A clash between Naoya Inoue and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez could be one of the biggest lower-weight contests in the history of the sport, with the two pound for-pound stars each keen to prove that they are the best on the planet. However, as time moves on, Inoue’s promoter has now doubled down on his condition for the fight.
Inoue outpointed Junto Nakatani in a legacy-defining win in May and was immediately linked with Rodriguez, with some boxing fans of the belief that ‘Bam’ could be the only fighter in the world that is capable of overcoming ‘The Monster’ at super-bantamweight.
As a result, Rodriguez began his transition up to 122lbs by first making the move to bantamweight and dethroning WBA champion Antonio Vargas, whilst Inoue has put his switch to the featherweight scene on hold, for now at least.
After beating Vargas, ‘Bam’s team said that they want another outing at 118lbs before moving up and taking on Inoue, who responded to rumours of a unification showdown between ‘Bam’ and Christian Medina (WBO champion) by stating that he will wait around no longer than March.
Delays to Rodriguez-Medina have since caused concerns that Inoue-Rodriguez could soon collapse, particularly since Rodriguez’s trainer, Robert Garcia, said that they are now hoping to face the Japanese phenomenon in either April or May.
Now, Inoue’s promoter, Hideyuki Ohashi, has told Japanese media that his charge will not be fighting in April or May and will instead compete in February or March at the very latest, according to Hochi News.
The 33-year-old from Zama, Kanagawa, also hinted at moving on from the proposed event recently when he revealed that he is preparing for life as a featherweight, with a 126lb debut and title challenge now looking an increasingly likely option for his spring return.
