In a recent interview on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Eddie Hearn, promoter of Jesse Rodriguez, shared that the high-profile fight against Naoya Inoue could happen sooner than anticipated. However, Hearn also expressed his expectations, making it clear that he doesn’t see Rodriguez staying long in the super flyweight division.
Eddie Hearn was impressed by Jesse Rodriguez’s performance, especially after his victory over former world champion Pedro Guevara. Hearn highlighted how Rodriguez decisively defeated Guevara, who had just secured an important win in Australia against Moloney.
“I look at ‘Bam,’ and I really feel like he’s not going to be at super flyweight that long,” Hearn said. “He’s 24 years of age. You go in, [Guevara’s] a former world champion. He’s just had a big win in Australia against Moloney, he’s a very good fighter. And ‘Bam’ destroyed him. For me, I think you’re looking at the pound-for-pound No. 1 in the sport over the next few years.”
It’s worth noting that last week, Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez appeared on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” In the interview, the American champion mentioned that he doesn’t see a fight against Naoya Inoue happening anytime soon.
According to Jesse Rodriguez, the difference in weight classes complicates the matchup, as Naoya Inoue competes at 122 pounds, while Rodriguez remains at 115 pounds.
Regarding this, Hearn also cautioned about the risks of moving up too quickly in weight divisions, which he sees as the only real threat to the young fighter. “The only thing that’s going to beat ‘Bam’ [in my opinion] is going too far through the divisions. You see that quite a lot,” Hearn noted.
Hearn detailed that Rodriguez’s next goal could be to unify titles in the super flyweight category. According to the promoter, this could include a potential clash with Román ‘Chocolatito’ González, which would be a significant challenge for Jesse Rodriguez.
“What’s going to happen is ‘Bam’ wants to try and unify. You’ve got the ‘Chocolatito’ fight out there,” Hearn stated. “The next challenge will be to move to bantamweight, try and win a third division world title,” Hearn added.
Hearn believes that once Jesse Rodriguez competes at bantamweight, he’ll be just one division away from Naoya Inoue. “If he chooses to stay at 122 pounds, that fight becomes a real big reality,” he added.
Naoya Inoue, 31, is considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. He is currently ranked among the top three by most experts and fans. On the other hand, 24-year-old Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez has risen quickly and is already ranked among the top ten.
Given the age range and talent of both fighters, it’s possible that in a few years, they could become the two best boxers in the world. Eddie Hearn envisions this fight as a showdown between the number one and number two pound-for-pound.
“That’s going to be a one vs. two pound-for-pound matchup. It’s just an unbelievable fight,” concluded Hearn.
DAZN commentator Chris Mannix also shared his opinion recently, stating that late 2025 would be the ideal time for Jesse Rodriguez and Naoya Inoue to face each other.
👑 INOUE 🆚 BAM WILL BE P4P #1 🆚 P4P #2
Eddie Hearn has said that he believes that Naoya Inoue and Bam Rodriguez will be the No. 1 and No. 2 pound-for-pound best boxers in the world when they eventually fight, down the line.
(@UncrownedCombat – The Ariel Helwani Show) pic.twitter.com/gGDsJId9s7
— EverythingBoxing (@EverythingBoxi2) November 12, 2024
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