Jaron Ennis has been named the World Boxing Association (WBA) Fighter of the Month for June following his knockout victory over Xander Zayas, while Jesse “Bam” Rodríguez received Honorable Mention after capturing the WBA bantamweight title with a dominant win over Antonio Vargas.

The pioneering sanctioning body released its official June rankings, including all divisional movements for the month, and also confirmed the immediate discontinuation of the Bridgerweight division, which will no longer be recognized or sanctioned by the WBA.

Ennis stepped into the ring last Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and stopped the previously unbeaten champion Zayas via seventh-round technical knockout to capture the WBA super welterweight title. It was a commanding performance from the 29-year-old American, further strengthening his case as one of the sport’s elite pound-for-pound fighters and cementing his status as one of boxing’s brightest stars.

Meanwhile, “Bam” Rodríguez stopped Antonio Vargas in six rounds on June 13 in Arizona to become the new WBA bantamweight champion. The spectacular victory earned the gifted Texan this month’s Honorable Mention recognition.

The latest WBA rankings are now available and can be viewed in the rankings section of the organization’s official website.

By Norm Frauenheim

GLENDALE, Ariz. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez added a third division title with his sixth round knockout of Antonio Vargas Saturday, yet his career goal of a showdown with Naoya Inoue remained unclear in the immediate aftermath of his successful debut at bantamweight.

Trainer Robert Garcia said he wanted Bam to fight once more at 118 pounds before any deal is made to face Inoue.

“We’ve talked about January or February, next year, for the Inoue fight,’’ Garcia Said after Bam knocked down Vargas after some rocky moments in front of a roaring crowd åt Desert Diamond Arena. “We can still do that. That doesn’t have to change.But I want Bam to have one more fight at 118. We can do that in September or October.’’

Bam (24-0, 17 KOs) struggled at times in the early going against Vargas, who leaned on him and backed him up with a succession of punches.

Not until the fifth round did Bam make a key adjustment. It started where it usually does: His feet. With his singular footwork, he stepped to the left of Vargas (19-2-1, 11KOs) and delivered a textbook left hand, putting the World Boxing Association’s defending champion onto the canvas.

In the sixth, Bam did it again, this time ending Vargas’ one-fight reign as the WBA champion.

In an interview inside the ring, Bam was asked about Inoue.

“If you’re asking me if I’m ready, I’m going to say yes,’’ he said. “I’m going to say yes I’m ready for anyone and yes I’m ready for whatever my team plans next.”

This Cardenas scores unanimous decision, wins rematchtime there was no debate. No trash talk either.

Arturo Cardenas made sure of it Saturday, scoring a unanimous decision over Jordan Martinez in a rematch at Desert Diamond Arena.

“I did what I didn’t last time, said Cardenas (18-0-2), who fought Martinez to a draw in early February.” I was aggressive early. I didn’t give away those rounds.’’

Martinez (16-1-1), a popular Phoenix fighter, didn’t quarrel with the result, despite at least one debatable score, a 100-90 shutout. On the other cards, it was 98-92 and 97-93, both for Cardenas

Turkish champion retains belt in narrow win over Gabby Tellez

Elif Nur Turhan kept the belt. Gabby Tellez got the cheers.

In a close and somewhat awkward fight for the women’s International Boxing Federation lightweight title Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena, the bigger Turhan sustained an aggressive pace, scoring enough points on the scorecards for a unanimous decision — 96-94 on all cards — over Tellez (7-1, 3 KOs).

With Phoenix trainer Jose Benavidez Jr. in her corner, Tellez circled Turhan, a powerful Turk, throughout the 10 rounds. Turhan landed a couple of long punches in the final couple of rounds, which might have been just enough to claim a victory that allowed here to take the belt back to Turkey

Terraza wins quick stoppage

Terraza said he knew victory was just a matter of time.

That time came swiftly.

And decisively.

Within two rounds, Terraza, an unbeaten junior-lightweight from Mexico, overwhelmed a shorter Javier Rodriguez, who was down midway through the round and finished within its final few seconds. 

Rodriguez (10-1, 6 KOs), who grew up in the Glendale neighborhood surrounding Desert Diamond Arena, simply had no counter for Terreza’s  reach. Terraza (14-0, 10 KOs) knocked him down with an overhand right and then folllowed with successive punches from all angles.

Trini Ochoa lands right to land back in win column

Trini Ochoa, a popular junior welterweight from Mesa, got back into the win column Saturday. All he needed was a right hand.

It landed, flooring Tristan Perez (12-5-1, 7 KOs) Saturday in a stunning second round at Desert Diamond Arena. Ochoa was coming off his first defeat

Esquina delivers punishing stoppage

It was punishing.

Punishing mostly for Sepu Taylor.

Xechal Esquina, an undefeated featherweight from Phoenix, tirelessly moved forward for six-plus rounds, landing shots that echoed throughout Desert Diamond Saturday on a card featuring Bam Rodriguez-Antonio Vargas.

Somehow, Taylor (1-2-1), of Denver stay edupright. Early in the sixth, however, he began to back away on unsteady feet, At 2:39 of the round, he was down. And done, a bruised stoppage loser to a relentless attack Esquina (6-0, 5 KOs).

Hector Beltran wins second round TKO

Hector Beltran Jr., who calls himself Handsome, must have looked scary to Shaquile Felicia.

Beltran (8-0, 6 KOs), a junior-middleweight From Dallas, threw a quick combo that dropped Felicia (3-2). It also left Felicia with a look that seemed to say he’d rather be back home in Anchorage. Seconds and few more combos later, he was finished, a TKO loser at 2:53 of the round.

First Bell: Ronny Alvarez stoppage opens the show

With temperatures pushing 110 degrees, a small crowd began to escape and gather inside Desert Diamond Arena.

Anything for a little air conditioning.

In the ring, however, Cuban super-middleweight Ronny Alvarez (7-0, 6 KOs) continued to pour on the heat, scoring a seventh round stoppage of Serbia Flip Stankovic (9-4, 6 KOs) Saturday afternoon in the opening bout on a card featuring Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez-Antonio Vargas.  

By Norm Frauenheim

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has formally said goodbye to superfly, all in a quest for the challenges he hopes will lead to the biggest one of all:

Naoya Inoue

That’s not exactly a secret anymore. Talk — and perhaps some real momentum — has been building for a Bam-Inoue showdown.

Now, that possibility enters a new stage, one evident by what was missing Thursday at a formal news conference for his bantamweight debut against 118-pound champion Antonio Vargas Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena in a DAZN-streamed bout.

Bam wasn’t seated behind the collection of belts that are usually there. They’re gone. In boxing-speak, they’ve been vacated to make room for what Bam has said is an “inevitable” showdown with Inoue in what would be the biggest fight ever at the lighter weights.

It was news delivered Wednesday by Bam trainer Robert Garcia, who announced on social media that Bam was relinquishing three of the four.

He’s replacing them with a new challenge at a new weight.

“New challenges are more important to me that just another title defense,’’ said Bam, now a former unified champion who suddenly finds himself in the unfamiliar role of being the challenger.

There are signs that Bam won’t be a challenger for long. Vargas is being called underrated by his corner. Maybe, he is.  On the World Boxing Association’s shuffleboard, he was elevated from secondary to the real 118-pound champion a couple of weeks ago. Vargas’ credentials include experience against some of the world’s best, including Shakur Stevenson, who beat him as an amateur.

But prohibitive odds suggest that Bam won’t be a challenger for long. He has an opportunity to win a third belt at a third weight. What’s more significant, however, might be in how he performs at bantam. Success at 118 pounds would represent a steppingstone to junior-feather — 122 pounds, Inoue’s current weight.

At 26-years old, Bam has improved with each move up the scale. He also seems to get better with each fight, all victories That plants an inevitable expectation. Just how good can he be?

“I feel like I haven’t shown 50 percent of who I’ll be,’’ Bam said during Thursday’s newser.

If accurate, half of what Bam’s potential already is good enough to put him among the top five in virtually every pound for-pound rating, many of which have Inoue at No. 1

For now, at least, the question is what Inoue plans to do. Since his victory over Junto Nakatani in front 55,000 Japanese fans in Tokyo, he’s been quiet. Still, there’s talk that he’ll move up to 126 pounds, featherweight.

Garcia believes that would be a move intended to keep him away from a date with the San Antonio fighter.

“Take a look at 126,’’ said Garcia, who agrees that fans have yet to see the best Bam. “There’s nobody at 126 who would make a better fight than one against Bam.

“Moving up to 126 would say that he doesn’t want to fight Bam.’’

For now, the only relevant measurement is Bam’s first time at 118. There’s been talk about a further move up the scale to 122-pounds before a speculated date – December or January — against Inoue.

“But I can only make the right decision based on what I see Saturday night,’’ Garcia said. “I can’t be thinking about more before I see him at 118.’’

8 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest
RONNY ALVAREZ (167.6lbs)  vs.           FILIP STANKOVIC (168.8lbs)
Ciego de Avila, Cuba                                     Nis, Serbia

Followed by

6 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight contest
HECTOR BELTRAN JR. (154.7lbs)        vs.           SHAQUILE FELICIA (153.7lbs)
Dallas, Texas                                                                           Phoenix, Arizona

Followed by

6 x 3 mins Featherweight contest
XECHAL ESQUIVEL (126.5lbs)              vs.           RAYSHAWN TAYLOR (126.7lbs)
Phoenix, Arizona                                                                 Denver, Colorado

Followed by

8 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight contest
TRINI OCHOA (142.6lbs)          vs.           CRISTIAN PEREZ (143.5lbs)
Phoenix, Arizona                                               Monterrey, Mexico

LIVE ON DAZN FROM 5PM

10 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest
ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ (132.9lbs)          vs.           ELIAS TERRAZA (132.5)
Glendale, Arizona                                                              Phoenix, Arizona

Followed by

10 x 2 mins IBF World Lightweight title
ELIF TURHAN (134.8lbs)           vs.           GABRIELA TELLEZ (132.8lbs)
Istanbul, Turkey                                                  San Antonio, Texas

Followed by

10 x 3 mins WBC Continental Americas Super-Bantamweight title
ARTURO CARDENAS (122lbs)               vs.           JORDAN MARTINEZ (122lbs)
Michoacán, Mexico                                                           Phoenix, Arizona

Followed by

12 x 3 mins WBA World Bantamweight title
JESSE RODRIGUEZ (117.6lbs)               vs.           ANTONIO VARGAS (117.6lbs)
San Antonio, Texas                                                            Kissimmee, Florida

By Norm Frauenheim

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has formally said goodbye to superfly, all in a quest for the challenges he hopes will lead to the biggest one of all:

Naoya Inoue

That’s not exactly a secret anymore. Talk — and perhaps some real momentum — has been building for a Bam-Inoue showdown.

Now, that possibility enters a new stage, one evident by what was missing Thursday at a formal news conference for his bantamweight debut against 118-pound champion Antonio Vargas Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena in a DAZN-streamed bout.

Bam wasn’t seated behind the collection of belts that are usually there. They’re gone. In boxing-speak, they’ve been vacated to make room for what Bam has said is an “inevitable” showdown with Inoue in what would be the biggest fight ever at the lighter weights.

It was news delivered Wednesday by Bam trainer Robert Garcia, who announced on social media that Bam was relinquishing three of the four.

He’s replacing them with a new challenge at a new weight.

“New challenges are more important to me that just another title defense,’’ said Bam, now a former unified champion who suddenly finds himself in the unfamiliar role of being the challenger.

There are signs that Bam won’t be a challenger for long. Vargas is being called underrated by his corner. Maybe, he is.  On the World Boxing Association’s shuffleboard, he was elevated from secondary to the real 118-pound champion a couple of weeks ago. Vargas’ credentials include experience against some of the world’s best, including Shakur Stevenson, who beat him as an amateur.

But prohibitive odds suggest that Bam won’t be a challenger for long. He has an opportunity to win a third belt at a third weight. What’s more significant, however, might be in how he performs at bantam. Success at 118 pounds would represent a steppingstone to junior-feather — 122 pounds, Inoue’s current weight.

At 26-years old, Bam has improved with each move up the scale. He also seems to get better with each fight, all victories That plants an inevitable expectation. Just how good can he be?

“I feel like I haven’t shown 50 percent of who I’ll be,’’ Bam said during Thursday’s newser.

If accurate, half of what Bam’s potential already is good enough to put him among the top five in virtually every pound for-pound rating, many of which have Inoue at No. 1

For now, at least, the question is what Inoue plans to do. Since his victory over Junto Nakatani in front 55,000 Japanese fans in Tokyo, he’s been quiet. Still, there’s talk that he’ll move up to 126 pounds, featherweight.

Garcia believes that would be a move intended to keep him away from a date with the San Antonio fighter.

“Take a look at 126,’’ said Garcia, who agrees that fans have yet to see the best Bam. “There’s nobody at 126 who would make a better fight than one against Bam.

“Moving up to 126 would say that he doesn’t want to fight Bam.’’

For now, the only relevant measurement is Bam’s first time at 118. There’s been talk about a further move up the scale to 122-pounds before a speculated date – December or January — against Inoue.

“But I can only make the right decision based on what I see Saturday night,’’ Garcia said. “I can’t be thinking about more before I see him at 118.’’

Eddie Hearn

“Welcome everybody to the wonderful Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, which has become one of our favorite places to visit, and Phoenix is becoming a real fight city. We’re going to have well over 10,000 in attendance on Saturday night, our biggest crowd ever in Phoenix, and more importantly for me, one of the cards of the year, a World championship double header, as pound-for-pound star Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez looks to try and win a third division World championship against the WBA king Antonio Vargas. The undercard is sensational, what a night of boxing.

“I said to Jordan Martinez just a few minutes ago, every one of these six fighters up here for the undercard press conference is undefeated, and that will change on Saturday night. We’ve got World championship action up here, a local derby, and the rematch of a brilliant fight.

