Naoya Inoue On Bam Rodriguez Fight: “Yes, I’d Beat Him”

Undisputed champion answers “yes” to Bam matchup but must face Junto Nakatani first in Tokyo

Naoya Inoue says he would welcome a future fight with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez after his upcoming bout with Junto Nakatani in Tokyo. The undisputed champion confirmed his interest but must first get through an unbeaten opponent on Saturday.

Inoue faces Junto on Saturday in a fight widely viewed as the biggest all-Japanese event boxing has produced. It is the immediate focus for Inoue, but the undisputed super bantamweight champion has already made clear that Rodriguez is also on his radar.

During a DAZN Boxing yes-or-no segment, Inoue was asked if he would like to face Jesse Rodriguez in the future.

“Yes.”

He was then asked if he believed he would beat the unbeaten Texan southpaw.

“Yes.”

The answers were brief, but they will still draw attention because Rodriguez is one of the few names below featherweight who carries real pound-for-pound standing and commercial value. A fight between them would likely be one of the biggest lower-weight events the sport could make.

Inoue, 32, has won titles in four divisions and has often been linked with a move to featherweight. He recently suggested that after the Nakatani fight, he expects only one more outing at 122 pounds. That timeline has fueled talk that Rodriguez could be a realistic final opponent at the weight before any move up.

Rodriguez is due back in June against Antonio Vargas and can strengthen his own position with a win there. He has also said publicly that he would take an Inoue fight without hesitation if the chance came.

There is still a major hurdle before any of that becomes serious. Nakatani is unbeaten, dangerous, and viewed by many as the most threatening opponent of Inoue’s recent run. If Inoue gets through him, the Bam discussion will only grow louder.

Facing Rodriguez at 122 (or a catchweight) allows him to take a legacy-defining superfight without immediately dealing with the freakish height and reach of someone like the 6’1″ Rafael Espinoza or the sheer explosiveness of Bruce Carrington.

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