WBA super flyweight champion Fernando Martinez questions why WBC champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez isn’t calling him for a unification fight.
2016 Olympian Martinez (17-0, 9 KOs) believes ‘Bam’ Rodriguez saw his victory over Kazuto Ioka on July 7th, and now he doesn’t want to fight him. In other words, 24-year-old ‘Bam’ realized that it would be too dangerous for him to fight. So, he’ll stick to fighting older guys, like him Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez.
A fight with Fernando Martinez could derail ‘Bam’ Rodriguez’s moneymaking career, as he is well run i animation masterEddie Hearn, one of the best in the business. Hearn developed a formula that matched Bam against a series of old lions, well known to die-hard boxing fans who have lost their teeth and claws to age.
Bam’s Latest Wins
– Pedro Guevara – 34
– Juan Francisco Estrada – 35
– Srisaket Sor Rungvasi – 37
– Carlos Cuadras – 36
Fernando Wants ‘Bam’ To Face Him
“He saw me fighting him [Kazuto] Ioka, and now he doesn’t talk to me anymore. What do you mean you want to fight me? After Ioka on December 31st, I’m ready. Do you want to combine or not?” said Fernando Martinez to Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.
It would mean a lot if Bam Rodriguez were to fight Fernando Martinez next, but given how talented the Argentine is, it’s unlikely that Hearn will fight.
Bam had all kinds of problems in his fight with the little go-getter Israel Gonzalez on September 17, 2022. He won a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision in Las Vegas. That fight took a toll on Bam, and he was lucky to get through it unscathed.
Since then, Hearn has matched ‘Bam’ Rodriguez against Cristian Gonzalez, Sunny Edwards, Estrada, and Guevera. Those fighters weren’t young and hungry like Israel Gonzalez.
Last Saturday, ‘Bam’ (21-0, 14 KOs) successfully defended his WBC 115-lb title, knocking out Pedro Guevara (42-5-1, 22 KOs) in the third round at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia .
‘Bam’ Rodriguez had a sizeable and youthful advantage over the 35-year-old Guevara and quickly dropped him twice in the third round for the knockout. After the fight, Rodriguez talked about wanting to fight the 37-year-old Chocolatito next.
Martinez Has a Rematch with Ioka
Argentine Fernando, 33, will be fighting Kazuto Ioka (31-3-1, 16 KOs) in a rematch on December 31 to settle the dispute from their previous fight on July 7 in Tokyo, Japan.
Martinez’s score vs. I’m sorry
– 117-111
– 120-108
– 116-112
There was little doubt among fans who deserved the win in the Martinez-Ioka fight last July, but a wide score of 120-108 marred the outcome. Martinez will get a big payday in the rematch with Ioka, and that makes it worthwhile. It also allows Martinez to close the feud from their previous fight.
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