Naoya Inoue refuses to wait until May 2027 to fight Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and is preparing for a move to featherweight. With Rodriguez’s trainer Robert Garcia wanting another fight at 118 pounds first, Inoue has good reason to pursue his own plans rather than hold his career up for Bam.
“I’m not going to sit around waiting for Bam, so I’m starting prep for featherweight too,” Inoue wrote on X.
That puts the decision back with Rodriguez’s team. Trainer Robert Garcia wants Bam to have another fight at bantamweight before challenging Inoue at 122. He favors May 2027 and believes Inoue should remain at super bantamweight longer.
That schedule suits Rodriguez. Inoue is entitled to decide whether it suits him.
Garcia’s responsibility is to prepare his fighter, and another outing at 118 could help Bam before a second move up in weight. Asking Inoue to delay his own ambitions is a separate request. Rodriguez’s preparation cannot automatically become the timetable for both men.
The proposed fight would give Bam an opportunity to beat one of boxing’s best fighters. If his team believes he needs more time, it can take that time. The price could be losing the chance to face Inoue at 122.
Inoue would have something to gain from fighting Rodriguez, too. This is a compelling matchup, and moving ahead without it would leave fans disappointed. That still doesn’t require him to keep his next fight open indefinitely while another camp works through its preferred schedule.
Eddie Hearn expressing willingness to make the fight does not resolve that issue. The teams need to agree on when it happens, with Garcia comfortable preparing Bam for that date.
Inoue’s post leaves room for the Rodriguez fight while giving him another route. Preparing for featherweight does not mean he has canceled anything, and there is no reason to present it that way.
His position is firm enough without exaggeration: he wants to fight and continue moving through the divisions. If Bam needs another bantamweight bout first, Inoue can pursue his own next step. Rodriguez’s team should make its decision knowing the opportunity may not wait until May.