it.
The timeline is tight. Inoue's team has reportedly set a March deadline: make the fight by then or the Japanese star moves up to 126 pounds. Inoue last fought in May, stopping Junto Nakatani to defend his undisputed super bantamweight titles for a seventh consecutive time.
Garcia wants Rodriguez to first defend his WBA bantamweight title against WBO champion Christian "Chispa" Medina, ideally in late October or November. That unification bout has been floated as a possible co-main event on either the Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli card on October 31 or the reported Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua event.
The weight question is the elephant in the room. Rodriguez currently fights at 118 pounds. Inoue holds all the belts at 122. A four-pound gap means one of boxing's pound-for-pound best would need to move, and neither side has publicly committed to a catchweight or a specific division.
If the fight happens, it would be the biggest matchup in the lower weight classes in years. Both fighters are considered top-five pound-for-pound talents, and the winner would have an argument for the best small fighter on the planet.
This is the fight that hardcore boxing fans lose sleep over. Inoue is a destroyer at 122, Rodriguez is a freak of nature at 118, and somewhere in between is a fight that could define both careers. Garcia wanting the Medina fight first is smart business. You don't walk into Inoue without a tune-up, and unifying at bantamweight gives Bam leverage at the negotiating table.
But March is the line. If Inoue moves to 126, this fight dies. The window is small and both sides know it. I think it gets made. There's too much money on the table and both fighters actually want it, which is rare in boxing. My gut says summer 2027 in Japan or Las Vegas.
