Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn claims that WBC and WBO super flyweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KO) never had to get out of first gear in his unification fight against WBA champion Fernando “Puma” Martinez (18-1, 9 KO).
“He didn’t get out of first gear, and these are two of the best fighters in the division,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. Secondary losses athe fight of Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez knocking out Fernando Martinez in the 10th round last Saturday night. Bam had to fight tough because he was getting essential shots from Martinez and couldn’t afford to leave him there.
Hearn: Bam never went into second gear
Bam shot, made better shots
It wasn’t an basic fight for “Bam” Rodriguez. He took tough shots from Martinez in every round until the end of the competition in round 10.
“Puma’ Martinez, the world champion, never been beaten, ranked No. 1 by Ring Magazine. It looked like sparring,” Hearn said of Rodriguez’s win over Puma. “And then it’s like a knockout. The knockout was special. He missed five or six shots. Slip counter with his left hand.”
Although “Puma” has never been defeated before, it barely managed to win in the rematch Kazuto Ioka, defeating him via narrow 12-round unanimous decision on May 11, 2025 in Tokyo. This fight showed that the 34-year-old Martinez had lost something in his game after his previous fight against Ioka on July 7, 2024.
“It was a great fight. He’s 25 years vintage. Every fight he’s climbing higher and higher on the pound-for-pound rankings. There was some pushing and shoving, some fighting,” Hearn said when asked about Bam Rodriguez standing over Martinez after knocking him out. “I thought it was sweet.”
Martinez looked exhausted
The fight was not even from the very beginning. Fernando Martinez, 34, looked tired after the first round and was off balance after throwing wild punches. He was exhausted, he expected too soon that he would have a chance to win.
“Bam” still took a lot of hits in the fight with huge shots. In some ways it was more hard than his previous fight Phumelela Cafu last summer, July 19, 2025. The fight lasted 10 rounds before Rodriguez knocked him out.
“One more belt to go and then we’ll be undisputed at 115. Then we’ll go to 118 and at the end of 2026, fight fans will get something very, very special,” Hearn said.
Inoue Superfight on the horizon
A fight against Naoya Inoue would be perfect for “Bam” Rodriguez in 2026. But for that to happen, he would have to move up to 122 pounds, because that’s where Inoue fights. He has no intention of dropping down to bantamweight to fight Rodriguez. He’s a bigger name and won’t want to do 25-year-old Bam any favors.
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Gorokhov (16-11-2) had already done damage with large shots, finishing Kalkan (7-0, 4 KO) with a spotless knockout that forced the referee to wave his hand. The task has been completed.
After being detained, Gorokhov walked to the opposite corner, where a fight began. That was enough. The cornermen ran inside, the voices became piercing, followed by punches. Within seconds, many people entered the ring.
The situation got out of the referee’s control. The horns could not be separated. Once the non-fighters make it through the ropes, the result will be written in the record books.
The footage showed flying chairs and people trading on ropes as security tried to take control of the situation. The recording shows objects thrown near the ropes. The announcements to stop the fight didn’t change anything. The ring is already gone.
The sanctioning authority has confined powers and the ruling follows standard procedure. When the ropes are broken and extra hands are involved, the score cannot stand and is removed from the scoresheet.
An investigation is ongoing and suspensions and penalties are expected once reports are submitted. The verdict now comes from the officials, not the blows that ended it.
Kalkan keeps his undefeated record in the books. Gorokhov leaves without the victory he earned. Disciplinary action is expected following the investigation.
Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.
Although Oleksandr Usyk presented his three-fight plan, a recent challenger entered the fight with hopes of taking a shot at the Ukrainian and winning the unified world heavyweight titles.
Next month’s meeting with Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven kicks off what Usyk envisioned as a series of three hand-picked fights before his planned retirement in 2027, with his next dance partner being the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois.
However, the WBC is expected to demand that Usyk fight mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel in his next fight, and promoter Frank Warren believes he will be stripped of his belt if he fails to face the undefeated German.
Meanwhile, the WBA and IBF titles are not on the line against Verhoeven, which has fight fans wondering whether Usyk could soon be stripped of those belts as well.
I’m talking to Fighting Hub TV after “Gigantic Baby” won, he told Usyk that there was nowhere to run or hide when fighting him.
“He’s a great fighter, man, but when you’re fighting a bully like me, there’s nowhere to run or hide. Usyk doesn’t really have crazy punching power, and he has trouble with guys who punch to the body and throw a lot of punches.”
This performance [against Pero] it was just a taste of what I could do. So the most essential thing is to go back and get the drawing board back. Let’s work and be ready for everyone.
I want Usyk to come back after the Rico fight and I can spank him.
If Usyk loses the WBA title, Miller could find himself in line for a title fight with current WBA Regular titleholder Murat Gassiew, who expected to be promoted to full champion. Although Moses Itauma would probably get the first shot at the proposed scrap with the Russian.
Benavidez enters Saturday’s fight with Gilberto Ramirez in a situation where even a tiny defeat may have a higher price than one defeat in history. Greater opportunities lie ahead, but those plans depend on beating Ramirez cleanly and leaving Las Vegas intact.
Benavidez will meet Ramirez on May 2 in Las Vegas in a fight for Ramirez’s WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles for $79.99. On paper, this is a bold move as Benavidez makes the jump from lightweight heavyweight to challenge an established titleholder who has already established himself in the division.
The pressure on Benavidez goes far beyond physical titles. For months, his name has been linked to huge opportunities at 175 pounds, most notably a clash with Dmitry Bivol. A loss to Ramirez would immediately derail those plans, forcing Benavidez into a rebuilding phase and delaying any significant career moves for the foreseeable future.
Winning in an ugly or narrow way can still invite skepticism. Benavidez is known for his constant pressure and high efficiency, and recently he has had a record of immaculate shots and has been forced to persevere in hard moments. Facing naturally larger opponents makes these defensive mistakes much more steep in the long run.
Ramirez may lack elite strength, but he has the experience and durability of a seasoned cruiserweight. He also enters the ring with much less weight on his shoulders than the challenger. All the pressure to perform rests entirely on Benavidez.
Therefore, the risk for Benavidez is much higher than for the man holding the belts. A victory will ensure that his path to mass fights remains clear, while any other result could immediately ruin his momentum and force him to spend time fighting Ramirez again. Getting stuck twice in the Ramirez fight would be a nightmare for Benavidez.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
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