Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez vs. Cristian Gonzalez on April 8th in San Antonio, TX

By Boxing News - 02/06/2023 - Comments

By Dan Ambrose: Undefeated former WBC super flyweight champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez will battle Cristian Gonzalez (15-1, 5 KOs) in a 12 round headliner, competing for the vacant WBO 112-lb title on Saturday, April 8th, in a Matchroom Boxing promoted card on DAZN at the Boeing Center at Tech Port, in San Antonio, Texas.

A victory for the 23-year-old ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (17-0, 11 KOs), the brother of talented super flyweight Joshua Franco, will make him a two-division world champion, achieved within six years since turning pro in 2017.

Last year, Rodriguez defeated former 115-lb champion Carlos Cuadras by a 12 round unanimous decision on February 5th, 2022, to capture the vacant WBC super flyweight title in Phoenix, Arizona.

Jesse on path to undisputed

Rodriguez then successfully defended his WBC 115-lb belt twice, defeating former champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai by an eighth round knockout last June and then beating the excellent former world title challenger Israel.

If Bam Rodriguez successfully defeats Cristian Gonzalez on April 8th, his promoter Eddie Hearn plans on matching him in indication fights against IBF flyweight champion Sunny Edwards and WBC champ Julio Cesar Rodriguez in 2023.

Ideally, Bam Rodriguez could hold three of the four titles at 112 and would be poised to fight for the undisputed championship against the crafty IBF champion Artem Dalakian in the first quarter of 2024.

Jesse will turn 24 next year on January 23rd, which means he’s got an excellent chance of becoming the undisputed champion at the early age of 24 at flyweight. That would be a massive accomplishment for a fighter that young.

Bam Rodriguez ramping up for big fights

“I’ll tell you what.  This is a fantastic card as well, coming to San Antonio on April the 8th. Of course, Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, many people’s 2022 ‘Fighter of the Year,’ bids to become a two-division world champion against [23-year-old Cristian] Gonzalez,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to Matchroom Boxing about the Bam Rodriguez vs. Gonzalez card in San Antonio, Texas.

“It’s a great fight that sets up all the big fights, a unification with Julio Cesar Martinez, a unification against Sunny Edwards. There are some great fights to be made in the flyweight division,” said Hearn.

Hopefully, Hearn can put together the unification fights for Bam against Edwards and Martinez this year because it would be a waste of his talent to make simple title defenses after he captures the vacant WBO 112-lb title against Gonzalez on April 8th.

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