Jesse Rodriguez Leaving 115 to Make Room for Joshua Franco!
When last in the ring, WBC super flyweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (16-0, 11 KO’s) continued to exceed expectations. The efficient boxer utilized his savage science to outmaneuver, out work and brutally dissect 115-pound titan Srisaket Sor Rungvisai to claim an eighth round TKO victory. In hindsight, there was essentially no point during the prizefight that Rungvisai was truly in the match or even reasonably competitive.
There is no doubt that the former champion is dangerous and to be handled with caution. With that being said, Bam approached Rungvisai with the fearlessness of a snake catcher and battered him with relatively little resistance. The win stood out a bit more due to this being the first time that the Thai fighter was manhandled in such a one-sided fashion.
The thoroughness and debilitating nature of the loss was highlighted further by the fact that the Texan has only been in the division for two fights. Rodriguez jumped up two-divisions in his last match to duel Carlos Cuadras for his WBC title. Despite the inherent danger presented by such a leap, Bam couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fight for the title. Obviously that was the right move!
MY BROTHERS KEEPER
Now that Rodriguez has won the title and defended it with icy ruthlessness, most are racking their brains trying to speculate what other 115-pound fighters he can rumble with next. Well, let the super flyweight champion tell it, he is not fighting any of them because he is leaving the division. Similar to the animated Charlo twins, Rodriguez has a brother, Regular WBA 115-pound champion Joshua “El Professor” Franco (18-1-2, 8 KO’s) who is the naturally bigger boxer.
Rather than step on his big brother’s toes, Bam is electing to return to the flyweight division. This is the fundamental reason why WBC champion Jermall Charlo reigns middleweight while his brother Jermell Charlo is undisputed at super welterweight champion. The two could easily compete in the same division but don’t want those kinds of problems. Likewise, Bam gave the forecast of his impending exodus directly after slathering Rungvisai in his eight-round trouncing.
“Any champion at 112, come get it – I am here! Bam Rodriguez is here to stay; I’m a special fighter, not an average fighter!”
“…that’s for my brother Josh Franco. For those that don’t know, he is very underrated and he is waiting for his shot. But, once he gets it, he is going to show who he is. We’re here to stay! 112, 115, anybody can get it!”
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By: Bakari Simpson
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