“What a week we’ve got here for DAZN, and what a few months we’ve got coming up. I’ve said it time and time again, the zone firmly established as the global home of boxing. Every worthy promoter in the world is now on the platform with the best schedule boxing has ever seen. And for us at Matchroom, what a couple of weeks and months coming up. Saturday, a huge night in Glendale, Arizona. But in two weeks time for me, one of the fights of the year. Another pound-for-pound star on the Matchroom roster, as Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis takes on Xander Zayas for the unified World championship at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“We’ll be announcing another show this weekend for July 18 with one of the most exciting young fighters of the world in Los Angeles, before we head to Jeddah for the return of Anthony Joshua against Kristian Prenga before he hopes to fight Tyson Fury in November later this year. And of course, September 5 already announced, over 80,000 people at Croke Park in Ireland for the final fight of Katie Taylor’s incredible career.

“But now we focus on what is for me one of the cards of the year on Saturday night, live and exclusive on DAZN around the world.”

Jesse Rodriguez

“Always ready to go. Always 100 per cent ready mentally, physically. This is just another step in my career. I’ve been training just as hard as any other fight. I never look past any opponent. I know each opponent is coming to take what I have, but I make sure that doesn’t happen every time I step inside the gym and give 110 per cent and I’m just ready to go out there and give the fans a great fight.

“I’m constantly trying to challenge myself. If it’s not a World title fight, then it really doesn’t interest me, even if it’s just a simple defense, it doesn’t get me going inside the gym. So, when I got the opportunity to fight Antonio Vargas for another World title in another weight division, I was on goal right away. Antonio is an Olympian, he’s a World champion, the fact that I’m able to move up to a new weight class and that be my first fight, it means everything to me. I’m ready to go out there and capture the moment.

“I feel like I haven’t even shown 50 per cent of what I’m capable of, but the tougher the opponent, then the better my performance. Antonio is going to bring out another percentage of Bam Rodriguez, and I can’t wait to go out there and show it. I’m feeling much better at this weight class, much sharper, stronger and faster.

“Just expect another spectacular performance and I’m ready to go out there and make it happen.”

Antonio Vargas

“I do believe things are going to go in my favor. I’ve trained hard for this fight, and I look forward to proving to the world who I am. I’m just focused on Bam. I know after I beat him, it opens up so many more doors for me. So, I’m tunnel vision right now and I’m just focused, just to get this win and get that out the way and then whatever comes after that comes.

“I’m really excited. I’ve trained my whole life at this moment, and I believe this will be one of many more moments to come. I’m prepared and I want to give the fans a good fight. I’m fighting one of the best fighters in the boxing right now, so I’m really excited to put a good performance on for the fans.”

Robert Garcia, Rodriguez’s trainer

“I think Bam is ready to compete at 118lbs, we have to look at Vargas as a great challenge, and we always focus on what’s next for us. We don’t look ahead of time because there is that challenge for us. We have to step take it step by step, there’s so much talk about future fights in new way and all that but for us right now, the most important fight is is is Vargas so we don’t look ahead of time, we want to take our time, we want to make sure he he looks and feels good at 118.

“Bam is incredible. His talent, his discipline, he’s so dedicated to the sport and to what he’s doing that I don’t know how far he can take it. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Bam yet, the best still to come, and our first step is Vargas on Saturday. We’ll show what Bam can do and from there everybody will see you we’re not making up stories; they will see that Bam is looking better every single time he steps in the ring.”

Arturo Cardenas

“This time I know I’m really well prepared mentally and physically. So, like last fight, I know I have won that fight, but it happens. I’m more than ready for this fight.

“I don’t really care what he always says about me to be honest. I’m more focused on the fight. I’m more focused on winning this fight and I’m just really happy and anxious for this fight. It’s a must, just get him out the way and now looking on the big fights, getting them belts.”

Jordan Martinez

“I feel like I should have took the first fight. He thinks the same, but I’m just here to show that there’s really levels to this.

“There’s more pressure but it doesn’t phase me, because at the end of the day, the bell rings and it’s me and him only. I’m just ready to fight so we could get this out the way and so I can come out victorious and take what was mine in the first place.

“He didn’t win the last fight at all. I beat his ass with just a jab. That’s what I’m saying. I just beat him with a jab. And this time, he thinks he going to knock me out? He ain’t knocking nobody out. I expect him to apply more pressure, but he’s slow as hell. He can’t even touch me.

“It’s a sportsmanship, I know we’re going all out, and this is going to be a war, but we’re taking that belt back home.

“I just got to get him out the way. He ain’t somebody I’m really chasing. He’s just somebody that has to be in my position so I could get to the next level, and that’s all I’m doing, just moving him out my way.”

Elif Turhan

“I’m very happy to be here. Discipline is everything on boxing. She’s young, I know this, but we will see how great fighter she is. The World championship fight is my target all the time and I got it, but this is not the final destination, I need other belts.

“Everybody talking about this being an easy fight, I don’t think like this because she’s unbeaten, she’s been fighting six, seven, eight before being 19 years old, I know everything about her. I am not relaxed on this fight like unification fights. When I see her eyes, I can understand she is ready to fight. I must defend my belt with war.”

Gabriela Tellez

“Thank you to Matchroom, DAZN, my promoter, BoxLab, I’m ready for this opportunity. I’m not scared of no challenge. This is a big challenge, but everybody got to take that step, and I feel like I’m ready for that. They see a lot of potential in me. I’ve been working with Jose, I’ve been working with Junior Lopez for years now, they know me for years and they know I’m ready for this for this challenge. I could box, I could fight, I could do it all. I feel like you seen it before and you gonna see it again come Saturday night.”

Adrian Rodriguez

“This is everything to me right now. When you talk about this stage and this opportunity, a victory here and in style in front of 12,000 on Saturday night, I’m excited for this. I’m excited to get down and show the people, you know, who the I am. I want to be there, I want to represent, not just by talking about my actions. I know I’m a good fighter. I know I could take him down easily.”

Elias Terraza

“I want to give a thank you to Eddie Hearn and Kevin Rooney from Matchroom for giving me the opportunity to be on a card like this, I can’t wait for Saturday. I’m super excited. Come Saturday night, you guys can expect a KO from me.

“We’re both local fighters. I really don’t know him and I know he doesn’t know me, we’re both from different rival promoters, so I think that’s going to be a big play coming into the fight, seeing who is the better fighter from which promotion, come Saturday night, you guys going to see who who’s going to get the knockout and for sure it’s going to be me.”

Antonio Vargas says he’s ready to hand a first pro defeat to Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and catapult himself into the elite as he defends his WBA World Bantamweight title on Saturday night at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, live worldwide on DAZN.

Vargas (19-1-1 11 KOs) puts his title on the line for the first time and does so in one of the toughest possible assignments in the sport, against two-weight phenom Rodriguez (23-0 16 KOs) who is gunning to become a three-weight World ruler and cement his spot amongst the top names in the pound-for-pound list.

Vargas has other ideas though, and while the 29 year old knows it to be a ‘rough day’ at work in Arizona, the prize for victory on Saturday night goes beyond simply keeping his belt.

“It’s one of the biggest fights right now, against one of the biggest names in the sport,” said Vargas. “I’m looking forward to this fight because after I beat this kid, it’s going to put me where I want to be at. It’s going to be a a good fight for me.

“I look forward to challenging myself, but at the same time, and I know it’s going to be a rough day. This is the the biggest fight of my career, the biggest platform as well.

“I think he’s ranked four on the pound-for-pound list, he’s one of the biggest names right now. It motivates me to train hard and to show the world who I am.

“I remember the words of Eddie Hearn at the launch press conference when he said; ‘you beat Bam, and you’re the man’. That fused me to keep training hard and to give my best for this fight and to show the world who I am.

“I wouldn’t say stop him but beat him. Styles make fights. Bam’s style will force me to use more of my boxing skills, use my pedigree and some of the things that I have inside of me that the world hasn’t seen yet.

“Beating a guy like this, it’ll put me on on a world stage that that I’ve been wanting to fulfill. I want to make that dream into reality. I know after I beat this kid, it’s going to come true. I want this more than anything. And still.”

By Norm Frauenheim

It’s beginning to feel as though boxing has entered a statement season, as in delivering one.

Dmitry Bivol delivered last Saturday, beating an overmatched German in Russia, yet the message from Bivol was within his performance.

Bivol, still as flawless as any sweet scientist against challenger-without-a-chance Michael Eifert, showed there’s been no evident erosion in the light-heavyweight’s comprehensive skillset after back surgery and a long stretch of inactivity following his rematch victory over Artur Beterbiev.

He knows what he’s doing. But what will he do next? There are plenty of rumors, but no sources and zero hints from Bivol, a quiet Russian who is as taciturn as he is skillful.

The real – for now, only — news is that he’s back in the conversation, including the pound-for-pound debate. He’s among the second five after falling out of the subjective ratings altogether. His options are as viable as ever, including a third fight with Beterbiev and/or a date with newly minted cruiserweight champion David Benavidez, who also continues to hold a light-heavyweight belt.

For Bivol, the task was to restore leverage, his negotiating power and presence for whatever possibility — Beterbiev or Benavidez – develops.

Statement delivered.

Now, it’s Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez’ turn.

Bam’s chance will be there June 13 in Glendale, AZ, a few miles of roadwork from Benavidez childhood home in west Phoenix.

That’s when and where Bam can further his pursuit of a showdown with current pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue at Desert Diamond Arena in a bantamweight debut against Antonio Vargas, who isn’t given much more of a chance than Eifert had against Bivol.

Eifert was a 25-to-1 underdog, according to various betting sites. At opening bell, the odds facing Vargas might be even bigger. The spread ranges from 25-to-1 to 33-to-1, according to numbers posted this week, also by various betting sites.

Translation: Bam is considered a virtual lock. Like Bivol, the significance – message – is within how he wins.

A few weeks ago during a media workout at Central Boxing in Phoenix, Bam, already a two-division champion, said he thought a fight with Inoue was inevitable. Since then, there have been multiple stories about  Bam-Inoue, still a dream fight. A Netflix interest was reported. Even a projected time frame for the much discussed, much anticipated possibility has been mentioned. Some speculation has it happening in early 2027

That’s not inevitable, but it is momentum, the kind that could make it happen. So far, Inoue, who is coming off a defense of his undisputed junior featherweight title against Junto Nakatani, has been about as talkative as Bivol.

Inoue has talked about moving to featherweight. He’s also has mentioned Bam. But now Japan’s Rising Son is quiet, perhaps waiting to see what kind of message Bam delivers against Vargas.

About a week ago, Vargas was declared the World Boxing Association’s 118-pound champ. The acronym’s move was merely a paper shuffle. Vargas had held a secondary belt. For Bam, it’s an opportunity – perhaps a gift. He can add a third division title to his resume.

But a long stop at bantam has never been in the Bam plan. On his blueprint, 118 pounds is another step toward his inevitable. Always has been.

A convincing performance could move Bam closer. Currently, he’s a consensus No. 3 in pound-for-pound ratings, behind No. 1 Inoue and No. 2 Oleksandr Usyk. But there are doubts about Usyk after his problematic victory over kick boxer Rico Verhoeven May 23 in Egypt.

A dominant Bam on June 13 could vault him over Usyk into the No. 2 spot. No. 1 versus-No. 2 is a classic scenario in what would be the biggest little-guy fight in history. Maybe those stories about Netflix’s interest are accurate.

Only Bam can make sure of it with the delivery of another convincing statement.

KISSIMMEE, FL (June 4, 2026) – WBA Bantamweight World Champion Antonio Vargas (19-1-1, 12 KOs) is putting the finishing touches on what he describes as the best training camp of his professional career as he prepares to defend his world title against pound-for-pound star Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (23-0, 6 KOs) in a highly anticipated 12-round championship showdown on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

The action-packed event, promoted by Matchroom Boxing in association with Boxlab Promotions, will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

With his championship reign on the line against one of boxing’s most respected and accomplished fighters, Vargas enters the biggest fight of his career determined to prove he belongs among the sport’s elite. As fight night approaches, Vargas says the preparation has been intense, focused, and driven by the opportunity in front of him.

“This has honestly been the best camp I’ve ever had,” said Vargas, “Every day I’ve been pushing myself beyond my limits as I know what is on the line. When you’re preparing to face a fighter like Bam Rodriguez, you can’t leave anything to chance. I’ve surrounded myself with a great team, we’ve studied everything, and I’ve put in the work physically, mentally, and emotionally. I feel stronger, sharper, and more confident than ever before, and more importantly my faith in God is lifting me up.

Vargas believes the demanding camp has elevated every aspect of his game and positioned him to deliver a career-defining performance.

“We’ve focused on every detail. The conditioning, the strategy, the sparring, everything has been executed at a championship level,” continued Vargas. “As a world champion, you must continue evolving, and I feel like I’ve reached another level during this camp. I’m hungry to show the boxing world this version of myself.”

Facing Rodriguez, widely recognized as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound best fighters, is a challenge Vargas welcomes with open arms.

“I have a lot of respect for Bam Rodriguez and everything he’s accomplished in the sport. He’s earned his reputation as a pound-for-pound great for a reason. But this is the kind of fight every fighter dreams about. As a champion, you want to face the best and prove yourself against the best. That’s exactly what I’m doing on June 13.”

Vargas views the matchup as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

“A lot of people are counting me out, and that’s fine. I’ve been doubted before. What motivates me is knowing that this is my chance to shock the world. I didn’t work my whole life to be satisfied with just winning a world title. I want to keep building my legacy. Bam is standing in front of me, and I’m ready to rise to the occasion. Fans should expect a determined champion who’s coming to defend his belt with everything he has.”

Vargas fully understands the magnitude of the opportunity that lies before him and recognizes that a victory over Rodriguez would be far more than just another successful title defense. Defeating a fighter widely regarded as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound best would validate his place among the sport’s elite, elevate his profile on the global stage, and serve as a defining moment in his career. Despite the potential rewards, Vargas remains focused on the task at hand.

