Bam Rodriguez new deal, early look at Nov. 9 defense

Already a pound-for-pound fixture and a top attraction who has helped uplift boxing’s lower weight classes with several landmark wins, junior bantamweight titleholder Jesse Rodriguez – only 24 and with a full, brilliant career still seemingly ahead of him – would be the pride of any promotion from Los Angeles to London.

Although now firmly ensconced with Matchroom Boxing and promoter Eddie Hearn, his promoter of record for the past seven fights, Rodriguez remembers a time – not long ago – when his vantage point was from the top of the world but somewhere below it.

“At one point, no one wanted to sign me,” Rodriguez said. “Eddie gave me an opportunity to fight on his card in Fresno, and by the next fight I was signed to Matchroom, and that was the Carlos Cuadras fight – and from that point, my life has changed.”

It seemed to happen fast – as fast as it can happen in boxing – when “Bam” walloped Jose Alejandro Burgos on the undercard of a smallish show at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, California, in October 2021, and within four months was headlining an event against Cuadras with a vacant junior bantamweight belt on the line.

The rest of Rodriguez’s journey to this point – including, most recently, a scintillating knockout of future Hall of Famer Juan Francisco Estrada in June – most fight fans know well. And Rodriguez credits that, in part, to his alliance with Matchroom and the quality of fighters he has been matched with to ultimately prove his mettle.

And it’s why Rodriguez, 20-0 (13 KOs), recently signed a new promotional deal with Matchroom, ahead of his November 9 defense against Pedro Guevara, 42-4-1 (22 KOs), at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, where Rodriguez will co-headline with Philly’s own Jaron “Boots” Ennis in defense of his welterweight title against Karen Chukhadzhian.

“Loyalty is everything in boxing; if it’s not there, you don’t have anything,” Rodriguez said. “Eddie gave me the opportunity, and I know that he’s looking out for me, and that’s why I feel at home at Matchroom.”

As quickly as he arrived at this moment, Rodriguez is anxious to get on to what he views as his next logical step.

“I have to get past this fight first, but the goal is to go for undisputed in 2025,” he said. “I’m taking this fight as seriously as ever, training my ass off like any other fight. We’re going to handle business and then we can talk about 2025.”

And the way Hearn sees it, consolidating the titles at junior bantamweight would be Rodriguez just getting started.

“His rise into the top 10 of the pound-for-pound list is something we’re very proud to be a part of – and there is still so much more to come from him,” Hearn said. “Jesse only wants the biggest and best fights, and I don’t see anything stopping him from winning more world titles at higher weight classes.”