Following his impressive win over Juno Nakatani, Naoya Inoue is being linked to a fight with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, and fellow pound-for-pound title challenger Shakur Stevenson has shared his predictions for the proposed fight.

Inoue defended his undisputed super bantamweight crown with a unanimous decision victory over Nakatani a month ago at the Tokyo Dome, which cemented his claim to the number one spot in the super bantamweight division, especially after Oleksandr Usyk’s close shave against Rico Verhoeven.

After the Japanese star cleared out the 122-pound division, fight fans are now discussing the prospect of facing unified super flyweight champion Rodriguez before his planned move up to featherweight.

I’m talking to Boxing in the match roomWBO super-lightweight champion Stevenson believes “Bam” could prove to be Inoue’s “Kryptonite,” pointing out that Inoue was knocked down by left-hander Luis Nery and that Rodriguez, who is also a southpaw, has the power to knock the undefeated feeling to its knees.

“I like Bam, I can’t fight Bam. I know Bam, Bam is my guy. I think Inoue is a great fighter, but I think Bam might be his Kryptonite.

“I saw him [Inoue] get dropped by the southpaw and I think Bam hits so tough he could drop him too.”

Rodriguez is already ready to move up from super flyweight when next weekend at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, he will fight for the WBA bantamweight world title of Antonio Vargas. It is believed that if he succeeds, the undefeated American will subsequently demand an attack on Inoue and move up one more league to make it happen.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said preliminary talks have taken place and that his man Rodriguez is more than willing to travel to Japan for the fight.

Moses Itauma is well on his way to a world title shot and could soon be widely recognized as Britain’s outstanding heavyweight. Now Dillian Whyte has revealed whether he believes the 21-year-old will be able to defeat two-time world champion Anthony Joshua after facing both men.

Whyte collided with Joshua in a memorable battle in 2015, revisiting their amateur rivalry. After a hard-fought fight, “AJ” scored a dramatic knockout victory to capture the coveted British heavyweight title.

Ten years later, 37-year-old Whyte tried to thwart another rising star, but was quickly outclassed by youthful Itauma, who dispatched “The Body Snatcher” within two minutes of the opening round.

However, despite his recent first-round loss to Itauma, Whyte said iFL Television that he could still pick Joshua to win if he were to face the Kent phenom, but added that it all depends on how Joshua looks in his fight next month.

“My first answer would be no, [Itauma doesn’t beat Anthony Joshua]but I think we’ll have to wait and see what’s left for AJ, how he’s feeling mentally, if he’s recovered from what he’s been through recently and how much ambition he has left to fight.

“Obviously he made some changes. He went to Usyk, trying to look for something else, so let’s see if it works and if it works for him, we’ll have to see. AJ sometimes goes crazy, one minute he’s on track and the next he’s not, so let’s see.”

Joshua fights Albanian Kristian Prenga on Saturday, July 25 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, looking to kick off his long-awaited showdown with arch-rival Tyson Fury.

As for Itauma, he is expected to return in August and his rise to the top of the division will continue. Filip Hrgovic remains the leader, assuming the Croatian is in good shape after his recent three-round clash with Dave Allen.

David Benavidez may be approaching an vital crossroads in his career. Sean Zittel has revealed that David Benavidez only has one fight left with promoter Samson Lewkowicz, a detail that could impact his future options at airy heavyweight and cruiserweight.

“David Benavidez only has one fight left with his current promoter, Samson Lewkowicz,” Zittel said on his YouTube channel. “Now this is just my two cents, my speculation. I wonder if Dana White and Zuffa, who are apparently open to working with Luis DeCubas and Al Haymon, what if David waits to sign this deal?”

“What if the other party is waiting for David to sign the contract so they can do business right away without a current promoter contract?”

Benavidez’s future has become a major topic in recent weeks as his team weighs options at both airy heavyweight and cruiserweight. Jose Benavidez Sr. told Zittel that Dmitry Bivol remains his preferred target, with Artur Beterbiev also high on the list if a fight with Bivol is not possible.

Zittel suggested that Benavidez’s contract situation could become an vital factor if massive opportunities arise with Turki Alalshikh, Dana White or Zuffa Boxing.

“Maybe you don’t want this promoter to be involved. Maybe you want to try to become his promoter with Luis and Al Haymon. But I don’t know. I only know what I’ve been told by all the people involved,” Zittel said.

The comments come after Zittel reported that sources close to the situation believe the third fight between Beterbiev and Bivol is likely to take place in Russia rather than under Saudi Arabian financing, potentially causing Benavidez to seek another opportunity elsewhere.

Benavidez continues to pursue a title shot as the boxing world waits to see if his next fight will also be the last fight under his current promotional deal.

Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.

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Last updated: 12/06/2026 at 12:58