“A win over a fighter like Jesse Rodriguez changes everything,” Vargas stated. “He’s considered one of the best fighters in the world, regardless of weight class. Beating someone of that caliber would show everyone that I’m one of the best fighters in the sport. This is the type of victory that can define a career and open the door to even bigger opportunities. I try not to get too caught up in what comes after the fight because my focus has to remain on June 13. But there’s no denying what’s at stake. This is the biggest moment of my career, and I’m ready to embrace it. I believe this fight will bring out the absolute best version of me.”

With millions of boxing fans across the globe expected to tune in on DAZN, Vargas views this title defense against a pound-for-pound star like Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez as a tremendous opportunity to showcase his skills on one of the sport’s premier international platforms. Aware of the magnitude of the moment, Vargas is embracing the spotlight and is determined to deliver a memorable performance that resonates with fans watching around the world.

“Defending my world title on DAZN and in front of a global audience means everything to me,” Vargas concluded. “These are the moments fighters work for their entire lives. As Jesus lifts me up, fans from all over the world are going to be watching, and I plan to give them a performance they’ll remember while giving all the glory to God. I want people tuning in to see a champion who refuses to back down from any challenge. This platform gives me an opportunity to represent my family, my supporters, my faith, and everyone who has believed in me from the beginning. I’m grateful for the opportunity, but I’m not satisfied just being here. I going to humbly leave Arizona still holding my title and prove that I belong on the biggest stages in boxing.”

Boxlab Promotions President Amaury Piedra believes the Rodriguez fight represents the most important challenge of Vargas’ professional career and a chance to elevate himself into boxing superstardom. According to Piedra, a win of this magnitude would transform Vargas from a respected world champion into a recognized star, opening the door to major unification bouts, larger events, and greater opportunities on the international stage while solidifying his place among boxing’s elite fighters.

“Without question, this is the most important fight of Antonio Vargas’ career,” said Amaury Piedra, President of Boxlab Promotions who promotes Vargas. “He’s stepping into the ring against a fighter who is universally recognized as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. These are the opportunities that define champions and shape legacies. If Antonio wins this fight, it completely changes the trajectory of his career. He won’t just be viewed as a world champion; he’ll be viewed as one of the elite fighters in boxing. A win over Jesse Rodriguez would instantly become one of the biggest victories in the sport and open the door to major fights and even greater opportunities. We believe in Antonio, we’ve seen the work he’s put in, and we’re confident he’s prepared to deliver the performance of his life.”

By Norm Frauenheim

Home can be just about anywhere, especially if it only includes a couple of stools and is surrounded by ropes.

What can go wrong?

Plenty, of course.

But Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has found only success in what he calls a second home.

Rodriguez, who grew up in San Antonio, is about to fight a fourth bout in the Phoenix area, this time at Desert Diamond Arena in nearby Glendale for a significant step up the scale to bantamweight in a bout that looks a lot like a test of his hopes to one day face Naoya Inoue.

“They gave him two options for June 13,’’ Bam trainer Robert Garcia said. “San Antonio or Phoenix? He picked Phoenix.’’

He did, for more than one reason. He trains in Riverside, Calif., which is closer to Phoenix than San Antonio. But Phoenix has also become a key to his emergence as a pound-for-pound contender.

“This place changed my life,’’ Bam, a two-division champion, said Thursday during a media workout at Central Boxing for his June 13 118-pound date against Antonio Vargas.

He won his first title, a 112-pound belt, with a 2022 victory over Carlos Cuadras at the Suns arena, a few blocks from Central.

Since then, Bam has emerged, from a so-called little guy to a very big name near the top of the pound-for-pound debate. 

In the process, he has created a big fan-base in central Arizona, which has probably appreciated fighters in the lighter weight classes more than any other boxing market.

AZ, after all, grew up on watching one of the best little guys ever in Hall of Fame junior-flyweight Michael Carbajal.

“Carbajal was the first,’’ Garcia said. “He made history.’’

In Bam’s dangerous hands, that history might continue to unfold. The two-division champion is planning on Inoue, perhaps sometime next year..

Bam called the Inoue possibility “inevitable” Thursday. He also said he watched Inoue’s victory over Junto Nakatani in front 55,000 at the Tokyo Dome May 2.

“It was a great performance,’’ Bam said. “Nakatani is a really tough fighter.’’

Throughout all the hype for Inoue-Nakatani, Inoue mentioned Rodriguez and confirmed that a fight with Bam was a real possibility.

For Bam, that’ll mean more than one more move up in weight. Inoue has been fighting at 122 pounds. He’s talked about fighting at 126, featherweight.

For Bam, that means making two – maybe three –more moves up the scale and one more move back to Phoenix, where it all started.

LOS ANGELES (April 21, 2026) – World super flyweight contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez (17-1, 9 KOs), currently ranked No. 1 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), is still waiting for Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) to decide if he’ll move up to campaign as a bantamweight boxer, which would open Ramirez’ path to change for one of Rodriguez’ three super flyweight world title belts.

“I’ve had some unique experiences the last 5 years,” LA native Ramirez said. “In my soul, I haven’t fulfilled my goal yet. I’m isolated and focused on that (winning a world title). I have had extra time to travel and train with friends like Regis Prograis in Texas to learn more and stay refreshed.

“I just need to continue trusting the process in boxing. As a fighter, I don’t like sitting around waiting for the pieces to move. We have a plan and it includes options. Regardless of the situation, I will continue to get better, and most importantly keep winning.”

Rodriguez is the unified super flyweight world champion of the WBA, World Boxing Organization (WBO), and World Boxing Council. (WBC). Ramirez has been the WBA No. 1 contender since this past January. He is also rated No. 6 by the WBO and No. 12 by the WBC. Rumors were flying around that Rodriguez was ready to relinquish his three super flyweight crowns and would move up in weight to challenge one of the world bantamweight champions.

Recent reports have Rodrigez, who was also a unified flyweight world champion, moving up to challenge WBA secondary bantamweight world champion Antonio Vargas (18-1-1, 11 KOs) on June 13. However, Rodriguez is not giving up his super flyweight title belts, at least not right now, because he’s also leaving the door open to fight Japan’s undisputed junior featherweight king Naoya “Monster” Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs), who faces former IBF and WBC World Bantamweight Champion Junto “Big Bang” Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) on May 2^nd in Tokyo.

Where does that leave “Scrappy”?

Good question!

Wilbaldo Garcia Perez (23-6-2, 13 KOs) is the reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight World Champion, but Ramirez isn’t rated among the top 15 by the IBF to be eligible to fight Perez, who is scheduled to defend his title on June 6 versus Andrew Maloney (28-4, 18 KOs).

The first time he was the No. 1 contender in the WBA, “Scrappy” accepted a fight with David Jimenez (18-1, 12 KOs) for the vacant WBA Interim Super Flyweight Championship. Ramirez simply wasn’t ready for that challenge. The more experienced Jimenez gave “Scrappy” the lone loss of his pro career in their title fight, back on April 20, 2024, by way of a 12-round unanimous decision. Jimenez, though, was committed to his April 20^th fight against Ayumu Sano (11-0-1, 5 KOs) that was recently canceled.  

A match versus future Hall of Famer Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (53-4, 42 KOs), the 5-time, 4-division world champion from Nicaragua, who is ranked No, 2 by the WBA, is certainly appealing to Rameriz, but the 38-year-old Gonzalez has only fought once in each of the past two years.

Slim pickings are left for Ramirez, who understands the need for his continued patience.

“It’s not an easy task,” Ramirez admitted. “All of these questions will be answered in time. I can’t fight the unknown. I’ll keep training hard, eating right, and surrounding myself with good people. I’m grateful to my promoter, Golden Boy, for giving me the right opportunities, as well as my manager (David Shu, 3 Point Management), who has gotten me the best fights available since I turned pro . And, of course, my trainer, Julian Chua, who I see more of than anybody in my life. I see him every day and he’s sacrificed so much for me. Remember, he doesn’t get paid unless I fight. Boxing is his life and I’m so lucky to have somebody all-in like Coach, who cares so much about all his fighters. This is the life I chose and I’m really enjoying it.”

Ramirez, 29, last fought this past January 16^th, in which he won a 10-round decision over Byron Rojas (29-5-3, 12 KOs).

? 

“Scrappy” is managed by 3 Point Management (3 PM), which has a growing stable of gifted boxers including WBA & WBO Cruiserweight World Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs), WBA No. 1-rated world super flyweight title contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez (14-1, 9 KOs), former WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (21-3, 17 KOs), former WBA Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Champion, WBA No. 5-rated super middleweight Darius Fulghum (14-1-1, 12 KOs), Canadian Kareem “Supreme” Hackett (13-1, 7 KOs), Armenian featherweight Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (23-6, 17 Kos), and German junior welterweight Simon “Saucy” Vollmer (7-0, 3 KOs).

INFORMATION:

Website: www.3pointmanagement.com

Facebook: #JohnRamirez #JulianChua #BrickhouseBoxingClub

Instagram: @Scrappyboxing @3pointmanagement @BrickhouseBoxingClub @Julian_Chua

X: @Scrappyboxin @JChua10

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 17, 2026) – Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez will challenge Antonio Vargas for the WBC World Bantamweight title at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday June 13, exclusively live worldwide on DAZN.

Rodriguez (23-0 16 KOs) is gunning to become a three-weight World champion in

Arizona and does so in a venue that holds happy memories for the Texas star, with Bam unifying the Flyweight division with a stunning stoppage win over Sunny Edwards in December 2023. The 26 year old had already enjoyed huge success in the state, with his first World title win coming at the Footprint Center in Phoenix in February 2022 when he defeated Carlos Cuadras to become Super-Flyweight king and returned to the same venue in June 2024 to stop Juan Francisco Estrada to become the WBC and The Ring champion at Super-Flyweight.

That win over Estrada was the first of a run of four big wins inside the distance for Bam, destroying Pedro Guevara in Philadelphia to retain the WBC and The Ring titles in November 2024, then stopping Phumelele Cafu in Frisco, Texas in July to add the South African’s WBO title to his collection, before claiming another strap at 115lbs in Saudi Arabia in November with another spectacular win over WBA champion Fernando Martinez.

Vargas (19-1-1 11 KOs) is the man standing in the way of Bam’s quest for more history in the desert, and the 29 year old can catapult himself into the elite if he can become the first man to beat Bam.

The Florida-based Texan has been elevated to full WBA champion for the second time, having previously landed the interim title in December 2024 against Winston Guererra in Florida and being elevated before defending the strap in Japan against Daigo Higa in July, with their back-and-forth humdinger ending in a draw. Vargas became champion in recess after a fight with former champion Seiya Tsutsumi was postponed for a third time, but the Japanese has now been placed into the same position after being unable to face Vargas at the fourth attempt, and Vargas now elevated once again.

“New weight class, same goals – dominate and pick up all the belts,” said Rodriguez. “On June 13, I look forward to becoming a three-division World Champion.”

“Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and

that’s exactly why I took this fight,” said Vargas. “These are the moments champions live for. I respect his skill, his IQ, everything he brings to the ring. I look forward to defending my WBA World title and I’m ready to prove that I’m one of the best fighters in my weight class.

“I’ve worked my entire life to become a World champion, and I’m going to defend it with everything I have. I’m focused, I’m prepared, and everyone is going to see the best version of myself. But most of all I fight to glorify Jesus Christ”

“This is another fantastic fight for the best schedule in the sport,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “We were delighted to announce earlier the extension to our long-term deal with Jesse, and yet again, he has chosen to reach out for greatness and become a three-weight World champion, which would be an incredible achievement at just 26 years of age.

“Antonio is a very talented fighter and has been waiting for a big fight to prove it – and there are few bigger challenges in the sport than taking on Bam. Every time we do a show in and around Phoenix there’s always fireworks, and fans can expect nothing less on June 13.”

Announcements on the undercard and ticket on sale dates will be made in due course.

By Norm Frauenheim

Marinate, a promotional euphemism for momentum, is either another tiring tease, or an early way to test public interest, or a little bit of both in a recipe that leaves hungry fans wanting but never getting.

The current example: Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez-versus-Naoya Inoue.

There’s more talk than ever, perhaps because of Junto Nakatani’s disappointing decision over Sebastian Hernandez last month in what was supposed to be a convincing steppingstone to Nakatani-Inoue.

Nakatani was left with a bruised right eye and perhaps a bruised resume, yet he survived, still unbeaten for a fight long planned to be the biggest in Japanese history. According to multiple reports — one from Boxing Scene this week and another from the World Boxing Council, the long-planned bout is projected to be on May 2, a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Tokyo.

News of the projected date was also accompanied by a poll conducted by The Ring. Who would you rather see, Nakatani-Inoue or Rodriguez-Inoue?

The timely question was prompted by Nakatani’s problematic performance Nov. 22 in the former bantamweight champion’s first fight at 122 pounds.

Fans, never a patient demographic, apparently have seen enough. Already, it looks as if they’re ready to cast aside Nakatani-Inoue for Rodriguez-Inoue. Seventy-three percent would prefer Bam in the ring against the feared Inoue instead of Nakatani.

The poll, like all polls, could mean just about anything. It also might be unfair to Nakatani, an accomplished fighter who struggled at a new weight against a dangerous foe virtually unknown outside of Mexico. It happens.

It also gives Nakatani more to prove, perhaps enough to make him more dangerous to Inoue than ever. Lessons delivered, lessons learned. That happens, too.

Still, surprising questions are there, left in the wake of his controversial victory. Left there, too, is an affirmation of the emerging interest in Bam, whose move up the pound-for-pound ratings has put the San Antonio fighter among the top five, consistently behind only Inoue and heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk.

