Bam Rodriguez Eyes Naoya Inoue Fight: “We 100% Want the Fight”

Robert Garcia says Bam Rodriguez has the style and timing to challenge Inoue at 122 pounds

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is pushing for a fight with Naoya Inoue after Inoue’s win over Junto Nakatani earlier this month. Trainer Robert Garcia believes Rodriguez has the timing, accuracy and ring IQ to trouble the undisputed champion at 122 pounds.

Inoue retained his undisputed super bantamweight championship with a unanimous decision win over Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome. The victory added another major name to his record and strengthened his standing near the top of most pound-for-pound lists.

Although there has been speculation about Inoue moving to featherweight, he said before the Nakatani fight that he plans to stay at 122 pounds for at least one more bout. That has increased talk about a clash with Rodriguez. Garcia made it clear that Team Rodriguez wants the fight.

“Bam is already known as the ‘Legend Slayer,’ and it doesn’t get any better than Inoue,” said Robert Garcia to Ring Magazine. “I think the timing is perfect timing, if they end up fighting early next year. By then, we’ll have a lot of answers at 118, and we’ll have Bam back in the ring, hopefully by October, against another top bantamweight.”

“Jesse has the skills to compete against the best in the world, and he wants to fight Inoue,” Garcia said. “Inoue is still very fast and powerful, but I think Jesse has the skills, smarts and accuracy as the technical fighter to pull it off. We definitely have all of the skills to beat Inoue.”

Garcia believes Rodriguez has the style to trouble Inoue, who is still unbeaten and regarded as one of boxing’s most dangerous offensive fighters.

Rodriguez has also said he is willing to travel to Japan for the fight if it can be finalized.

Saudi boxing financier Turki Alalshikh has already expressed interest in staging Inoue vs. Rodriguez in early 2027, which would match two of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters against each other in one of boxing’s biggest lower-weight fights in years.

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