Despite a 13-year professional career, no man can say that they have bested the Japanese ‘Monster’ Naoya Inoue. Undisputed in two weight classes with a perfect 31-0 (27 KOs) record, many have questioned who will best the current super bantamweight king.
One fighter who is being considered as a potential disruptor to Inoue’s throne is fellow countryman Junto Nakatani (31-0, 24 KOs).
The former unified bantamweight champion Nakatani is one of the most intriguing fights for Inoue, as they are both considered among the pound-for-pound best fighters in boxing. However, another current great is eyeing both of the Japanese fighters for potential future bouts.
On December 27th, Naoya Inoue will be the headline act when he takes on David Picasso in a super bantamweight title defense. He is joined on the card by potential future rival Nakatani, who makes his debut in the same weight class.
The pair sharing the card is likely to be the last step before they meet one another in 2026, as a fight between Inoue and Nakatani would be considered one of the biggest bouts in modern boxing history.
Although Inoue and Nakatani are two of the biggest stars of the smaller weight classes in boxing currently, another notable figure is Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. The American-Mexican is another unbeaten fighter with a 22-0 (15 KOs) record, as Rodriguez currently holds the WBC and WBO super flyweight titles.
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Despite competing in a smaller weight class than the Japanese stars, ‘Bam’ is open to fights with either competitor. When asked if the bouts interested him in a discussion with Inside The Ring, Rodriguez confirmed they did.
“Yeah, I believe [I’ll face either Inoue or Nakatani]. My next fight was supposed to be against Nakatani; things were already in the works. So, that just shows that I’m willing to fight whoever, whenever.”
– Jesse Rodriguez
Rodriguez, who is ranked as the sixth-best pound-for-pound fighter by The Ring Magazine, said that he had already envisioned a fight with Inoue at 122 pounds, implying he has no problem boxing in the super bantamweight division.
‘Bam’ is also a fighter who is scheduled to compete. On November 22nd, Rodriguez will compete on the undercard of Brian Norman Jr. vs Devin Haney, when he takes on Fernando Martinez (18-0, 9 KOs) in a super flyweight unification bout.
Should Rodriguez be victorious in November, he may look to ascend weight classes to campaign for a fight with either of the Japanese greats.
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