He is the youngest world boxing champion and one of the most active people in this sport. Despite all he has accomplished at the tender age of 24, Jesse “Bam” Rodríguez is keeping his feet on the ground, even in the face of a super fight against the great Juan Francisco Estrada, which will take place on June 29 in the Footprint Center of Phoenix.
Bam (19-0, 12 KOs) is already a two-weight world champion, and is coming off a December flyweight unification win over previously undefeated Sunny Edwards. This latest achievement propelled the San Antonio star onto the pound-for-pound lists and proved beyond a doubt that Bam and trainer Robert Garcia are among the best fighter-trainer duos in world boxing.
“I was checking my phone and I got a notification that I had been put on the pound-for-pound list,” Bam recalled in a recent interview with The Jugo Mobile. “It was crazy and really unexpected. I feel more accomplished with that than the actual fight against Sunny Edwards.
LOOK: Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Jesse Rodríguez, live on DAZN
“Without Robert García, I wouldn’t be where I am today. He took me from the end of my amateur career to where I am today, so he deserves credit for that. But for what he’s done in the past, I’m sure he doesn’t get enough credit. He has built many champions from scratch. He is one of those underrated coaches.”
While Rodriguez has captured three world titles between 112 and 115 pounds and scored epic victories over the likes of Carlos Cuadras, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Edwards, his next opponent will be the most decorated and cerebral fighter he has ever faced.
Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) is a two-weight world champion and will be fighting his 15th title fight. A mainstay on boxing’s pound-for-pound lists for nearly a decade, the Mexican hero currently holds WBC and Ring Magazine super flyweight championships.
“He’s a great fighter, of course, but I think one of his best attributes is that he uses his lead hand very well and moves a lot,” Bam said when asked to analyze his opponent’s strengths. “But, to be honest, I think I’m going to surprise a lot of people. A lot of people haven’t seen the best version of Bam Rodriguez, and I feel like a fight like this will show that to the world.
“I just want the best fights at this point in my career. I’m young, so I have a full tank. “I just want to fight the best and give the fans the best fights possible and retire after that.”
Two weeks after Rodríguez traded blows with Estrada, another super flyweight great, Román González, returns to action against unknown Rober Barrera. While Bam’s respect for “Chocolatito” is visceral (the two have fought together in the past), he doesn’t see a fight against the Nicaraguan warrior in his future.
“He’s a great fighter, a legend of the sport, and he’s been there with almost everyone in the lower weight classes,” Rodriguez said admiringly. “He is a great champion and a former pound-for-pound king. A lot of credit to him, but as far as facing him, that will never happen.”
One fight that could happen, if Bam prevails over Estrada, is a showdown with the winner of the unification showdown between WBA super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka and his IBF counterpart Fernando Martinez. The pair will collide on July 7 at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo.
“That’s a great fight,” Bam said enthusiastically. “Martínez is a pressure fighter and Ioka is an intelligent boxer. He would have to give the advantage to Ioka because he boxes very well.
“That is a fight that does interest me, but I have a rematch clause with Estrada. If that comes to fruition, I will fight Estrada again and after that, I would love to fight the winner. [If Ioka wins], I would love to fight in Japan. “I am open to fighting anywhere.”
While Rodriguez is a master of his craft, he does not plan to stay in boxing any longer than expected. Estrada is 34 years old and has been a professional fighter for 16 of those years, which is not a schedule his opponent is looking to emulate.
“I don’t want to fight when I’m that old,” Bam said after a moment of deliberation. “I want to fight the best fights possible when I’m young and have a lot in my tank. I’ll do what I can while I’m here, and when it’s all said and done, I’ll happily retire.
“I want to open a gym with my brother (former WBA super flyweight champion Joshua Franco) and have him run it. I want to help him and do everything he can, but I don’t want to be there too long. Something I really want to do when I retire is open a coffee shop.”
Bam will hope to be too strong, too sweet and too attractive to be handled by Juan Francisco Estrada on June 29.
