Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn claims that WBC and WBO super flyweight champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) never had to get out of first gear in his unification fight against WBA champion Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez (18-1, 9 KOs).
(Credit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney)
Hearn: Bam Never Hit Second Gear
“He didn’t come out of first gear, and that’s the top two fighters in the division,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to Seconds Out about Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez knocking out Fernando Martinez in the 10th round last Saturday night. Bam had to fight hard because he was taking big shots from Martinez, and he couldn’t afford to leave him in there.
Bam Took Shots, Gave Better Ones
It wasn’t entirely an easy fight for ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. He was taking big shots from Martinez in every round until the end of the contest in round 10.
“‘Puma’ Martinez, a world champion, has never been beaten, ranked #1 with Ring Magazine. It looked like a spar,” said Hearn about Rodriguez’s win over Puma. “And then it’s like the knockout. The knockout was special. He slipped five or six shots. A slip counter with the left hand.”
True, ‘Puma’ had never been beaten before last Saturday, but he barely won his rematch with Kazuto Ioka, edging him by a narrow 12-round unanimous decision on May 11, 2025, in Tokyo. That fight showed that Martinez, 34, had lost something from his game from his previous fight with Ioka on July 7, 2024.
“It was a wonderful fight. He’s 25 years old. He’s going further up the pound-for-pound list with every fight. There was a little bit of pushing and shoving, a little bit of a beef,” said Hearn, when asked about Bam Rodriguez standing over Martinez after knocking him out. “I think that was sweet.”
Martinez Looked Spent Early
The fight was a mismatch from the very start. Fernando Martinez, 34, looked tired after the first round and was falling off balance after throwing wild punches. He was exhausted, looking too early for him to have had a chance of winning.
‘Bam’ still got hit quite a bit in the fight with big shots. In some ways, it was harder than his previous fight against Phumelela Cafu last summer on July 19, 2025. That fight went 10 rounds before Rodriguez knocked him out.
“One more belt to get and then we’re undisputed at 115. Then we move to 118, and then at the end of 2026, fight fans get something that is very, very special,” said Hearn.
Inoue Superfight on the Horizon
Fighting Naoya Inoue would be ideal for ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in 2026. But for that to happen, he would need to move up to 122, because that’s where Inoue is fighting at. He’s not going to come down to bantamweight to fight Rodriguez. He’s the bigger name and won’t be looking to do the 25-year-old Bam any favors.