Although hard to judge, a poll is one possible ingredient in a fight that might do more than just marinate. Maybe, it resonates. Maybe, it happens. Let’s say that Inoue beats Nakatani as decisively as he has beaten so many others. Then, there could still be questions about his claim – lifelong ambition — on pound-for-pound supremacy. Answers might be there only in a date with Bam.

For now, at least, there are already betting odds on Bam-Inoue, still marinating in the public imagination. Inoue is a solid favorite, minus 550.

In the collective mind of many fans, however, the odds of the fight ever happening are longer. Quit talking about it, they say. It’s a waste of time, they say, because the size difference is too big. Bam is a unified Super-Fly champion, fighting at 115-pounds, seven fewer than Inoue, undisputed at junior-feather (122).

But consider this: The 5-foot-4 Bam and 5-5 Inoue both started at the same weight, junior-flyweight, 108 pounds. The “Bam-is-too-small-for-Inoue” argument sounds a lot like “Inoue is too small for Nonito Donaire.’’

The “too small” Inoue beat Donaire, scoring a unanimous decision, at 120 pounds, in the 2019 Fight of the Year. In 2022, he backed it up, scoring a second-round stoppage of Donaire.

The more significant difference is in that other seven – the years that separate them in age. Bam will be 26 on January 20; Inoue will be 33 on April 10.

The pressure builds with every second on that unforgiving clock, especially for Inoue. It’s no secret that smaller fighters have careers shorter than those in the heavier divisions. Through interpreters, he has hinted at retirement in 2027.

That’s next year, which means the Bam-Inoue marination could be at full boil in about six months.      

David Benavidez retained the WBC Light Heavyweight title with seventh round stoppage over Anthony Yarde at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In round seven, Yarde began to bleed from his mouth and nose. Late in the round the pressure of Benavidez took over as he scored a knockdown from a non stop flurry of punches. Benavidez finished off Yarde when he continued he ferocious assault that was capped off by two left hooks on the chin and the fight was stopped at 1:59.

Benavidez, 174.3 lbs of Phoenix is 31-0 with 25 knockouts. Yarde, 173.9 lbs of London is 27-4.

Haney Drops, Decisions Norman; Wins Welterweight Title

Devin Haney became a three-division world champion as he won the WBO Welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Brian Norman Jr.

In round two, Haney dropped Norman with a hard left hook to the head that was followed by a crushing right.

Haney, 146.6 lbs of Miami won by scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 114-113 and is now 33-0. Norman, 146.12 lbs of Decatur, GA is 28-1.

Jesse Rodriguez Knocks Out Fernando Martinez To Unify 115 Lb. Title

Jesse Rodriguez is now the WBA/WBC/WBO 115-pound champion with a 10th round stoppage over Fernando Martinez.

In round 10, Rodriguez landed a perfect left counter on the jaw that sent Martinez down for the count at 1:27.

Rodriguez, 114.6 lbs of San Antonio is now 23-0 with 16 knockouts. Martinez, 113.2 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 18-1.

Mason Decisions Noakes to Win Vacant WBO Lightweight title

In a terrific back and forth brawl, Abdullah Mason won the vacant WBO Lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Sam Noakes

In round three, Noakes began to bleed around the left eye due to a clash of heads. In round four, Mason was cut under the right eye.

Mason, 134 lbs of Cleveland won by scores of 117-111 and 115-113 twice and is now 17-0.. Noakes, 134.9 lbs of Kent, ENG is 17-1.

At 21, Mason is now the youngest world champion.

Mielnicki Jr. Stops Nmomah in 9

Vito Mielnicki Jr. stopped Samuel Nmomah in round nine of their 10-round middleweight bout.

In round nine, Mielnicki landed a perfect counter right that hurt Nmomah. Mielnicki followed that up with a flurry that was punctuated with a left that put Nmomah hard on the canvas and the fight was stopped at 3:09.

Mielnicki, 159.1 lbs of Roseland, NJ is 22-1 with 13 knockouts. Nmomah, 159.6 lbs of Lagos, NIG is 21-1.

Mohammed Alakel remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Jiaming Li in a junior lightweight bout.

In round five, Alakel dropped Li at the end of the frame with a perfect counter right to the head.

Alakel, 131.6 lbs of Riyadh, SA won by scores of 60-53 on all cards and is now 7-0. Li, 132.4 lbs of Zho Hi, CHN is 7-6.

Julio Porras and Pius Mpenda fought to a six-round draw in a super middleweight bout

All three cards read even at 57-57.

Porras, 167.9 lbs of Sonora, MEX is 13-0-1. Mpenda, 166.12 lbs of Tanzania is 11-4-2.

In round five, Porras began to bleed from his nose.

Mohammad Alohammad stopped Umash Chavan in the opening round of their four-round junior lightweight bout

Alomohammed dominated and landed a flurry in the corner that forced Chavan to turn his back and the fight was stopped at 2:05.

Alomahammed, 129 lbs of Riyadh is now 2-0 with one stoppage. Chavan, 129.9 lbs of Mapusa, IND is 3-2.

Juan El Guerito De Pito made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Barker Sswanyama in a bantamweight fight.

In round four, Ssewanyana was deducted a point for holding.

The 16-year-old De Pita, 116.9 lbs of Mexico City won by scores of 40-35 on all cards and is 1-0. Sswanyama, 115.3 lbs of Uganda is 1-2-1.

By Norm Frauenheim

Jesse Rodriguez stands out for what he doesn’t do in a business otherwise full of gasbags and so-called influencers who pontificate more than punch.

Bam, a nickname, is the loudest thing about Rodriguez, a fighter as business-like as he is quiet. But don’t mistake the silence. Call him soft-spoken at your own peril. Many have, and all have been left senseless, if not speechless.

Rodriguez owns boxing’s proverbial bully pulpit, dominating with relentless pressure and precise punching. At ringside, there’s an old line about volume punching. That volume is how Rodriguez expresses himself. He turns it up — loud and lethal, then turns it down – clever and calculated – with a maestro’s sense of tempo that often ends in a beat down.

He answered Sunny Edwards’ trash-talking, unsupported allegations about PEDs with a punishing stoppage. A couple of fights later, Edwards retired, saying he no longer had the will to fight on. In response to the taunts, Rodriguez beat it out of him in a way only he could deliver.

After Edwards, he got up from a knockdown for a brutally efficient stoppage of accomplished Juan Francisco Estrada June, 2024 in Phoenix. Estrada waived a rematch clause, which was his way of saying a second chance offered no chance.  He has fought only once since then.

Quiet, but impossible to ignore, an unfolding run to the top of a contentious game continues, this time in Riyadh Saturday when the 25-year-old Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs) attempts to add another piece to his Super Fly crown against Fernando Daniel Martinez, a 34-year-old Buenos Aires fighter, also unbeaten (18-0, 9 KOs).

Predictably, perhaps, the emerging Rodriguez has been getting less attention than anybody else on the Saudi card. It’s been built around David Benavidez and his aspirations to become the so-called next face of the game. For now, it all depends on if the Phoenix-born-and-forged fighter prevails in a light-heavyweight title defense against London’s Anthony Yarde.

Then, there’s Devin Haney in a fight to reassert himself and his place against welterweight belt-holder Brian Norman

Jr. on boxing’s developing marquee for 2026.

Rodriguez hasn’t exactly been ignored. But he goes into Saturday’s bout with credentials that neither Benavidez nor Haney has. In every pound-for-pound rating, he ranks higher. Only on the scale is he smaller. In any other world, he’s a main-event fighter, capable of drawing crowds of 10-to-12,000 in Phoenix or San Antonio, his hometown.

In Riyadh, he’s on the DAZN undercard, the second prelim on the four-fight live-stream topped by Benavidez-Yarde.

It’s reasonable to argue that an emerging pound-for-pound contender on an undercard isn’t good for the overall business. Why not Phoenix, or San Antonio, or any other city in the Southwest? Fans there have been left behind, almost forgotten. Forget them, and eventually nobody gets paid.

It’s a complaint that this corner in Arizona hears with mounting frequency. But it’s not one you’ll hear from Rodriguez, still quiet and ever stoic. He’s there for the Saudi money. It’s huge and it comes at an important time in Rodriguez’ life.

Rodriguez, already the father of an 18-month-old daughter, is expecting a son. He missed media workouts Wednesday in Riyadh. Instead, he monitored social media, an anxious dad awaiting his son’s birth on the other side of the world.

“We knew that our fight was gonna end up a day after his birth, so I was telling my girlfriend (Rebecca) to hold him as long as she can,’’ Rodriguez told SunSport in Riyadh. “But just before I came over here, they had mentioned that he might be born either tonight (Wednesday) or tomorrow (Thursday). This is all for them at the end of the day.’’

Motivation to fight, he went on to say, was now rooted in the need to provide for a growing family.

“I have to put food on their plates and toys in their playpen,’’ he said, a quiet man saying it all.

By Norm Frauenheim

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez’ rocket-like rise in the pound-for-pound debate and overall name recognition comes with a lot of risk, including the inevitable temptation to look too far ahead.

Actually, it’s not even a temptation anymore. It happened in Rodriguez’ last fight. Saudi Prince and Promoter Turki Alalshikh signed and announced his next fight before he had even answered the opening bell before his last one.

News of Rodriguez’ title unification date against dangerous Argentine Fernando Martinez Nov. 2 in Riyadh was all over social media in July long before Rodriguez took care of business, scoring a 10^th-round stoppage of South African Phumelela Cafu in Frisco, TX. Bam, he’s reliable, too.

But here’s the caveat: History is littered with examples of young fighters thinking more about what’s next instead of looking out for the incoming power punch thrown in the here-and-now. It’s a trap. Yet, it’s one that Rodriguez, mature beyond his 25 years, understands with a quiet, almost unnerving poise. The future is a feint. Rodriguez, already among the top five in several pound-for-pound rankings, hasn’t been fooled by it.

Yet, it’s here, all over again, this time in news that Junto Nakatani is expected to vacate his bantamweight titles, the 118-pound International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council belts. Boxing Scene reports that Nakatani will announce his move up to junior-featherweight in a recording for WOWOW’s Excite Match SP series early next week.

The move opens the door for Rodriguez, already a champion at flyweight and super-fly, to win a third division title. First, however, he has to add a third piece of the super-fly title against Martinez to the growing collection of hardware draped across his shoulders. By all accounts, he’s a huge favorite, minus-1000, according to Fan Duel.

The expectation – and Bam has fulfilled them all so far – suggests that that he would move up, perhaps pursue one of the two belts vacated by Nakatani or one of the two held by the other two champions. Antonio Vargas is the World Boxing Association’s version and Yoshiki Takei the World Boxing Organization’s.

Nakatani’s expected decision to move up the scale isn’t a surprise. The top-10 pound-for-pound fighter had been calling out Bam before a stoppage of Ryosuke Nishida June 8 in Tokyo. Then, however, there was silence about Bam from the Japanese fighter who trains in Southern California.

There had been various reports that Bam and Nakatani had agreed to fight. But the reported possibility was quashed by Akihiko Honda, the powerful “Mister Honda” of Teiken Promotions.

The long-range plan has always been an all-Japanese showdown between Nakatani and super-star Naoya Inoue, ranked alongside Oleksandr Usyk and Terence Crawford among the top three in the current pound-for-pound debate. Inoue faces a challenging date in Murodjon Akhmadaliev for Inoue’s undisputed 122-pound belt Sept. 14 in Tokyo.

Then, there are reported plans for Inoue to keep sharp in a stay-busy fight against Mexican Alan David Picasso in December before a long-anticipated showdown against Nakatani next year.

According to sources in Japanese media, Mister Honda didn’t want a Nakatani-Bam fight to get in the way – perhaps risk – Inoue-Nakatani, a fight projected to break revenue records in Japan. It makes sense.

The timing of Nakatani’s move up would allow him a fight or perhaps two to get familiar with the new weight.

Meanwhile, it would allow Rodriguez to further his own reputation and perhaps move ever closer to his own shot at Inoue in a bout that is climbing up the list of “dream fights” as quickly as Bam is moving up the pound-for-pound ratings.

Oscar Valdez going home

Former two-division champion Oscar Valdez Jr. (32-3, 24 KOs) is going back to where it all started. Top Rank announced he’ll face Ricky Medina (16-3, 9 KOs) Sept. 6 in his hometown, Nogales, on the Mexican side of the border it shares with Arizona.

It’ll be the first time Valdez, an ex-champ at featherweight and junior-lightweight, will fight as a pro in the Sonoran city where he was born.

Valdez is fighting for the first time since a punishing loss to Emanuel Navarrete in a rematch last December in Phoenix. Before and after the loss, there was talk that Valdez would retire. But former Mexican Olympian, known for his no-quit mentality, has decided to fight on.

“Oscar Valdez is a proud warrior, and this is a great opportunity for him to return home and prove he still has what it takes to contend at 130 pounds,” Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum said. “Oscar has been with Top Rank since he turned pro, and we are in his corner as he attempts to become a three-time world champion.”

By Norm Frauenheim

Yesterday, today and tomorrow played out on a three-sided weekend last Saturday that summed up what boxing has been, is now and might soon become.

Manny Pacquiao brought the golden-oldie nostalgia. Oleksandr Usyk re-asserted himself as the best of this era and maybe a few others. And Jesse Rodriguez provided another preview at what could be next.

It’s hard to say just who made the biggest statement. Pacquiao’s enduring celebrity dominated the headlines and perhaps contributed to some of the frustration over the scorecards for his majority draw with Mario Barrios, who retained his welterweight title with a second successive draw. Maybe, there’s been some erosion in the 46-year-old Filipino’s skillset, but his likability is intact, as powerful as ever.

“Manny, Manny’’ chants filled the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena like a memorable lyric from an old pop song. I’m not sure he’ll ever be a welterweight champion again, but he’ll always be remembered more than the collection of forgettables among today’s belt-holders.

