AFTER a large breakout yr in 2022, Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez will kick off his 2023 marketing campaign as a fully-fledged star on Saturday in his hometown of San Antonio. It is not solely a return residence for the 23-year-old but in addition a return to his previous 112lb division after setting the world alight up at super-flyweight final yr.
When 2021 got here to an finish, Rodriguez was being touted as a scorching prospect however not many individuals would have predicted the influence he would have on the 115lb division over the course of the 9 months that adopted.
He jumped up in weight as a late stand-in to outpoint the revered Carlos Cuadras in February of final yr after which stopped Srisaket Sor Rungvisai inside eight rounds simply 4 months later. His reward was a spot on the Canelo-GGG III card in Las Vegas on Mexican independence weekend and he marked the event with a unanimous determination victory over Israel Gonzalez.
Those exploits moved him to 3rd on the planet within the division however he has headed back right down to flyweight to tackle 15-1 (5) Cristian Gonzalez for the vacant WBO title on the Boeing Center at Tech Port, San Antonio. Neither man is at the moment within the prime 10 on the weight.
“This is really important for me because before I won the belt at 115lbs, it was a goal of mine and my team to win belts at multiple weight-classes,” he Rodriguez stated. “So to go to 112 is step one in that course that we’ve been speaking about for years.
“It’s a three-pound distinction and I’ve been a lot stricter with my eating regimen on this camp. I haven’t been snacking or messing round with it. I do know Christian is taller and has longer attain than me, however I really feel that I’m going to be robust at 112, you’re going to see a completely different Bam.
“It has always been the goal, and the opportunity has come at the perfect time. I want to be remembered as one of the greats, like a Pacquaio or Chocolatito, they won belts across so many weights and that’s my goal, so we’re taking the first step on April 8.”
Although he is the larger man, Gonzalez has by no means boxed exterior of his native Mexico and has boxed simply as soon as in over 18 months, and that was a one-round blowout of Juan Alejo Zuniga in March of final yr. He would wrestle to hold with Bam at the very best of occasions however with this little momentum he’ll do properly to make it to the midway level.
In the chief help reside on DAZN, super-bantamweight world No. 2 Murodjon ‘MJ’ Akhmadaliev packing containers for the primary time since June when he takes on Marlon Tapales – ranked sixth – in what appears like a firefight ready to occur between these two southpaws.
Tapales, 36-3 (19), has not gone the gap for almost 9 years and over the course of that interval he’s boxed 11 occasions, successful by stoppage 10 occasions and getting stopped within the different. He additionally tends to begin quick, with seven of these 10 wins coming inside the primary three rounds.
MJ, in the meantime, is 11-0 (8) and is determined to show himself because the No.1 within the division now the conflict between Stephen Fulton and Naoya Inoue has been delayed. Winning right here gained’t fairly try this however he can nonetheless make a assertion. Expect him to shut the present between 9-12.
In what might be the battle of the evening, Raymond Ford places his undefeated file on the road in his first 12-rounder in opposition to once-beaten Jesse Magdeleno at featherweight.
New Jersey native Ford, who is coming off the back of his eighth-round victory over Sakaria Lukas in November, takes on 31-year-old Magdaleno, 29-1(18), who is on a four-fight successful streak since he misplaced to Isaac Dogboe of their gorgeous 2018 battle.
Ford is nonetheless solely 24 however has been on the coronary heart of the Matchroom USA experiment and, with three wins in 2022, this might be a large yr for him however Magdaleno represents the hardest take a look at of his profession so far. Victory right here will present he is prepared for among the larger names within the division. If he can preserve it tight he has the instruments to outbox Magdaleno and win on factors.
In the primary televised battle on the cardboard, Thomas Mattice and Ramiro Cesena conflict over 10 rounds at super-featherweight. Cleveland man Mattice is coming in off the back of the very best win of his profession in opposition to the beforehand undefeated Christian Tapia, who was dropped within the second spherical en path to a snug UD for Mattice in November.
Cesena, in the meantime, drew the second battle of his 16-fight profession however has gained the opposite 15 with 13 of these ending inside the gap. He can punch at his degree however it is going to be fascinating to see how he offers with this step up in school.
There are 4 fights on the non-televised portion of this card with a variety of Matchroom’s rising stars in motion. Super-welterweight world No.5, Israel Madrimov, has not boxed since his July conflict with Michel Soro on the O2 Arena in London led to a technical draw after three rounds attributable to a conflict of heads early on. He faces Texan Raphael Igbokwe over 10 rounds as he bids to power his manner additional up the rankings.
Fresno’s Marc Castro, at the moment 9-0 (6), will look to keep up his regular progress by seeing off Ricardo Lopez of their eight-round contest after ‘Big Steppa’ Khalil Coe takes on Aaron Casper in a light-heavyweight six-rounder.
In the primary battle of the evening, 18-year-old Jesus Martinez, from Del Rio, Texas, has his fourth battle since his June debut, and his third consecutive outing in San Antonio, when he faces Jose Lopez over 4 rounds at super-bantamweight.
THE VERDICT: Some high quality matchmaking from Matchroom right here.
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