| ‘Bam’ not feeling the pressure ahead of first defense against Rungvisai in San Antonio |
| Jesse Rodriguez says he will live up to the hype and prove he’s ready to take over the Super-Flyweight division when he comes home to San Antonio and defends his WBC World title against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai at the Tech Port Arena on Saturday night, live worldwide on DAZN. Tickets starting at $35 (plus fees) are on sale now – click here for more details Rodriguez (15-0 10 KOs) won the title in stunning fashion, taking on Carlos Cuadras at just six days’ notice and flooring the former ruler in the third round with a devastating upper cut en-route to a wide points win. Victory saw ‘Bam’ crowned the youngest active World champion in the sport and fans and pundits alike were quick to anoint the 22 year old as the future of the 115lbs division and more; but as Rodriguez prepares to face another massive test in the shape of Thai king Rungvisai, he says he can carry that weight of expectation with ease and will prove he is the read deal. “A lot of people have eyes on me now and they are looking at me to take over the division,” said Rodriguez. “I’ve seen a lot on social media saying I am the new Choccy and that’s a lot of motivation and I want to live up to the hype. “Rungvisai has been in with the best and beating him would really boost my confidence and skyrocket my career. I feel a lot stronger than I did against Cuadras. That wasn’t a fluke, I want to show I am the real deal. “It’s possibly the toughest test you could face in a first defense of my title but like with the Cuadras fight, I had no hesitation because I am here to takeover. “I want to see how the fight goes. We do have plans to go down to 112lbs and win a World title there, and hopefully unify and become undisputed, and then come back to 115lbs. “There’s so many good fighters, I’d love to fight Estrada and Chocolatito and then at 112lbs there’s Julio Cesar Martinez, Sunny Edwards, Junto Nakatani; there’s so many great names and I would love to fight them all.” Rodriguez’s clash with Rungvisai is part of a monster night of World title action in ‘Bam’s’ San Antonio hometown, with three more World title fights also on deck. Julio Cesar Martinez (18-2 14 KOs) and McWilliams Arroyo (21-4 16 KOs) pick up where they left off from their curtailed firefight for Martinez’s WBC World Flyweight title, IBF and WBA World Super-Bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev defend his titles against Ronny Rios and undisputed Welterweight ruler Jessica McCaskill (11-2 4 KOs) makes the third defense of all her marbles at 147lbs against Alma Ibarra (10-1, 4 KOs). Raymond Ford (11-0-1 6 KOs) will face unbeaten local talent Richard Medina (13-0 7 KOs) for his WBA Continental Americas Featherweight strap and the IBF North American belt, Nikita Ababiy (11-0 6 KOs) fights for the first time in 2022 against Noe Larrios Jr (14-1 6 KOs) over eight rounds at Middleweight, Big hitting Light-Heavyweight Khalil Coe (3-0-1 2 KOs) is back in action in his fourth paid outing and takes on unbeaten Dominican Joaquin Berroa Lugo (3-0 2 KOs) over six rounds. |
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