Eddie Hearn labels a match between Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Naoya Inoue as a “Fantasy combat,” however he doubts it’ll ever occur because of how far aside the 2 fighters are in weight.
(Photograph credit score: Sumio Yamada)
Weight Class Distinction a Hurdle
The promoter Hearn feels that by the point ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) strikes as much as tremendous bantamweight [122], the Japanese star Inoue can have already moved as much as featherweight [126].
For that combat to occur, Bam might want to take a threat by transferring as much as tremendous bantamweight now, which he can actually do, given his measurement. It might be an enormous leap when it comes to competitors for the 24-year-old Rodriguez, and that may be the arduous half.
Dimension-wise, Bam may simply transfer as much as 122 proper now as a result of he regarded like a full-fledged featherweight contained in the ring final Saturday evening in his combat in opposition to WBC tremendous flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada on the Footprint Middle in Phoenix, Arizona. Bam dispatched the 34-year-old Estrada within the seventh spherical with a physique shot.
Estrada (44-4, 28 KOs) has a rematch clause for his combat with Bam Rodriguez, and Hearn believes he may use it to power a second match. If Bam desires to combat Inoue, the good factor can be to get the rematch out of the way in which with Estrada after which transfer as much as 122 to attempt to get the mega-fight with the Japanese star.
Bam’s Potential Soar to Tremendous Bantamweight
“Jesse vs. Inoue is a fantasy combat. It’s additionally an unimaginable combat. You’re speaking a couple of man [Bam Rodriguez] who has come up from mild flyweight. He’s at the moment at tremendous flyweight, and he’ll positively go to bantam,” mentioned Eddie Hearn to Matchroom Boxing, discussing the potential for a combat between Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Naoya Inoue.
“I’m positive he’ll go to tremendous bantamweight in time, however they’ll most likely find yourself lacking one another, however who is aware of? If Inoue stays at 122 for the subsequent couple of years, Jesse will meet him there. Yeah, most likely a fantasy combat for now, however what a fantasy combat it could be,” mentioned Hearn a couple of combat between Inoue and Bam Rodriguez,” mentioned Hearn.
If Bam Rodriguez desires the Inoue combat, he’d be higher off leaping to 122 after his potential rematch with Juan Estrada. There aren’t any large names for Bam to combat at 115 or 118 that the boxing public in the uswould take discover of.
At the very least if Bam fought Inoue now, it could be an enormous combat in Japan and the U.S. It might be brave of Bam to make the transfer now moderately than in two to 4 years.
“I felt Bam dominated the primary a part of the combat, however then Estrada got here again with the knockdown [in round six] after which turned the combat on its head,” mentioned Hearn. “Estrada was within the combat, however then abruptly, the physique shot was completely completely positioned. He couldn’t rise up, couldn’t breathe.”
Estrada regarded skinny and emaciated for the combat, and he wasn’t practically at his finest. 115 is not a great weight division for Estrada. He wants to maneuver as much as bantamweight or tremendous bantamweight [118 or 122], and make life simpler for him.
“It was a surprising end, beautiful knockout to a surprising combat, and wild scorecards as effectively. I don’t agree with, nevertheless it reveals you ways aggressive the combat was and the way dramatic the combat was. I’d have really appreciated to have seen the combat go down the straight, however perhaps we’ll see that subsequent time,” mentioned Hearn.
Estrada fought effectively at occasions, however he wasn’t constant sufficient to succeed in opposition to the larger, stronger, and youthful Bam Rodriguez.