Pacquiao, who talked about a rematch with Barrios and already is mentioned as a possible challenger for Rolly Romero’s belt, reminds us of what we miss. There’s a huge risk there. He could get hurt. But he’ll fight on, and a Pied Piper-like crowd is sure to follow.

Pacquiao’s immense popularity is matched by what Usyk has in terms of respect for his discipline and smarts. He’s an undisputed heavyweight champion all over again with his stoppage of Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium.

It’s not exactly clear what undisputed means anymore. Acronyms get in the way with so-called mandatories and hollow threats to strip. Already, the World Boxing Organization is ordering Usyk to defend its piece of the heavyweight puzzle against Joseph Parker. 

Usyk hasn’t replied and doesn’t have to, of course. It’d be nice if these self-proclaimed ruling bodies quit issuing orders and just showed Usyk some mandatory respect. He’s a great champion, whose unbeaten record over 24 bouts is notable for what it doesn’t include. He’s never had a pro fight in his home country, war-torn Ukraine. Yet, he fights on, winning with an unerring instinct. To wit: He knows what he’s doing.

The stoppage of Dubois in a rematch has generated a lot of talk about how he would have done against the all-time greats in boxing’s fabled division. Even Muhammad Ali’s name has been dropped into the conversation. Who knows? It’s a fun argument, but it’s impossible to compare fighters from different generations.

I’m not even sure he’s the greatest Ukrainian heavyweight ever. Shouldn’t Wladimir Klitschko and brother Vitali Klitschko, now the major of Kyiv, be included in the conversation? I’m sure Usyk himself would mention them. Then again, Usyk knows something about respect for history, Ukrainian and boxing.

It’s not exactly clear what Usyk does next. Parker is an okay fight, but it doesn’t bring anybody to the edge of their seat or to a live-stream audience. At 38 – 39 in January, Usyk will be exiting his prime, a stage that Pacquiao left long ago.

In terms of prime time during last week’s triple-header, there was only Rodriguez, a poised and master tactician who continued to fulfill everything it means to be Super Fly by unifying the 115-pound belt with a 10^th-round stoppage of Phumelele Cafu in Frisco, Texas.

Rodriguez’ victory got less attention than Pacquiao and Usyk, but at one level it was the most significant bout of the three.

At 25, Rodriguez is 21 years younger than Pacquiao, 13 years younger than Usyk. Pacquiao and Usyk are moving on. So, too, is the way we watch boxing. ESPN is leaving ringside with its last Top Rank show Saturday featuring unbeaten Puerto Rican junior-middleweight Xander Zayas against Mexican Jorge Garcia in New York at The Theater in Madison Square Garden.

How we watch, who we watch is about to change.

Enter Bam, a nickname that Rodriguez manages to fulfill nearly every time he answers an opening bell. To be fair, it was hard to judge the Cafu victory. Cafu, a South African, was fighting in the United States for the first time after scoring a notable upset of Kosei Tanaka in Japan for a belt last October.

The circumstances dictated that Rodriguez do more than just win. He had to be brilliant. He was, delivering a methodical beatdown that led to a 10^th-round knockout at Ford Center on the Dallas Cowboys complex.

Short-term, it set up what had already been announced – Bam in a bid for a third Super Fly belt against Fernando Martinez Nov. 22 in Riyadh on a card that includes Phoenix-born David Benavidez in a light-heavyweight defense against Anthony Yarde.

Long-term, it puts Rodriguez a little bit closer to what has been a dream fight for a couple of years. On the pound-for-pound ratings, Rodriguez’ last victory put him within talking – if not striking – distance of Japanese star Naoya Inoue, the current junior-featherweight champion who is a consensus No. 2, second to Usyk.

Rodriguez, who jumped into the pound-for-pound debate with a stoppage last June of accomplished Juan Francisco Estrada in downtown Phoenix on the Suns home floor, is a consensus No. 5 in ratings released this week.

Bam’s victory over Cafu prompted his promoter, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, to put him at No. 2, ahead of Inoue, who is not among Hearn’s favorites. He’s ripped Inoue for a resume that – Hearn says – includes weak opposition. His criticism of Inoue might have helped land Inoue’s next opponent, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, Sept. 14 in Nagoya, Japan.

It’s no coincidence that Hearn also represents Akhmadaliev. It’s also no coincidence that Hearn publicly ranks Bam ahead of Inoue. Some early negotiations – opening salvos — have already begun.

A lot still has to fall into place if in fact Bam-versus-Inoue has any chance at ever happening. Inoue is projected to fight Mexican Alan David Picasso, perhaps in December.

Then, there’s Junto Nakatani, a unified bantamweight champion living and training in southern California. Just a couple of months ago, Nakatani had been calling out Bam. But that talk ended, abruptly, after Nakatani stopped Ryosuke Nishida June 8 in Tokyo.

Nakatani-versus-Inoue has been at the top of the want-to-see list for Japanese fans. It’s also at the top of fights most wanted by Japanese promoter Akihiko Honda, known simply as Mr. Honda.

Multiple sources in Japanese media and boxing circles told The Boxing Hour that Mr. Honda told Nakatani to forget about a fight with Bam any time soon. The reasoning is as clear as it is solid. Mr. Honda doesn’t want to risk Nakatani-Inoue, a fight expected to generate record receipts in Japan. In part, that’s an acknowledgement of just how dangerous – how good – Bam is.

The path is still there, if Inoue beats Akhmadaliev, Picasso and then Nakatani. There are doubts he can, in part because of the way he was knocked down by little-known Ramon Cardenas in Las Vegas May 4.

Cardenas floored him in the second round. Inoue went on to win by TKO in the eighth. But there’s talk that Inoue would not have been able to get up if the knock-down punch had been delivered by Nakatani, who’s noted for his power.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez has to beat Martinez and then continue to win as he moves up the scale, first to 118 pounds and then 122.

A lot still has to happen. Last Saturday, a lot did.

NOTES

Thanks to emerging Mesa, AZ junior-welterweight Trini Ochoa (21-0, 9 KOs) for helping kids get ready for school while also helping the old-school boxing gym, Central, in downtown Phoenix (1755 West Van Buren Street) Saturday. Ochoa there (9 am to noon) to sign autographs, pose for pictures, pass out school supplies and help the famed gym raise funds for repairs to fix some vandalism on a mural, a west-facing wall covered with faces and memories from Arizona’s rich boxing history

Jesse Rodriguez retained the WBC/WBO Super Flyweight title with a 10th round stoppage over Phumelele Cafu at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Rodriguez dominated the fight against the rugged challenger. In round 10, Rodriguez landed a right hook that hurt Cafu. Rodriguez followed up on the challenger with a flurry of punches that wobbled Cafu. Cafu tackled Rodriguez and both fighters fell to the canvas. When Cafu got up, his corner waved the towel at 2:07.

Rodriguez, 1148. lbs from San Antonio is 22-0 with 15 knockouts. Cafu, 115 lbs of Eastern Cape, SA is 11-1-3.

Rodriguez will fight a unification bout with Fernando Martinez on November 22nd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Pacheco Decisions McCumby

Diego Pacheco remained undefeated with a 12-round unanimous decision over nTrevor McCumby in a super middleweight bout.

In round two ,McCumby was cut on his forehead between his eyes from an accidental headbutt.

Pacheco, 168 lbs of South Central Los Angeles won by scores of 120-108 and 119-109 twice and is now 24-0. McCumby, 168 lbs of Glendale, AZ is 28-2.

Ammo Williams Stops Ivan Vazquez in 9

Austin Williams stopped late-replacement Ivan Vazquez in round nine of their scheduled 10-round middleweight bout.

In round three, Williams was deducted a point for a low blow.

In round nine, Williams landed a hard body flurry that put Vazquez down. When Vazquez got to his feet, he told the referee that he did not want anymore and the fight was called at 36 seconds.

Williams, 158.4 of Houston is now 19-1 with 13 knockouts. Vazquez, 159.6 lbs of Houston is 11-1-2.

Omari Jones Stops Blanco in 3

Omari Jones stopped Alfredo Rodolfo Banco in a scheduled six-round junior middleweight bout.

Just before the bell sounded to end round two, Jones landed a check left hook that put Blanco on the canvas, In round three, Jones dropped Blanco with a body shot and the fight was stopped at 1:31.

Jones, 149.4 lbs of Orlando is 3-0 with three knockouts. Blanco, 150.2 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG is 24-15.

Hector Beltran Jr. took out Edgar Gutierrez in round three of a scheduled four-round junior middleweight bout.

Beltran dominated the action and in round three, Beltran landed a big flurry of punches that forced a referee stoppage at 2:35.

Beltran Jr., 154 lbs of Dallas is 3-0 with three knockouts. Gutierrez, 153.4 lbs of Yuma, AZ is 3-4.

Nshant Dev stopped LaQuan Evans in the sixth and final round of their junior middleweight bout.

In round six, Dev landed two hard lefts on Evans and the body language of Evans looked as he was in trouble and the bout was stopped at 1:58.

Dev, 155.8 lbs of Karmal, IND is 3-0 with two knockouts. Evans, 156.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 5-6.

Pablo Valdez remained undefeated with a third round stoppage over Robert Redmond Jr. in a junior middleweight bout.

In round three, Valdez dropped Redmond with a short right hand. Seconds later, it was a bigger right hand that put Redmond down again, and the fight was stopped at 1:00.

Valdez, 156 lbs of New York is 10-0 with nine knockouts. Redmond, 154.2 lbs of Houston is 8-3-2.

Coming off a blockbuster weekend in New York City, DAZN, the world’s leading sports and entertainment platform, is continuing its action-packed summer of boxing this week with a doubleheader of championship contests, including a clash of the titans for the undisputed heavyweight championship from London. The fights never stop on DAZN, with over 185 coming to fans this year from the world’s top promoters. 

WBA, WBC, and WBO Champion Oleksandr Usyk steps back into the ring against IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois this Saturday, July 19 in London’s Wembley Stadium live exclusively on DAZN PPV. It is a rematch from their 2023 encounter that saw Usyk win by stoppage in round 9. That bout was not without controversy, as Dubois still claims that his 5th round low blow was a legal punch, which the referee allowed Usyk nearly 4 minutes to recover from. 

Following Usyk – Dubois,  eyes will turn back to the United States for a super-flyweight unification fight with WBC beltholder Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (21-0) returning to his home state of Texas to take on South Africa’s WBO champion Phumelele Cafu (11-0-3) beginning at 7pm ET.

Below, please find a schedule of all the media activities happening in London this week that viewers can find on DAZN:

• Wednesday, July 16, 11 AM ET: Open Workout Livestream
• Thursday, July 17, 8 AM ET: Press Conference Livestream
• Friday, July 18, 10 AM ET: Weigh-In Livestream
• July, 19, 12:30 PM ET: DAZN Broadcast begins

SOCIAL

• Oleksandr Usyk’s INTENSE training camp in Spain | DAZN On the Ground
• Daniel Dubois wants revenge! DAZN On the Ground
• “I love my British opponents” | Oleksandr Usyk interview with Carl Frampton
• I Know I Can Do It Again! | Daniel Dubois Interview With Carl Frampton
• Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois 2 | The Debate
• Rob Beckett steps into the ring with Daniel Dubois, what could possibly go wrong? 
• The mind games have begun. 
•  What factors will determine the outcome of Usyk vs. Dubois 2? Let’s look at the numbers via @rtfight_com
• ?????? ????? ?? with @dynamite_daniel_dubois 

Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams can take a massive step towards his World title dreams as he takes on Etinosa Oliha in a final eliminator for the IBF World Middleweight title at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Dallas on Saturday July 19 – part of the undercard for the unification blockbuster between WBC and Ring Magazine Super-Flyweight champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and WBO ruler Phumelele Cafu, live worldwide on DAZN.

TICKETS FOR BAM VS. CAFU ARE ON SALE NOW VIA SEATGEEK.COM

Williams (18-1 10 KOs) has moved into #6 spot with the IBF after picking up back-to-back wins over Gian Garrido in Philadelphia in November before headlining in Florida and seeing off Patrice Volny in March. ‘Ammo’ used those wins to bounce back from a spirited loss to Hamzah Sheeraz in Saudi Arabia a year ago and now faces the IBF #1 contender with a World title shot within reach.

Oliha (21-0 9 KOs) has climbed seamlessly into the top spot with the IBF and the Italian now takes on the biggest fight of his seven-year career on his American debut. The unbeaten 26 year old operated exclusively on home turf in the first 16 fights of his career but has won his last five fights on the spin in Germany to move into the lofty position he aims to protect in the Lone Star State.

“One year ago, I found myself in the darkest space of my life, losing beloved family members, followed by suffering my first defeat as a professional pugilist,” said Williams.

“Three fights later, I find myself in position to become the #1 Middleweight in the world once again.

“This time around, everything is aligned. I have proven to myself that I am a true champion, before I have the World Championship belt around my waste. July 19 we are bringing it back to my roots, Texas, where it all began. Relentless, unwavering, educated pressure will be exerted on my opponent until I completely break him, sending him back to Italy a changed man. This fight will not go the distance.”

“I’m very motivated and looking forward to July 19,” said Oliha. “Austin Williams is the last step before a World title shot. I am very confident that I will take this chance.”

Arturo Cardenas moves down to Bantamweight on July 19, and he takes on Dominique ‘Dimes’ Crowder for the WBC Continental Americas and WBA Continental North Americas titles. Cardenas (16-0-1 9 KOs) drops to 118lbs after a fine run at Super-Bantamweight, where the 24 year old recently held the WBC Continental Americas title, and will be looking to make an immediate impact on the World rankings at his new weight by seeing off his toughest test to date in Crowder.

Former amateur star Crowder (18-0 11 KOs) has cruised to 18-0 in the paid ranks, and the two-time New York Golden Gloves champion now looks to shift into title contention on his biggest stage to date and land his first pro titles in Frisco.

