Negotiations have begun for a potential fight between Naoya Inoue (33-0, 27 KOs) and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (24-0, 17 KOs) in February or March 2027, according to Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn.
Hearn said he and Matchroom CEO Frank Smith have opened discussions with Inoue’s team, with an offer expected to arrive this week.
Rodriguez had initially planned to compete in December, potentially against Christian Medina or another opponent at bantamweight, but those plans could be abandoned to accommodate the proposed Inoue showdown.
Hearn said Inoue’s team had made clear that Rodriguez could not fight in December if he wanted to pursue their matchup early next year.
“I told Robert Garcia, probably at some point this week we will receive an offer to fight Naoya Inoue and you will have a decision to make,” Hearn said. “Do you go straight into that fight or have a fight in between?”
Hearn warned that taking an interim bout could jeopardize Rodriguez’s opportunity to face the Japanese champion. He said Rodriguez “wants to fight Inoue straight away,” although trainer Robert Garcia had preferred a December bout before moving up to super bantamweight to face Inoue.