SUPERFIGHT SHUFFLE
BIG BANG I’m a huge fan of Junto Nakatani. What’s not to like? The three-weight world champ has excellent skills, quick hands, quick feet and one-punch knockout power, and he’s always in exciting fights. Already a fixture on the pound-for-pound list, he naturally wants to prove himself at the pure elite level and face Inoue. In the co-main event of Ring V, Nakatani’s habitually thunderous hitting power barely put a dent in Hernandez. The pressure fighter’s ability to swallow up ground and force Nakatani to trade made for a brilliant 12-round spectacle, but some onlookers believe that Nakatani was fortunate to get the “W.” At the post-fight press conference, I asked a marked-up Nakatani for his opinions on Inoue vs. Picasso and quizzed him on what improvements he would need to make to his own game if he is to take down The Monster. “I was very impressed with his timing,” Nakatani replied via translator.
This is not to criticize. Any knockout artist will start to take a dip in power as they ascend the scales. It’s natural. For example, when Manny Pacquiao reached welterweight, he lost a considerable amount of TNT while still retaining his pound-for-pound status. Between March 2010 and November 2016, the Filipino icon posted nine decision wins without a single knockout. Inoue, like Pacquiao, can still hurt a bigger opponent enough to keep them honest. What was noticeable during fight week was how big Inoue has become as a sportsman. Despite not receiving the same type of fan hysteria he would have at home in Japan, Inoue carried himself with real majesty in Riyadh. However, following the weigh-in, I spotted a relaxed version of the champ with family in the hotel lobby. In a pseudo-mittwork routine, Inoue called out punches to one of his children, who responded with more than one fierce left hook-right hand combo. From my vantage point, any bullies around this kid’s age group should take cover.
“His moves were quite sharp. Picasso was brave throughout. “How much do I need to improve [to beat Inoue]? I have something burning in my heart, so please wait and see. I fought 12 rounds and it was really tough. This was my first time fighting at a heavier [weight] class. It was an experience that will be good for my future career.” Back at the hotel following the event, I headed to the buffet. I was greeted by Nakatani’s trainer, Rudy Hernandez, who gave me a look that suggested he’d had a hard day. “Man, he was tough,” Hernandez told me. “I couldn’t believe how tough he was. It was really close, but if someone deserved to win, then it was us.” Rudy viewed the fight the same way I did. Hernandez may have thrown more and landed more, according to CompuBox, but Nakatani’s work was cleaner and easier to score. Nevertheless, even though Nakatani officially extended his record to 32-0 (24 KOs), it was Sebastian Hernandez who came away from the fight with all the plaudits while the Japanese fighter’s reputation suffered a direct hit. BAM TO THE RESCUE With Ring V in the history books, DAZN’s Ade Oladipo went through the motions during his post-fight interview with Inoue, asking the champ about his performance against Picasso and the potential clash with Nakatani. However, he then switched gears and proposed a superfight with another pound-for- pound standout, Bam Rodriguez. “When he’s ready, and if he can fight at [junior featherweight], and if the timing is perfect, then I’d love to wait for him to challenge me,” said Inoue. When DAZN Boxing ran this clip on their X account, Bam’s coach, Robert Garcia, quote-tweeted it with a picture
of his fighter wrapped in world title belts, saying simply, “We’ll see him soon.” The statement went viral, with fans going back and forth with predictions as well as suggestions that Bam should test the waters at bantamweight before climbing all the way to junior featherweight to face such a fearsome champion. One potential narrative is for Bam to challenge Inoue’s younger brother, Takuma, who
offensive force in world boxing, then we’d all be asking them to hit the brakes. It’s not just anyone – it’s Bam Rodriguez. KENSHIRO CANCELED One of the fighters I was looking forward to seeing most on the Ring V card was former two-weight world titleholder and future Hall of Famer Kenshiro Teraji. “The
Frustratingly, Garcia vs. Teraji was called off at the 11th hour.
currently holds the WBC bantamweight title. Should Bam win that fight, and he would be heavily favored to do so, then that would be the perfect story arc for a matchup with the older brother. Naoya would be seeking revenge, while Bam would be looking to conquer a fourth division and claim the top rung in the mythical pound-for-pound ratings. INOUE VS. BAM Whatever happens, whether it’s Inoue vs. Nakatani or Inoue vs. Bam that becomes a reality in 2026, no fight fan in their right mind will complain. What was noticeable online was that no one doubted for a second that Bam is serious about taking on the Naoya Inoue challenge. While the Texas- born champ is due to move up to 118 pounds, a full two-weight jump to face Inoue is an audacious assignment to say the least. Why does Bam inspire such confidence? Well, just look at the history. In February 2022, the then- 22-year-old lefty stepped in on late notice and moved up in weight to fight Carlos Cuadras for the vacant WBC junior bantamweight title (Rodriguez was rated No. 5 at junior flyweight going into the bout). He prevailed by unanimous decision and kicked open the door to stardom. Less than four months later, Bam battered the fearsome Srisaket Sor Rungvisai into submission in eight rounds, marking the ex-champ’s first loss by stoppage in 13 years. Having
Amazing Boy” was scheduled to make his junior bantamweight debut against rampaging IBF titleholder Willibaldo Garcia in what many tabbed as a potential show-stealer. On Friday morning, I ventured down to the ballroom of the Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences for the official weigh-in. I sat directly behind Garcia, who appeared bone-dry and exhausted. Both fighters made weight, but Garcia couldn’t get out of the room quickly enough. Hours later, while I was at dinner, it emerged that Garcia had fallen ill after the ceremonial weigh-in and that the commission had deemed him unfit to fight. There were attempts to get a replacement opponent for Teraji, but that didn’t work out, so the ex- champ had to settle for watching his countrymen in action from ringside. The cancellation of the fight was perhaps a blessing in disguise. Per IBF rules, Garcia was only allowed to rehydrate 10 pounds before the second weigh-in, which was scheduled for 8 a.m. on the day of the fight. While this is standard, Garcia was to make his ring walk at 1 p.m. local time (KSA) to accommodate viewers in Japan. That meant the Mexican fighter had considerably less time to replenish himself in terms of food and water intake. Teraji was gleaming on the scales and wouldn’t have had the same problems. Many were calling for Garcia to move up to bantamweight after the trouble he’d had making 115 pounds.
not yet grown into the 115-pound limit, Bam soon dropped back down to flyweight and unified in that division at the expense of Cristian Gonzalez Hernandez (UD 12) and the previously unbeaten Sunny Edwards (TKO 9). Upon returning to junior bantamweight in June 2024, Bam regained the WBC crown and claimed The Ring title by scoring the first- ever knockout victory over legendary Mexican hero Juan Francisco Estrada. He has since added two more belts by scoring impressive stoppage wins over unbeaten world titleholders Phumelela Cafu (TKO 10) and Fernando Martinez (KO 10). In terms of quality, Bam would have to be among the finest ring technicians and counterpunchers that Inoue has ever shared the ring with. Only Nonito Donaire could provide a solid argument, though it’s widely acknowledged that “The Filipino Flash” was past his best days when he faced Inoue in two fights. While he’d have plenty to worry about in this matchup, Bam’s foot speed and ability to create punching angles could provide Inoue with a rare test. So impressive is Bam’s unbeaten run (23-0, 16 KOs) that he’s already considered by many to be a lock for the Hall of Fame at just 26 years old. If it were anyone else coming up two weight classes for a shot at the most effective
Bam chewed up the previously unbeaten Fernando Martinez.
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