Jesse Rodriguez Boldly Predicts He Will Stop Cristian Gonzalez
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (17-0, 11 KOs) returns to his hometown of San Antonio, Texas on April 8 to face Cristian Hernandez Gonzalez (15-1, 5 KOs) for the vacant WBO flyweight title. Rodriguez is not only hoping to become a two-division champion. He also wants to put on a spectacular performance.
SMALLER BUT BETTER
Bam made a big splash in 2022 when he defeated Carlos Cuadras in February 2022 to capture the WBC junior bantamweight strap. Rodriguez made two defenses before vacating the 115-pound belt in October 2022, and making the decision to move down to 112. During an interview with Matchroom Boxing, the 23-year-old said the move down in weight only helps him.
“I feel like I’m going to carry more power at 112. 115, I feel strong, but losing those three pounds is gonna pay off on April 8 at 112. I feel like I’m going to be a lot stronger, a lot more at my natural weight. So, we’re going back to the original plan of capturing world titles at different weights”
He faces a Gonzalez who is taller and likes to use a good amount of movement. But Bam feels that one of his greatest assets is his footwork. He and his camp have done plenty of film study and believe they have the right strategy to come out with the win on fight night.
THINKING BIG PICTURE
Before the fight with Cuadras, Rodriguez was a top-ranked fighter at 108. After receiving a call to fight Cuadras for a world title at 115, Team Rodriguez jumped at the opportunity. Now competing at flyweight, Rodriguez feels there are big fights ahead for him. He says this fight is step one of a larger plan of being a unified champion.
But first, Rodriguez has to take care of business against Gonzalez. Motivated to become a two-division champion, Bam promises fireworks on April 8.
“I want to make a statement that I’m still Bam Rodriguez . . . So, I’m gonna go out there and finish the fight early.”
