This Saturday, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez will make his bantamweight debut when he faces WBA world champion Antonio Vargas. However, the ambitions of the phenomenal 26-year-old Texan extend well beyond his upcoming assignment. Rodriguez has set his sights on the current pound-for-pound king, Naoya Inoue, and believes the best way to earn that opportunity is by first defeating “The Monster’s” younger brother, WBC bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue.
Here is what Rodriguez told Manouk Akopyan of The Ring:
“I think that’s a perfect storyline to the fight. Beating his brother [WBC bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue] first… I think that’s like almost the perfect storyline to the Inoue fight, beating his brother first and then going and fighting the second brother.
I know when that Inoue fight does happen, then the fans are in for a great night of boxing. People are already talking about that fight so much that it’s inevitable at this point. And I feel like when the time comes, it’s going to be a great fight, probably one of the best fights in boxing history.”
Takuma Inoue owns a professional record of 22 victories and just two defeats. He captured the WBC title with an upset victory over fellow Japanese fighter Tenshin Nasukawa last November and successfully defended the belt against the highly decorated Kazuto Ioka, whom he outpointed convincingly one month ago.
The man looking to spoil Rodriguez’s plans is 29-year-old American Antonio Vargas, whose professional record stands at 19 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw in 21 bouts. His last appearance came last summer when he fought Japanese puncher Daigo Higa to a draw in an all-out war.
Oddsmakers are not expecting an upset: a Vargas victory is currently priced at 10.5-to-1. Many boxing insiders are already eagerly anticipating a future showdown between Jesse Rodriguez and Naoya Inoue, with opinions divided on who would come out on top. Recently, renowned American commentator Max Kellerman predicted a victory for “Bam” should the two eventually meet in the ring.
We will find out this Saturday whether Rodriguez’s ambitions become even more realistic.