“I’m thrilled to add two more brilliant fights added to what promises to be a massive night of action in Frisco,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Ammo has bounced back brilliantly to get himself into this position, and this is now the biggest night of his career against the very dangerous Oliha – with the winner lining up a shot at World title glory.

“Arturo’s clash with Dominique is a cracker, with the Mexican talent looking to excel at a lower weight, while ‘Dimes’ gets the big stage he’s been craving to turn that amateur pedigree into success in the paid ranks.

“With pound-for-pound star Bam in another unification battle, Diego Pacheco looking to underline his World title credentials and Team USA’s Olympic bronze medal man Omari Jones back in action, July 19 will be a memorable night.”

Ammo vs. Oliha and Cardenas vs. Crowder join a stacked night of action in Frisco, topped by Bam’s battle with Cafu.

Unbeaten Super-Middleweight sensation Diego Pacheco defends his USWBC and WBO International Super-Middleweight titles against Trevor McCumby, while Team USA’s Olympic bronze medal man Omari Jones fights for the third time in the paid ranks, taking on Alfredo Blanco over six rounds.

Jesse Rodriguez wants to become the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the sport – and believes that starts by winning his unification showdown with Phumelele Cafu for the WBC, WBO and Ring Magazine Super-Flyweight titles at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Saturday July 19, live worldwide on DAZN.

TICKETS FOR BAM VS. CAFU ARE ON SALE NOW VIA SEATGEEK.COM

Rodriguez (21-0 14 KOs) is looking to unify at Super-Flyweight having done so at Flyweight in spectacular fashion against Sunny Edwards in Arizona in December 2023, following that win by collecting the belts he puts on the line against unbeaten South African Cafu (11-0-3 8 KOs) with a stunning KO win over Juan Francisco Estrada in the same state last June to become a two-time Super-Flyweight ruler.

The San Antonio ace fights in his home state for the first time since he became a two-weight World champion April 2023 when he collected the vacant WBO Flyweight strap, and has fought at the Ford Center before, moving to 11-0 there in February 2020.

‘Bam’ has certainly shot to superstardom since that night, but the ambitious 25 year old has more targets in mind, starting with unifying once again on July 19 and looking to become undisputed and climb to the top the list of the best fighters on the planet.

“I would love to be number one pound-for-pound,” said Rodriguez. “There’s a lot of bragging rights being there, and I feel that I can go so far forward from where I am currently at.
 
“I’m never satisfied, there’s always more to gain and win, so I can go ten times higher from here. I would love to go undisputed, so that’s two more fights at 115lbs, so we’ll see how it pans out.
 
“It’s bad ass seeing the smaller weights shine. When I was an amateur, it was Chocolatito that was doing it and I was like ‘Damn, this is cool,’ so for me to be in the same position, it means a lot. 
 
“I’m so happy to be fighting in Dallas, it’s great to fight back in my home state, I’m happy to be back home.”
 
Rodriguez’s clash with Cafu tops a stacked card in Frisco, with the chief support bout of the evening pitting the explosive and unbeaten Diego Pacheco defending his USWBC and WBO International Super-Middleweight titles against Trevor McCumby, while Team USA’s Olympic bronze medal man Omari Jones fights for the third time in the paid ranks, taking on Alfredo Blanco over six rounds, with much more action to be added to the card in due course.

By Norm Frauenheim

Staying busy and staying relevant are a couple of fundamentals, both of which will be at the top of Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez agenda on a jammed July 19 when he re-acquaints himself with his Texas fans in a bid to further define himself as boxing’s only Super Fly in a 115-pound unification bout.

Rodriguez won’t exactly have the stage to himself. In a forever balkanized game further fractured by feast-or-famine scheduling, Rodriguez’ will be scrambling for attention on a day when heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will defend his undisputed title in a rematch against Daniel Dubious at London’s Wembley Stadium and 46-year-old legend Manny Pacquiao will attempt another comeback in his first bout in four years against welterweight champion Mario Barrios in Vegas. 

The mid-summer triple-header is happening amid uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of the much-hyped Terence Crawford-Canelo Alvarez spectacle,  which at last report is penciled in — keep your eraser at the ready — for September 13 instead of Sept. 12.

As of midday Friday, there was still no announcement of a new location, which originally had been the Raiders home field at Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. The silence is deafening. Also bewildering, unfair to fans and fighters. Then again, it’s also business as usual, which is to say it’s still a mess.

The good news is that none of it seems to bother the business-like Rodriguez, whose skillset includes just about everything other than distractions bought on by feuding promoters or social media’s trash-talk. 

Simply put: Bam does his job. He did it in a devastating response to non-stop taunts from Sunny Edwards, whom he put on the canvas in a defeated heap in a Phoenix suburb in December 2023. He did it again, this time in response to doubts about his youth and experience against accomplished Juan Francisco Estrada, whom he stopped with a tactical masterpiece last June, also in Phoenix. 

The victory over Estrada launched him into another category. It put him into the middle of the pound-for-pound debate, outside of the Naoya Inoue-Usyk-Crawford perch, yet still within striking distance. 

Staying there — as well as busy — is the task on July 19 when Rodriguez attempts to add the Word Boxing Organization’s 115-pound version of the title to his collection in Frisco TX, about 300 miles up I-35 from his home in San Antonio. 

Rodriguez is fighting somebody named Phumelela Cafu, a South African who will be fighting for the first time in the United States. 

Other than a stunning upset — a debatable split-decision over Kosei Tanaka last October in Japan for the WBO belt, the 30-year-old Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KOs) is unknown. That’s what makes him dangerous. That’s also why many will be watching Usyk-Dubois and Pacquiao-Barrios instead. But that’s also business, something Rodriguez (21-0,14 KOs) has also shown he understands.

Rodriguez is coming off a year when much of his momentum in the wake of his triumph over Estrada has stalled. It’s not his fault. But that, too, is business.

It started when Estrada decided not to enforce a rematch clause. He said he was moving up in weight. Truth is, it was more like moving away. Estrada simply didn’t want to fight Rodriguez again. 

It sent a message, first to Ramon Gonzalez, the best known name in the lightest divisions. Rodriguez’ management couldn’t talk Gonzalez into a fight.

Then, there’s Fernando Daniel Martinez, the World Boxing Association’s 115-pound champion. After Martinez took the WBA title from Kazuko Ioka with a unanimous decision in Japan a week after Bam stopped Estrada, there were reports that there were talks of a unification fight with the Argentine. 

Then, however, Estrada announced he didn’t want the rematch and Gonzalez declined to fight Rodriguez. Instead of Rodriguez, Martinez opted for a rematch with Ioka, which he won by another unanimous decision, again in Japan May 11.

There were other circumstances, still it’s beginning to look as if Rodriguez is a contender for Most Avoided, a title nobody wants. Ask Phoenix-born light heavyweight champion David Benavidez, who futilely chased Canelo Alvarez for years and now is hoping for a real shot at some validation of his World Boxing Council belt in a first defense against the Dmitrii Bivol-Artur Bivol 3 winner.

For Rodriguez, Martinez continues to loom as a possibility. But Benavidez, who was given the WBC belt when Bivol acceded to promotional demands and agreed to a third Beterbiev fight, looms as an example of what he and every other avoided fighter must do no matter what happens:

The job.

Rodriguez, who easily scored a stoppage of Pedro Guevara in support of a Jaron Ennis-featured card in Philadelphia in November, fights on, this time in search of a belt that might give him some leverage with promoters, networks and — above all — fans.

A year ago, there was talk of Rodriguez against Inoue, who is coming off a dramatic stoppage of another San Antonio fighter, Ramon Cardenas in Vegas May 4. Then, Bam-versus-The Monster was a Dream Fight. Still is, but the talk has subsided. 

Inoue, undisputed at junior-featherweight and facing a risky date against Murodjon Akhmadaliev Sept. 14 in Japan, is still talking about a move to featherweight, despite suffering an early knockdown against Cardenas at junior-feather. Inoue’s decision figures to be made by how he does against the dangerous Akhmadaliev.

Even then, however, an all-Japanese fight awaits, Inoue against bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani, who has been training in Los Angeles for a 118-pound unification bout against Ryosuke Nishida June 8 in Tokyo. 

The good news for Rodriguez is that Nakatani continues to say he wants to fight Bam. Nakatani trainer Rudy Hernandez set the stage for one by calling out Bam this week during a media workout at LA Gym.

“Junto beats Bam, 100 percent, within six to eight rounds,’’ Hernandez told The Ring. “We’ll knock him out. I am confident about it, but that’s my opinion. It’s not personal.

“It’s business.’’

Bam’s business, too.

World rulers Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Richardson Hitchins face crunch clashes in the summer live worldwide on DAZN – as WBC and Ring Magazine king Bam faces WBO champion Phumelele Cafu in a blockbuster unification battle at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on July 19 and Hitchins makes the first defense of his IBF World Junior-Welterweight crown against former World ruler George Kambosos Jr at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 14.
 
Rodriguez (21-0 14 KOs) is back in action following a stellar 2024, where he followed his epic KO win over modern great Juan Francisco Estrada in a fight of the year contender in Phoenix in June to become a two-weight unified champion, and defended the titles for the first time in Philadelphia in November with a dominant three-round destruction of Pedro Guevara, and fights in his home state for the first time since he became a two-weight champion by beating Cristian Hernandez in his San Antonio hometown in April 2023.
 
Cafu (11-0-3 8 KOs) puts his belt on the line for the first time after taking the crown from Kosei Tanaka in Tokyo in October via split decision. ‘Truth’ now steps into one of the biggest fights in the game in just his second World championship bout, with the South African landing his belt in just his 14th pro-outing.
 
“I’m excited to finally step back into the ring,” said Rodriguez. “I cannot wait to fight in front of my home state fans. I’m looking forward to unifying in another weight division.
 
“I know Cafu is a tough opponent, but these kinds of fights bring out the best in me and I’ll be ready for whatever he brings. July 19th tune in and witness greatness.”
 
“This is awesome, man, because once again I get to step in with an elite fighter and prove the world wrong, showing people that I’m also an elite fighter,” said Cafu. “I’ve always wanted to fight him because people think he is the bogeyman of the division and say he is unbeatable, but I’ll prove to the people that no one is unbeatable. Beating him will put me on the pound-for-pound list, and I will be King of the division.”
 
“We’re proud to once again welcome the world of boxing to The Star in Frisco for what promises to be another unforgettable night,” said Stephen Jones, Chief Operating Officer, and Co-Owner of the Dallas Cowboys. “Hosting a fight of this magnitude between Bam Rodriguez and Phumelele Cafu reflects our continued commitment to bringing premier sporting events to our fans and community. We greatly value our ongoing partnership with Matchroom Boxing and are excited to help deliver another iconic event at The Star.”
 
The first undercard bout to be announced on the Bam-Cafu show is a big one, with the co-feature of the night pitting LA Super-Middleweight sensation Diego Pacheco faces Trevor McCumby.
 
Pacheco (23-0 18 KOs) is closing in on his first World title shot, and the #1 contender with the WBO will be aiming to add another scalp to his resume following an impressive showing in Las Vegas where he saw off Steven Nelson.
 
McCumby (28-1 21 KOs) will have other ideas though as the Arizonan looks to get back on track for a World title tilt of his own. The 32 year old floored former World ruler Caleb Plant in the fourth round of their clash in Las Vegas in September, but Plant would stop McCumby in the ninth round to claim the interim WBA strap.
 
“I’ve been working my entire life to get to this point in my career where im facing the best fighters in the world,” said Pacheco. “Ahora si ya empezó lo bueno y venimos con todo y por todo.”
 
“I’m very excited to be back,” said McCumby. “There’s a lot of hype behind my opponent, that I will put to rest. The world hasn’t seen the best Trevor McCumby and I plan show them come fight night #Tenacious.”
 
Hitchins (19-0 7 KOs) returns home to New York for the first defense of the title that he won with a clinical performance against Australian Liam Paro in Puerto Rico in December. The unbeaten 27 year old is back in the Big Apple for the first time since February 2023 where he dominated John Bauza, with his last two wins seeing his shut-out Jose Zepeda in Orlando in September 2023 before he set up his World title shot against Paro with victory in a final eliminator over Gustavo Lemos in Las Vegas last April.
 
Kambosos Jr (22-3 10 KOs) has very fond memories of the venue too, with the Australian returning to the scene of his greatest night, where he became the king at 140lbs by stunning Teofimo Lopez in November 2021. ‘Ferocious’ returned Down Under where he twice met Devin Haney in Melbourne before welcoming Vasiliy Lomachenko to Perth, with a victory over Maxi Hughes in Oklahoma. The 31 year old claimed the 22nd win of his pro career in March against Jake Wyllie in Sydney and will look to become a two-time World ruler against Hitchins.
 
“June 14, NY we are here baby!” said Hitchins. “The 140lb king returns home, headlining my first show at MSG, as a World champion. Just saying it aloud gives me chills. I dreamed of moments like this as a kid and now we are here.
 
“George Kambosos is not on my level. Never has been, never will be. He’s talked himself into this fight, and now he’s going to pay the price for running his mouth. He had the biggest win of his career and crowning moment in this building, and on June 14 I end his career in that same building.
 
“This is my time, my division, and I plan on putting on a spectacular performance and showing the world that I am one of the best fighters on the planet.”
 
“The stars align again, history always repeats, I head back to a place I created legacy at, a home where I may be regarded as an underdog again but a familiar place that i thrive in,” said Kambosos Jr.
 
“I stand 2-0 at Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena, and on June 14, I will make it 3-0 when I rip Hitchins’ belt off him and break his will, take his heart and ruin his undefeated career.
 
“He has never been in a fight with a fighter like me, I have stepped to the absolute best, a resume unlike any. This is my 6th World title fight. I’ve built countless experience and at my new weight of 140 pounds I feel tremendous and very motivated to become a two-weight World champion.
 
