One of the most exciting fighters in boxing returns to action when Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez defends his WBC and Ring Magazine super flyweight titles against Pedro Guevara on November 9 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The 12-round bout will serve as the co-main event to the Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian rematch and will be broadcast by DAZN.
WATCH: Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez vs. Pedro Guevara, live on DAZN
Bam (20-0, 13 KOs) is coming off a brilliant seventh-round knockout win over Mexican boxing legend Juan Francisco Estrada in June. Despite being largely dominant in the bout, the 24-year-old lefty suffered the first knockdown of his career in a sensational sixth round before bouncing back to score a one-punch body shot finish.
“I think that was my best performance to date, not only with the way I handled ‘El Gallo’ but his fans as well,” said Bam in a recent interview with The Sporting News. “El Gallo is a great fighter, he’s a legend of the sport, and he’s been in there with the best. It was an honor to share the ring with him.
“[The knockdown] wasn’t embarrassing. It was unexpected, so I had a bit of a smile on my face. I was fine and it was a flash knockdown. I still got up and won the round, I believe. It’s boxing and it happens. I learned my lesson not to get careless and to listen to my coaches at all times. It’s just a learning experience.”
The plan initially was for a direct rematch and given the quality of the action in fight one, no serious fan would have complained. However, Estrada soon reneged on the idea and Bam now views their rivalry as closed. “I feel like that’s in the past and I don’t see us ever getting in the ring again,” he said.
Estrada’s withdrawal left Bam without a dance partner and that’s been filled by another Mexican veteran, Guevara, who is coming off a 12-round split decision victory over Australia’s Andrew Moloney in May. A former WBC light flyweight champ, the 35-year-old enters as a huge underdog despite his glistening 42-4-1 record.
“I’m taking this fight just as seriously as any other I’ve been in,” Bam insisted. “This kind of fight is just as dangerous as my past two fights [against Sunny Edwards and Estrada] because [Guevara] has nothing to lose.
“I did see a little bit of his fight against Moloney and he’s a tough fighter. He’s looking at his fight as a great opportunity to change his life, to change his family’s life, but I feel like I’m on top of my game and no one can beat me. Come November 9, I’m going to show that I’m one of the best in boxing.”
While Bam is frequently linked to money-spinning showdowns with Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, both of those Japanese warriors reside in higher weight classes. For now, super flyweight is the division that Bam calls home and the pound-for-pound star forward to the rematch between WBA counterpart Fernando Martinez and Kazuto Ioka.
“I watched the first fight and it went back and forth,” said Bam. “I feel that Ioka fought the wrong fight, and he might box a bit better in the rematch. But you can’t take anything away from Martinez; he went into Ioka’s backyard and took it from him. That says a lot. I’m excited to watch that rematch and see where things go from there.
“I feel good making weight. I have another year at 115 and in that year, I feel like I can take care of business and become undisputed.”
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To become undisputed at super flyweight, Bam would have to face the Martinez vs. Ioka 2 winner, take down newly minted WBO champ Phumelela Cafu, and acquire the IBF title which Martinez was forced to surrender for refusing to face what many believe is an ill-equipped mandatory challenger. It’s a long and arduous road, but you write this man off at your peril.
First, however, Bam must throw down at Wells Fargo Center and he’ll be warming up a capacity crowd for home favorite Boots Ennis, who defends his IBF welterweight title for the third time.
“Boots is a great fighter, and I feel like he’s one of the best in boxing,” said Bam with respect. “He has skills that are up there with some of the best, so to share a card with Boots is an honor, especially in his hometown. I know his last fight had a great turnout, so to be a part of that right now, it’s really an honor for me.”
And today’s generation of fight fans should be honored to watch the rise of Bam Rodriguez.
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