Author: Sean Crose
Don’t be fooled by this. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez was seen as the future of boxing. Although he had already won world titles in two weight classes, his WBA bantamweight title fight on Saturday night against defending champion Antonio Vargas was expected to be the next rung on the ladder to the top of the sport. Correct. Rodriguez stepped into the ring in Arizona on Saturday night and was hailed as boxing’s next substantial star. Could it become the elusive “household name”? If so, he would likely be the first fighter to do so since Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Naturally, Vargas saw it as his mission to crash the party. After all, he was the defending champion and felt he had a lot to prove. He may not have been very celebrated, but Vargas was certainly determined. He also had a set of skills that made him noteworthy. But were they noteworthy for players like Rodriguez? The answer was most likely deemed to be no. However, it is worth mentioning that Vargas did not have to face Rodriguez. The choice was his. However, the truth about who owned the night was revealed with the sound of the opening bell.
It became clear very early on that Vargas was certainly capable of challenging the celebrated Rodriguez. In fact, he gave Rodriguez a lot of trouble. By the end of the first quarter of the fight, it seemed that Vargas, not Rodriguez, was in charge. However, it ended in the 5th set when Rodriguez knocked down Vargas with a wonderful shot. Vargas, however, not only defeated the count, but also performed well for the remainder of the round. However, the end of the fight came faster than Vargas wanted. In the sixth set, Rodriguez’s explosive shot knocked down the defending champion and eliminated him from the game. Now it was Rodriguez who held the WBA bantamweight title.
“He was a lot tougher than I expected,” Rodriguez said immediately after the fight. “Luckily, I was able to get him out of there in the 6th.” As for the explosive knockout that ended the fight, Rodriguez was clear about it. “I’m not looking for a punch,” he said. “It just comes.” Indeed, it was this type of confidence that led this man to win the fight as much as his thunderous power.
At this point, everyone expects Rodriguez to face the great Naoya Inoue. This would be a great fight, but it’s worth wondering if Rodriguez would be able to beat the Japanese fighter at this point. Vargas proved to be a challenging opponent. How much tougher can Inoue get? On the other hand, boxing is about challenging yourself, rising to the occasion and overcoming adversity. If Rodriguez decides to go down this route against the likes of Inoue, the man deserves nothing but praise. Things could get captivating soon. Then again, this is boxing, so you never know.
A fight between Rodriguez and Inoue would be exhilarating for fans, but boxing is largely governed by politics, not fan opinion. If this were not the case, there would be many more fights between fighters that the public would want to see. Of course, the time shift between the match against Vargas and Inoue could be beneficial for Rodriguez. Again, he didn’t look like he could easily beat Inoue, if at all on Saturday. After all, they don’t call Inoue “The Monster” for nothing. Then again, they don’t call Rodriguez “Bam” for nothing.