“He likes to talk for a man that deep down hasn’t achieved much, so I look forward to taking him to a place he has never been and seeing how much of the talk is real and how much of it is fake like others in the past. See you June 14, Shitchins”
 
Before two blockbuster nights in America, two shows hit DAZN at the end of May. There’s a mouthwatering World title fight in Yokohama, Japan as Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez and Masanori Rikiihsi clash for the vacant IBF World Super-Featherweight title at Yokohama Buntai, Yokohama on Wednesday May 28, live on DAZN in the UK, USA, Canada and throughout Europe.
 
Nunez (27-1 27 KOs) travels to the land of the Rising Sun for his first World title fight, as the Mexican knockout merchant and IBF #1 locks horns with Rikiishi (16-1 11 KOs) who himself is on a five-straight KO win tear.
 
Three days later, Matchroom return to Mexico on Friday May 30 as Manuel Gallegos and Khalil Coe clash in a rematch for the WBC USA Light-Heavyweight title at Arena Alcalde in Guadalajara, live worldwide on DAZN.
 
Gallegos (21-2-1 18 KOs) and Coe (9-1-1 7 KOs) first met in November in Philadelphia where the Mexican ripped the title from the New Jersey talent with a ninth-round stoppage, and they will tussle for the strap again next month, this time on the champions home turf.
 
Two hometown favorites are in action with Gabriel Valenzuela (30-4-1 17 KOs) fighting over ten rounds at Super-Lightweight and WBO Latino Bantamweight champion Christian Medina (24-4 17 KOs) kicking off the night on DAZN.
 
“This is another brilliant slate of fights on the home of boxing, DAZN,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Bam is a pound-for-pound superstar of the sport at such a young age, and he is primed to unify once again against a tough foe in Cafu, while it’s another big showcase for Diego to underline his readiness to face the World rulers.
 
“Richardson was fantastic against Liam in Puerto Rico but now the hunter becomes the hunted, and George is returning to the scene of his greatest triumph to rip up the script against New York’s only World champion.
 
“I cannot wait to be in Japan to see the vicious ‘Sugar’ Nunez claim the World title against Rikiihsi and then head to Mexico for a pivotal night in the career of Khalil Coe, as he rematches Gallegos.”
 

PHILADELPHIA–It was a little tougher this time, but Jaron Ennis defended his IBF Welterweight title with his second 12-round unanimous decision over Karen Chukhadzhian in almost two years. This time it took place at Wells Fargo Center in Ennis’ hometown of Philadelphia.

The first bout, which took place in January of 2023 saw Ennis cruise to a 12-round shutout in a bout that saw Chukhadzhian bascally run around the ring and not engage. This time Chukhadzhian tried his best and at times have success landing on Ennis. Ennis landed more often and harder and used a two-fisted attack from bot the orthodox and southpaw stances.

In round five, Ennis landed a solid upper cut that put the challenger on the canvas. There were several times that Ennis had Chukhadzhian on the brink of trouble, but the Ukranian was able to fend off just enough to keep further damage from incurring.

In round 10, Chukhadzhian was deducted a point for holding. Chukhadzhian was gritty, but was out gunned by the much more dynamic Ennis.

Ennis landed 224 of 730 punches. Chukhadzhian was 173 of 622.

Ennis, 146 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 118-109, 117-110 and 116-111 to push his record to 33-0. Chukhadzhian, 146 1/2 lbs from Kiev, UKR is 24-3.

After the match, Ennis offered an honest review: “My performance was okay. I don’t know, it might be time to go to 154. I felt good, but I feel at 154 I’m going to be way better…I was prepared for anything he had coming; it didn’t really matter to me.”

“After I dropped [Chukhadzhian] I felt like he was holding ever since then. That’s on me though, I needed to take half a step back, rip those shots, use my angles, and just listen more. My dad was saying everything right and I just wasn’t listening.” 

“It means everything, I appreciate everybody that came out and showed their support, even though it wasn’t a top guy. Every time I fight here it’s going to get bigger and better,” said Ennis on fighting in front of his home crowd for the second straight bout.

Bam Rodriguez Stops Guevara in 2

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez defended the WBC Super Flyweight title with a second round stoppage of Pedro Guevara

In round two, Rodriguez landed a hard left that put Guevara on the canvas. Seconds later, Rodriguez landed a perfect right uppercut on the chin that put Guevara down and the fight was stopped at 2:47.

Rodriguez, 114.8 lbs of San Antonio is 21-0 with 14 knockouts. Guevara, 114.4 lbs of Sinalba, MEX is 42-5-1.

Speaking after the fight, Rodriguez commented, “I’m pretty happy, but I kind of already knew it was going to happen that way. It is what it is. On to the next. I really didn’t expect that [his movement]. I really thought he was going to stand there and fight a little bit more.”

When asked what’s next for him, Rodriguez added, “I feel good, this is my weight class right now. Got a few more fights here and then we’ll see where we go from there…Any unification fight, I’m ready right now.”

Ray Ford Drops Orlando Gonzalez Twice; Cruises to Unanimous Decision

Former Featherweight World Champion Raymond Ford scored two knockdowns en route to a 10-round unanimous decision over Orlando Gonzalez in a junior lightweight bout.

In round two, Ford landed a perfect right hook to the jaw that deposited Gonzalez under the bottom rope.

In round eight, Ford dropped a now bloodied (from the nose Gonzalez with another perfect right hook to the jaw.

Ford landed 171 of 481 punches. Gonzalez was 35 of 297.

Ford, 130 lbs of Canden, NJ won by scores of 100-88 twice and 99-89 and is now 16-1-1. Gonzalez, 130 lbs of Aguildila, PR is 23-3.

“I feel like the fight tonight went really well,” said Ford. “I just wanted to close the show and get him out of there. This win means a lot to me. It gets me higher in the 130-pound rankings so I can eventually get a shot at a world title.”

Gallegos Scores Four Knockdowns; Stops Coe in 9

Manuel Gallegos scored the biggest win of his career as he stopped Khalil Coe in round nine of their 10-round light heavyweight bout.

In round five, Gallegos dropped Coe with a left to the body. Coe furiously came back and hurt Gallegos with several hard right hands. In round seven, Gallegos hurt Coe with an uppercut and floored him with a right hand to the head. In round eight, Gallegos sent Coe down again with a left hook to the body along the ropes. As soon as the ninth bell rang, Gallegos went directly at Coe and dropped him with a combination and referee Eric Dali stopped the bout at seven seconds.

Gallegos, 174 lbs of Los Mochis, MEX is 21-2-1 with 18 knockouts. Coe, 175 lbs of Jersey City, NJ is 9-1-1.

Reflecting on his preparation coming into the fight, Gallegos said, “This is a very good division, so I had to train hard. I had a long training camp up in Monterrey with my friends there. I have to thank my trainers that put me through my paces, and I think you saw the fruits of that labor of my long preparation in the ring tonight.”

He added, “I don’t know what’s next but I’m open to all options. I’ll let my promoter, and my team decide, but I’ll face whoever they put in front of me. I’m ready. I’ll stay at this weight. I like the 175-pound division – a lot of opportunities at this weight.”

Ammo Williams Takes out Garrido in 5

Austin Williams stopped Gian Garrido iin round five of their eight-round middleweight bout.

The right eye of Garrido began to swell in round two.

In round five, Williams battered Garrido all over the ring and then landed a booming left that forced referee Harvey Dock to stop the bout at 1:04.

When asked how Williams felt to have a win back under his belt he responded, “Man I feel amazing. I’m a champion. I’m a true champion in every sense of the word…I just came to make a statement and let y’all know I’m back, I’m a champion, and I’m coming for that world championship. Anybody at my weight can get it.

Ismail Muhammad remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Nelson Morales in a welterweight contest.

Muhammad, 145.8 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 6-0. Morales, 145.8 lbs of Scranton, PA is 5-19.

Morales was cut around the left eye in the fourth round.

PHILADELPHIA--Zaquin Moses made a successful debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Michael Ruiz in a super featherweight bout.

Moses, 129.6 lbs of Newark, New Jersey is the cousin of Shakur Stevenson, won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 1-0. Ruiz, 129.6 lbs of Lacey Township, NJ is 1-5.

When asked about entering the ring for the first time as a professional, the three-time national amateur champion replied, “It was a learning experience. This was my first fight, so it was all new to me, the eight ounce [gloves] was new to me, fighting with no headgear was new to me. I never fought without headgear before. I like it better than the amateurs.”

Dennis Thompson opened the night with a second round stoppage over Edgar Ortiz Jr, in a scheduled four-round super bantamweight bout.

Thompson battered Ortiz all over the ring until Eric Dali stopped the bout at 2:59.

Thompson, 121.8 lbs of Philadelphia is a stablemate of Jaron Ennis is now 3-0 with two knockouts. Ortiz, 121.2 lbs of Phoenix is 8-6-2.

“I feel like I was calm in this fight, I was able to put my shots together and I worked on my speed and combinations in this fight,” said Thompson. 

LIVE ON BEFORE THE BELL FROM 5.15PM ET4 x 3 mins Super-Bantamweight contest

DENNIS THOMPSON (121.8lbs)      vs.          EDGAR ORTIZ JR. (121.2lbs)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania                                 Phoenix, Arizona

Followed by

4 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest

ZAQUIN MOSES (129.6lbs)  vs.          MICHAEL RUIZ (129.6lbs)
Newark, New Jersey                                    Lacey Township, New Jersey

Followed by

6 x 3 mins Welterweight contest

ISMAIL MUHAMMAD (145.8lbs)       vs.          NELSON MORALES (145.8lbs)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania                                 Scranton, Pennsylvania

LIVE ON DAZN FROM 7PM ET

8 x 3 mins Middleweight contest

AUSTIN WILLIAMS (162.2lbs) vs. GIAN GARRIDO (162.2lbs)
Houston, Texas                                Queens, New York

Followed by

10 x 3 mins USWBC Light-Heavyweight title

KHALIL COE (175lbs)                vs.          MANUEL GALLEGOS (174lbs)
Jersey City, New Jersey                              Los Mochis, Mexico

Followed by

10 x 3 mins WBA Continental North American Super-Featherweight title

RAYMOND FORD (130lbs) vs. ORLANDO GONZALEZ (130lbs)
Camden, New Jersey.               Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

Followed by

12 x 3 mins WBC World and Ring Magazine Super-Flyweight titles

JESSE ‘BAM’ RODRIGUEZ (114.8lbs) vs. PEDRO GUEVARA (114.4lbs)
San Antonio, Texas.                                      Sinaloa, Mexico      

Followed by

12 x 3 mins IBF World Welterweight title

JARON ENNIS (146lbs)              vs.           KAREN CHUKHADZHIAN (146.6lbs)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania                          Kiev, Ukraine

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has sent a warning to his fellow World champions by saying believes he’s not even shown half of what he is capable of in the ring as he prepares to defend his IBF World Welterweight title against Karen Chukhadzhian on Saturday night (November 9) at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, live worldwide on DAZN – on a stacked card where Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez defends his WBC World and Ring Magazine Flyweight titles against Pedro Guevara.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW VIA TICKETMASTER.COMEnnis (32-0 29 KOs) steps back through the ropes in his hometown arena for the second time following a spectacular homecoming night in July, where he forced David Avanesyan to retire after five rounds in the first defense of his title.

The 27 year old’s clash with mandatory challenger Chukhadzhian (24-2 13 KOs) will be a rematch of their fight in January 2023, where Boots pitched a shut-out in Washington DC. Chukhadzhian has notched three wins since then to move into the mandatory position for Ennis’ belt, but in the build-up to tomorrow’s return, the Philly star promises that the fight will look very different to the first bout now that he’s back having fun again – which is bad news for his fellow title holders in 2025 if he sees the Ukrainian off.

“In the first fight with Chukhadzhian,” said Ennis. “It was just me getting away from having fun. My mindset was just knockout, knockout, knockout. You can’t go into a fight like that, and I never usually do, I just go in, have my fun and put on a show. But that whole training camp, I wasn’t enjoying it, I was just thinking ‘I’m here to hurt everybody’ and that’s how I was in the gym, and it wasn’t good.

“Once I got back to having fun, you could see afterwards I was having my fun and when I do that, the stoppages come, don’t look for it. So, it was nothing about him, he’s got nothing I’ve not seen before, it’s all about me. I just thought ‘I’m going to knock this guy out’, you can’t go in there like that, you have to listen to the game plan, but I didn’t do that. So that performance is all on me, nothing to do with him. What I did from the seventh to the 12th rounds is what I should have done from the start, jabbing to the body, and every time I did cut him off, I was rushing my work. There’s a lot of things from that fight – but I’ve learned, and that’s what matters.

“The key to success is just having fun, that’s it. You have to listen, stay behind the jab and things like that, but the main key is having fun – if you do that, it makes camp better, the fights better, everything, it just flows.

“I think you’ve only seen 35-40 per cent of me so far for real, for real, I haven’t had to go into my bag to do anything yet. When the opposition gets better, I think it brings more out of you, but who knows, just because a guy is good, it doesn’t mean he’s going to do anything towards me, I might beat him easy.

“I want to be an all-time legend, one of the best ever to do it. I don’t feel that I really have to prove anything, I’m just doing what I need to do for myself, my family and my legacy. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone.

“I want to unify and collect the belts, but it’s OK, we’re staying busy and we’re dealing with the mandatory, and that’s going to keep me rolling, keep my name out there, keep my skills and talent going up, so everything is OK.

“It’s out of my hands, I did the best that I could behind the scenes to make the fights happen, but it’s OK, we’re going to meet these guys. I think they are lacking confidence, they don’t believe in themselves, because they know what’s in front of them, that Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is in front of them, a different type of monster, a different type of beast, the king of the 147lbs division. They know what comes with that.

