For a while now, fans have called for Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez to get it on with Naoya Inoue. For his part, Rodriguez, the reigning WBC/WBO champ at 115 pounds, has said that in time, when he has fully grown into super-bantamweight size and weight, he will gladly take the fight. And now, as he revealed when speaking on a new episode of the Inside The Ring podcast, “Bam” was close to fighting Naoya’s countryman (and potential super fight rival) Junto Nakatani next.
Nakatani, who is seen by many as the biggest threat out there to “Monster” Inoue, recently made the move up to 122 pounds, thus vacating his IBF and WBC belts down a division. It is widely expected that Nakatani, if he can win his upcoming fight against Sebastian Hernandez, this on the same December card that will see unified super-bantamweight champ Inoue fight Alan Picasso, will indeed rumble with Inoue some time in 2026.
Bam Rodriguez Still Wants Both Japanese Stars
But what about “Bam?” Rodriguez may have lost out on a fight with Nakatani for the time being, but the Texan still wants to fight both Japanese stars – Nakatani and Inoue. Next up, though, Rodriguez, 22-0(15) will collide with rival 115 pound champion Fernando Martinez, this in a three-belt unification clash set for November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This fight could prove to be a great one, but assuming he wins it, “Bam” will then look to move up to bantamweight.
And one day, if the fights can be made, Rodriguez will fight both Nakatani and Inoue, most likely up at 122 pounds.
Bam’s Vision: Inoue at 122, Nakatani at 118
“You know, my next fight was supposed to be Nakatani,” Rodriguez said on Ring Magazine’s podcast. “Things were already in the works, so you know, that just shows I’m willing to fight whoever, whenever. But obviously, things didn’t go that way, so here I am fighting Martinez. But those two fights (Nakatani and Inoue) are definitely two fights that I do wanna get in my career. Honestly, I’m not too sure (how high I would have to go in weight to get those fights). I always imagined me and Inoue at 122 or Nakatani at 118. But Nakatani, he moved up, so it’s really hard to say. But there’s lots of time. I’m still young and got a lot to go, so there’s no rush.”
Indeed, we must let these two potential super fights grow into, well, super fights: “Bam” against “The Monster,” and “Bam” against “Big Bang,” as Nakatani is nicknamed. Even if we have to wait until 2027, maybe even 2028, to see these fights, we fans will be as patient as we have to be.
Just who is the best fighter in the world right now between 115 and 122 pounds?