A fight between ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Naoya Inoue needs time

Promoter Eddie Hearn regards WBC superflyweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez as  one of the world’s best fighters. Although a bout with undisputed super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue is still a fantasy, Hearn believes it could happen if Inoue stays at 122lbs.

Rodriguez’s recent “star-making performance”, where he stopped former titlist Juan Francisco Estrada in seven rounds, at age 24, added to his impressive record of defeating top super-flyweight. Hearn envisions a potential future fight between Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) and Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs).

“Jesse versus [Naoya] Inoue is a fantasy fight, but it is also an incredible fight,” Hearn told Matchroom. “They will probably end up missing eachother, but whoknows? If Inoue stays at 122 [lbs] for the next couple of years, Jesse will meet him there.”

Rodriguez’s victory in front of 10,000 fans in Phoenix, Arizona, marked his rise to superstardom. While Estrada has a rematch clause, Hearn sees Rodriguez’s win as a significant step toward a potential fight with Inoue.

“He’s just a pure pound-for-pound star,” Hearn said.