by Declan Taylor
RISING star Jesse Rodriguez is a giant favorite to retain his WBC super-flyweight title in Philadelphia on Saturday night time when he takes on Pedro Guevara.
However the actuality is, the 35-year-old Mexican is a massively skilled former world champion with extra knockouts than Bam has even had fights. We check out the highest three victories for each males.
JESSE RODRIGUEZ 3 BEST WINS
Vs Carlos Cuadras, February 5, 2022, Phoenix – UD 12
This was the battle that catapulted Bam in the direction of superstardom. The 22-year-old was presupposed to be dealing with Fernando Diaz at flyweight on this invoice however when Srisaket Sor Rungvisai pulled out of the principle occasion, Bam stepped in to battle for the 115lb world title. And, regardless of dealing with one of many main super-flyweights of the technology, the teenager did the enterprise, famously dropping Cuadras in spherical three en path to a large unanimous choice. A star was nicely and really born.
Vs Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, June 25, 2022, San Antonio – TKO 8
Simply 4 months after his breakout win over Cuadras, Bam was at it once more. This time he took aside the enduring Thai fighter Sor Rungvisai in fashion. The Texan managed the opening phases after which turned up the warmth on the midway mark. Inside a minute of the seventh spherical he landed an enormous left hook from his southpaw stance to drop the veteran. The end got here within the subsequent spherical when Bam pinned his opponent towards the ropes and unloaded to go and physique forcing referee Mark Calo-oy to wave it off after 1:50 of the eighth.
Rodriguez (R) needed to rise up off the ground to beat Estrada (L). (Picture by Kelsey Grant/Getty Photos)
Vs Juan Francisco Estrada, June 29, 2024, Phoenix – KO 7
Whereas his path to the highest has been moderately serene, on this one he needed to present his guts by climbing off the ground to win. Mexican legend Juan Francisco had already been down within the fourth spherical however he rallied again to drop Bam within the sixth. As we entered the seventh this all-action thriller was delicately poised with every fighter up on one card every with the opposite one stage. However with seconds left within the seventh, Rodriguez sunk a devastating left hook into his opponent’s physique. Though he did his greatest to rise, there was completely no recovering from a punch like that.
PEDRO GUEVARA 3 BEST WINS
Yaegashi (L) amd Guevara (R) in motion throughout their 2014 bout. (Picture credit score: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP through Getty Photos)
Vs Akira Yaegashi, December 30, 2014, Tokyo – KO 7
Guevara had misplaced on his first problem for a world title, when John Riel Casemiro beat him narrowly on factors in August 2012. However 18 months later, Guevara fought exterior Mexico for the primary time, travelling to Japan to face Akira Yaegashi for the WBC light-flyweight title. And He would return to his homeland with the belt in his hand baggage after closing the present with a scorching left hook to the physique 15 seconds earlier than the top of the seventh that stopped Yaegashi immediately.
Vs Richard Claveras, April 11, 2015, Mazatlan – TKO 1
Not many had backed ‘Explosive’ Richard Claveras to beat Guevara as he made the primary defence of his new WBC title however the Filipino was undefeated and had a popularity as a puncher. However the champion wasted no time despatching his customer, strolling him down and doing the injury with that left hook to the physique as soon as once more. Claveras’ head was clear however he simply couldn’t attain his toes in time to beat the depend. The official time was 2:31 of R1.
Vs Andrew Moloney, Could 12, 2024, Perth – SD 12
Guevara secured this shot at Rodriguez’s title through a slender factors win over dwelling favorite Andrew Moloney in Perth in Could. The battle, which was for the interim model of the WBC super-flyweight title, couldn’t have been nearer with Humberto Olivares and Zanashir Taznaa scoring Guevara a 115-113 winner, rendering Samantha Bulner’s 116-113 card in favour of Moloney out of date. Not solely did this win arrange a crack at Bam but additionally represented his first win over 12 rounds at super-fly.