“I’m tired of talking about Crawford. I’ve been trying to get that fight but I don’t worry about that now, we’re tried multiple times. They don’t want the fight, so people need to go and ask them. I’ve tried, but I don’t care anymore, he’s chasing who he’s chasing, I’m focusing on what I’ve got going on right now – but it’s always going to be ‘yes’ on my side.

“Everyone wants to see it, but I get tired of talking about it because right now it doesn’t look realistic as he’s calling out Canelo and stuff like that, so it is what it is. I’ll fight anyone, anywhere, it doesn’t matter to me.”

Boots and Bam headline a stacked night of action in Philadelphia, with former World champion Raymond ‘Savage’ Ford will return to action up at Super-Featherweight when he takes on Orlando Gonzalez, Light-Heavyweight talent Khalil ‘Big Steppa’ Coe takes on Manuel Gallegos, Ernesto ‘Tito’ Mercado makes his Matchroom debut against Jesus Saracho over ten rounds at Super-Lightweight and Austin Williams returns to the ring over eight rounds at 160lbs against Gian Garrido.

Boots Promotions duo Dennis Thompson and Ismail Muhammad return to the ring, and there’s a debut on the card for the hotly-touted Zaquin Moses, the cousin of pound-for-pound superstar Shakur Stevenson, stepping through the ropes for the first time over four rounds at Super-Featherweight.

Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez says he knows he has to be on his game tomorrow night to set up a stellar 2025, as he prepares to defend his WBC World and Ring Magazine World Flyweight titles against Pedro Guevara at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday November 9, live worldwide on DAZN, on a night where he shares top billing with local star Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis on the top of the stacked card, as Ennis defends his IBF World Welterweight title against mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW VIA TICKETMASTER.COM

Bam (20-0 13 KOs) has already recorded a career-best performance in 2024, knocking out Juan Francisco Estrada in seven thrilling rounds in Phoenix in June, to add the Mexican legend’s name to that of Sunny Edwards, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras to the San Antonio starlets impressive CV.

In Guevara (42-4-1 22 KOs), Bam faces another Mexican foe that will be giving everything to rip the belts away. The former WBC Light-Flyweight champion landed the interim WBC World Super-Flyweight title with an impressive away day win over Andrew Maloney in Perth, Australia in May, and the vastly experienced 35 year old can become a two-weight World ruler with victory tomorrow night, and the champion is all to aware of the threat the challenger poses.

“I know that this is a very dangerous fight,” said Rodriguez. “It’s a huge opportunity for him, probably the biggest of his career, so he’ll be hungrier than ever to take what I have. But I don’t see anyone beating me, I’m on a different level mentally and physically, so on November 9 you’ll witness me putting on another show.

“This is an important fight because there’s huge things that can happen if I can beat him. I’m taking this just as seriously as my recent fights. Whatever people say I don’t let it get to me, whether it’s good or bad. I know Pedro is going to come with everything, winning this fight can change his life, but sorry to him, I’m not going to let that happen. My life is in a good position right now, so to even perform badly is going to look bad on me. I’m coming to shine on November 9.

“I know he’s never been stopped but I believe I can stop him. If I want to look good and make a statement, I’m going to go out there and look to stop him.

“I have to get past this fight first but the goal is to go for undisputed in 2025. I’m taking this fight as seriously as ever, training my ass off like any other fight, we’re going to handle business and then we can talk about 2025. 

“You don’t want to miss this because Boots and I are two of the best fighters in boxing and on November 9 we’re going to go out and perform and shine. You’re going to witness a great show from the both of us. And Still.”

Boots and Bam headline a stacked night of action in Philadelphia, with former World champion Raymond ‘Savage’ Ford will return to action up at Super-Featherweight when he takes on Orlando Gonzalez, Light-Heavyweight talent Khalil ‘Big Steppa’ Coe takes on Manuel Gallegos, Ernesto ‘Tito’ Mercado makes his Matchroom debut against Jesus Saracho over ten rounds at Super-Lightweight and Austin Williams returns to the ring over eight rounds at 160lbs against Gian Garrido.

Boots Promotions duo Dennis Thompson and Ismail Muhammad return to the ring, and there’s a debut on the card for the hotly-touted Zaquin Moses, the cousin of pound-for-pound superstar Shakur Stevenson, stepping through the ropes for the first time over four rounds at Super-Featherweight.

By Norn Frauenheim-

Matchroom is calling it Two Kings, which is a couple of face cards from Four Kings, George Kimball’s terrific book about a four-way rivalry that has become a reference point in boxing history. 

Many aspire to be the next Four Kings. But there will never be another four quite like Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran.

Still, half of the famed four is a pretty good hand, a bet that will pay off for promoter Eddie Hearn if welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis and super-fly champ Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez achieve all of their advertised potential. 

The pair will be there Saturday — each an emerging champion in a doubleheader show of main events —  at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on a DAZN card that figures to provide a promising look, rare these days in a sport desperate for young stars.

Ennis is 27 and Rodriguez 24, which makes them about a generation younger than Tyson Fury, 36, and Oleksandr Usyk, 37, the middle-aged players in the much-hyped heavyweight rematch December 21 in Saudi Arabia. 

Fury-Usyk is a step toward retirement. Ennis-versus-Karen Chukhadshian and Rodriguez-versus-Pedro Guevara are about who’s next. What’s next.

Make no mistake, Fury-Usyk 2 is still intriguing. But some of the anticipation has faded. It’s a little bit stale, a lot like one of Fury’s jokes.

In Ennis and Rodriguez, there’s the unlimited optimism that comes with youth. That also creates a problem, at least it does for the unbeaten Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs), a huge talent fans hope to see and rivals hope to elude. 

Ennis’ versatile skillset has been evident for a couple of years. It’s also been impressive enough to put him on top of the list for most-avoided, a problematic category. 

It’s not a good place to be, an ongoing dilemma that has led to a rematch with Chukhadshian (24-,1 KOs), who in 2023 lost a one-sided decision to Ennis in Washington DC.

A sequel is not something anybody really wants. Fans were thinking more about Terence Crawford or maybe Vergil Ortiz. It’s no secret that Ennis has wanted to fight Crawford, a former undisputed welterweight champion who won a junior-middleweight belt in his last appearance. 

But the accomplished Crawford has shown no interest in a challenging date with the younger man. In media interviews this week, Ennis has said he’s moved on, beyond the Crawford possibility. He said he has tried to talk Errol Spence and/or Keith Thurman into fighting him. Apparently, no takers there either.

“It is what it is,’’ Ennis told reporters. “I’m going to be great, regardless.’’

The path to being great, however, is tricky. Ennis, who will be fighting in hometown Philly for the second straight time, can only get there if he proves himself to be a draw — at the box office and on live-stream telecasts. 

That’s where Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) enters the equation, a main-event fighter whose drawing power became evident in his last fight before a roaring crowd of about 10,000 in downtown Phoenix in late June. 

That’s when he stopped Juan Francisco Estrada in a masterful performance. It was also a victory that allowed him to add to his nickname. Bam is also “The Legend Slayer.’’ 

For Rodriguez, the stop in Philly against the 35-year-old Guevara (42-4-1, 22 KOs) is a step toward proving he can be a legend as well as a slayer. Also, it’s an opportunity for him to affirm the emerging stardom that was

evident at Footprint Center, the Suns NBA home in downtown Phoenix. 

If Bam can prove to be a draw in Philly, Ennis’ resume could get some important leverage, a card that would also strengthen Hearns’ hand at the table.

The Two Kings: Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, and their respective opponents, Karen Chukhadzhian and Pedro Guevara, held their final press conference at the 2300 Arena today ahead of their world championship bouts on Saturday, November 9 live on DAZN (7 p.m. ET) worldwide from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. 

IBF Welterweight World Champion Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs), who forced David Avanesyan to retire after five rounds in front of his hometown fans in July, returns to the Wells Fargo Center to face his mandatory challenger. “Bam” Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs), who defends his WBC World and Ring Magazine Super-Flyweight titles, has surged into the top ten of the pound-for-pound rankings following a sensational knockout of Juan Francisco Estrada in Phoenix, Ariz. in June, solidifying his place among the sport’s elite and reaffirming his status as a must-watch fighter. 

The undercard features former world champion Raymond “Savage” Ford making his return at super featherweight to face Orlando Gonzalez. Light Heavyweight prospect Khalil “Big Steppa” Coe will take on Manuel Gallegos, while Ernesto “Tito” Mercado steps into the ring for his Matchroom debut against Jesus Saracho in a 10-round Super Lightweight clash. Austin Williams returns to action for an eight-round middleweight bout against Gian Garrido. 

Also in action, Boots Promotions’ Dennis Thompson and Ismail Muhammad, alongside rising star Zaquin Moses, cousin of pound-for-pound sensation Shakur Stevenson, who makes his pro debut in a four-round super featherweight contest. This is what they had to say:

EDDIE HEARN

“I think that because of the work we do around the world we have the best roster in boxing. It’s a little unfair because we’re the only global promotion company. In America we have the best stable in boxing. You look at the talent on this card, this is one of the most beautiful fight cards you can see on Saturday night. Of course, you have the two kings, Jesse and Boots, but beneath that you have Ray Ford, Gonzalez, that’s a brilliant fight. Khalil Coe, that’s a future world champion. “Ammo” Williams, Tito Mercado in a war. You have Zaquin Moses making his debut, it’s just stacked with talent and I’m very privileged and honored to be a part of these young mens careers. I’m also very privileged to promote in the wonderful city of Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.”

JARON ENNIS

“I’m not going to lie, he’s getting knocked out on Saturday. We’re gonna have some fun, we’re gonna put on a show. It doesn’t matter what he does, we’re going to put on a show and make a big statement Saturday night. We’re gonna have a party.”

“I’m going to have my fun and put on a show. I’m going to just be me and dictate the fight. It’s my ring, he’s in my world.”

“My main focus right now is Karen Chukhadzhian and after I make a big statement Saturday night in knockout fashion, it’s undisputed. Bring me my belts.”

KAREN CHUKHADZHIAN

“I’m ready for Saturday night as the last two years we have worked so hard and have got better each day. I’m going to show my improvements to people. Of course I’m going to fight him (Ennis) you will see a great fight. I’m here to be a world champion and that’s why I’m here and to prove it to people.”

JESSE RODRIGUEZ

“To share the card with “Boots” Ennis, one of the best in all of boxing, is an honor and a huge opportunity to expose my career to the East Coast fans. I’m just blessed to be sharing a card with Boots at the end of the day”

PEDRO GUEVARA

“I really prepared for this bout as I’ve been waiting for this many times. I’m prepared physically and mentally for this bout and I know Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is a great fighter and the best in the division and we want to be an honorable opponent for him. We don’t take this easily and I respect this sport and my opponent. Boxing is a beautiful sport right now.”

RAYMOND FORD

“Every fight is a must win fight, it doesn’t matter who it is. It can be someone you just picked up off the street, it’s a must win. I’m excited to be back in Philly, I haven’t been back here since my pro debut. I get to fight in front of my friends, my family, and my true supporters.”

“I feel like I’m the big dog in the division now and I just got here, but it’s up to me Saturday night to handle business and focus solely on Orlando Gonzalez. I have to take care of him and then I can get these other big fights.”

“I feel like [Gonzalez] is scared. When he gets in there with top notch competition he folds up… I’m gonna punish him”

ORLANDO GONZALEZ

“I’m a different kind of fighter. He is moving up to 130 lbs and this is going to be a walk in the park. This is going to be a real fight, so I invite every fan around the world that watches DAZN and Matchroom Boxing, as well as all the Puerto Ricans in the area to come here and wave your flag because Wells Fargo Center is going to be all us Saturday night.”

“I grew up sparring against a southpaw, so bringing another southpaw into the ring is nothing different for me. I know [Ford] has experience and is a former world champion, but I have the talent, I have the heart, and for Puerto Ricans boxing is a culture. We came here to win. We didn’t come here just to put on a good fight. We’re here to win.”

KHALIL COE

“I know he’s coming to fight and he’s tough, but I’m ready to go to war. He’s going to bring the fight to me and that’s what I want. We are going to see if this is a step up come Saturday. I got accustomed to the professional life and living the lifestyle of boxing. It’s not just when the fight comes I get ready, it’s a lifestyle that I have to do everyday.” 

MANUEL GALLEGOS

“People say my opponent is a monster and I get that, but we are totally prepared for that and even more. The way I feel now and everything that goes into making the weight and the effort I put into it has helped me feel stronger than I previously did.”

ERNESTO MERCADO

“Saracho is just another step in my way and I want the big names such as Paro vs. Hitchins and the winner of that. It’s all about taking care of business on Saturday night. I appreciate Saracho taking this fight on Saturday night because he’s going to get knocked out. I’m looking for bigger names. Anything that Saracho tries to do to make it more difficult for me on fight night we are ready for it.”

JESUS SARACHO

“Whenever a Mexican goes into the ring, it’s a case of you not being able to take your eyes off the TV. I think this is going to steal many eyes and people to watch this fight on Saturday. This is an opportunity to show what I can do and I think I am going to move on to bigger things.”

AUSTIN WILLIAMS

“This feels like a pro-debut number two. I’m coming back stronger from everything I learned, the highs, the lows, my team, everybody with me, and it’s important to know these things as we take this next chapter all the way to the top. I am one of the original guys that started with Matchroom and to see that loyalty reciprocated makes me feel great and excited to give you a big show on Saturday.”

ISMAIL MUHAMMAD

“I can’t wait, I’m more than blessed to have this opportunity to showcase my talent on this big platform and put on a show come Saturday night.”

“It’s important to fight here and get grounded here just to have the city behind you, knowing that this is your biggest support system being at home. It’s big. It’s amazing.”

ZAQUIN MOSES

“I’m ready to show the world that there is a new face in boxing. I’m ready to show my skills.”

“We push each other, we work hard, and Raymond Ford he pushed me to every limit… Shakur, he gave me the advice that I need. I’m blessed.”