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How unbeaten American star could steal the show in Riyadh this weekend
With America in need of a new boxing superstar, now could be the perfect time for Jesse Rodriguez to put on a big performance.
‘Bam’ squares off against Fernando Martinez in a big super flyweight unification bout as part of the stacked Ring IV: Night of Champions card in Riyadh on Saturday, live on DAZN PPV.
Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs) brings his WBC and WBO belts to the table while Martinez (18-0, 9 KOs) currently has the WBA belt around his waist and this intriguing contest between two unbeaten rivals could well steal the show this weekend.
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With other big-name Americans faltering both in and out of the ring right now, there is a void to be filled and Rodriguez looks the perfect man for the job.
Given how much Rodriguez has achieved at the age of just 25 and his all-action style, it begs the question as to why he isn’t a bigger star in the US already?
The Texan southpaw burst on to the scene in emphatic fashion when, at just 22, he stepped up two weight divisions at short notice to claim the WBC super flyweight belt with a unanimous decision victory over future Hall of Famer Carlos Cuadras in February 2022.
He proved that was no fluke by overcoming another legend just four months later, this time beating up Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and stopping the veteran in the eighth round to make another serious statement.
The sparkling performances haven’t stopped and he has won all six outings since, each of them for a world title and that included dropping to flyweight for a couple of championship victories.
The man from San Antonio outpointed Christian Gonzalez at 112lbs before, in perhaps his best performance yet, he dominated the unbeaten Sunny Edwards in their December 2023 unification clash .
In a systematic beating, Rodriguez broke the Englishman down round by round until the latter’s corner had seen enough in the ninth session and the towel came in.
Three stoppage wins back at 115lbs have followed, including a seventh-round knockout of the excellent Juan Estrada in June last year, and it’s about time the wider sporting world started taking notice of this brilliant pocket rocket.
Not only that, it is a long time since the US has had a big name at the lower weights and, with Naoya Inoue rumoured to be moving up featherweight in 2026, the coast could be clear for Rodriguez to dominate at bantamweight and super bantamweight over the coming years.
Tune into DAZN PPV on Saturday to watch this young master at work.
Watch Ring IV Rodriguez vs. Martinez live only on DAZN
Jesse Rodriguez vs. Fernando Martinez feature on a star-studded Ring IV fight card in Riyadh this Saturday, November 22. Watch it exclusively on DAZN PPV for £24.99 / $59.99.
Or subscribe to DAZN Ultimate Tier to get Ring IV and a minimum of 12 PPV's included in your annual subscription. Meaning no extra PPV costs.
