Tim Bradley has his say on whether Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez can progress and beat Naoya Inoue
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez’s scintillating performance on November 22, which crowned him a three-belt super flyweight champion, was one of the finest virtuoso displays of the year.
Rodriguez stopped Fernando “Puma” Martinez in the 10th round in Riyadh, cementing his reputation as one of the world’s elite fighters.
Only Oleksandr Usyk, Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue and Dmitry Bivol sit above him on most pound-for-pound lists. And at only 25 years old, the Texan left-hander’s future looks more promising than ever.
A fantastic matchup that continues to fuel the debate is Rodriguez vs. Naoya Inoue. The “Monster” rose from light flyweight to super bantamweight, where he currently reigns as undisputed champion.
At 32, Inoue displayed his devastating best last time out in what should be a stern test against Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Speed, precision and power combined for the Japanese star to dominate the Uzbek en route to a big points victory.
Rodriguez could move up to bantamweight if he fails to secure an undisputed fight at super-flyweight against remaining champion Willibaldo Garcia.
Former two-weight world champion Timothy Bradley – no stranger to upsets and defying expectations – urged caution regarding a possible “Bam” vs. “Monster” showdown when speaking to FightHype.
“There are weight classes for a reason. I know Bam is special. I think Bam is very skilled. I love his style. He’s one of the best we’ve ever seen. But the Monster is too mature right now and he keeps getting better.
“That speed and that power of the ‘Monster’ is something else. That explosiveness is something else. Bam flows like water, but the Monster is sharp, precise – and that’s something to deal with. I think the Monster would be the favorite if they were to fight. That’s no disrespect to Bam. I think Bam is a tremendous fighter, man. I just think the Monster might be too explosive.”
Inoue returns to the ring to defend his 122-pound championship against David Picasso on December 27.
