Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez bids to become a two-weight world champion this weekend when he takes on Cristian Gonzalez for the vacant WBO world flyweight title in his home city of San Antonio, Texas.
Rodriguez is widely considered to be one of the hottest young talents in boxing today. The 23-year-old comes into this fight on the back of a stellar 2022 that saw him beat Carlos Cuardras for the vacant WBC super flyweight strap and stop the legendary Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in eight rounds in his first defence.
Here’s everything you need to know about a top night of boxing in the Lone Star state that also includes an IBF super-bantamweight showdown between Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Marlon Tapales.
Where: Boeing Center at Tech Port, San Antonio, Texas, USA
When: Saturday, April 8, 2023
How To Watch: DAZN. The main card is set to get underway at 1am (BST) with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 4am. This could change due to the length of the undercard.
Tale Of The Tape:
Rodriguez
Place Of Birth: San Antonio, Texas, USA
Age: 23
Alias: Bam
Record: 17-0 (11)
Height: 5’4’’
Reach: 67’’
Stance: Southpaw
Last Fight: ‘Bam’ claimed a unanimous decision win over Israel Gonzalez at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the Saul Alvarez vs Gennadiy Golovkin III undercard in September.
Gonzalez
Place Of Birth: Tultitlan, Mexico
Age: 32
Alias: El Chicarito
Record: 15-1 (5)
Height: N/A
Reach: N/A
Stance: N/A
Last Fight: Gonzalez stopped Juan Alejo Zuniga in one round in Mexico City in March of last year.
What They Say:
Matchroom Sports promoter Eddie Hearn: “This is a fantastic card coming to San Antonio on April 8th. Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, many people’s 2022 ‘Fighter of the Year,’ bids to become a two-division world champion against Gonzalez.
"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.”
Full Fight Card:
Jesse Rodriguez vs Cristian Gonzalez, vacant WBO world flyweight title
Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Marlon Tapales, IBF world super bantam & WBA Super world super bantam titles
Raymond Ford vs Jessie Magdaleno, featherweight
Thomas Mattice vs Ramiro Cesena, super featherweight
Israil Madrimov vs Raphael Igbokwe, middleweight
Marc Castro vs Ricardo Lopez Torres, lightweight
Khalil Coe vs Aaron Casper, lightweight
Jesus Martinez vs Jose Lopez, super bantamweight
*18+ | BeGambleAware
