Andre Ward anticipates a “violent” affair unfolding between Naoya Inoue and Jesse Rodriguez, who are seemingly working towards a showdown in February.
Inoue is unlikely to perform for the remainder of this year, but Japanese promoter Hideyuki Ohasi has teased a “big fight” in early 2027.
This must mean that the wheels are in motion for a clash between ‘The Monster’ and ‘Bam’, which is surely the biggest fight that can be made south of 135lbs.
Inoue retained his undisputed super-bantamweight crown against Junto Nakatani in May, securing a unanimous decision victory over the three-weight world champion.
The 33-year-old’s greatest challenge, however, could end up involving Rodriguez, who orchestrated a sixth-round knockout against Antonio Vargas earlier this month.
In doing so, the 26-year-old dethroned the Olympian and became a three-division world champion in his first outing at 118lbs, where he now holds the WBA title.
As for his next assignment, WBO bantamweight champion Christian Medina has been mooted as a likely opponent, offering ‘Bam’ the chance to unify the division.
This would also allow Rodriguez to acclimatise to his new weight, before jumping up to 122lbs in pursuit of the Inoue fight.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, ALL THE SMOKE FIGHT, Hall of Famer Ward said this would be a wise move for ‘Bam’ but ultimately stopped short of predicting his potential super-bantamweight test.
“I think that Bam has to settle into this weight class just a little bit, [and have] another fight, maybe two fights, and then I think that fight [with Inoue] will be just right.
“It’s a very interesting matchup between these two, because they’re both very violent fighters. The difference is … Naoya Inoue – he’s going to try to kick your front door down.
“And he’s going to do it with a lot of explosiveness; he’s going to have a lot of power. Bam wants to get you on the angle. Naoya Inoue is a North and South guy.”
By “North and South”, Ward means that Inoue typically darts forwards and backwards, relying on speed and power, while Rodriguez often utilises his lateral movement to create angles.
