Former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter believes Naoya Inoue would hold the edge in a potential super fight with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.
Inoue is unbeaten in 32 fights and has become one of the sport’s most accomplished champions of the four-belt era, reigning as undisputed in multiple divisions and dominating at bantamweight and super-bantamweight. He is expected to face fellow pound-for-pound contender Junto Nakatani in May in what is being billed as a historic Japanese showdown for the undisputed 122-pound crown.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez is pursuing his own place in history at 115 pounds. The 26-year-old currently holds three of the four super-flyweight titles and is targeting Mexico’s Willibaldo Garcia Perez, who owns the remaining IBF belt, in a bid to become the first undisputed champion in the division’s history. A future move to bantamweight would bring him closer to a possible clash with Inoue.
Speaking on The PorterWay Podcast, Porter explained why he leans toward the Japanese star in a head-to-head meeting. “I am inclined to favour Inoue in this fight, even though I haven’t seen as much of Inoue as I have seen from Bam, but the reason why I favour him is because of the age gap and the size gap,” Porter said. He added, “That gap is big for the little guys and Inoue is a monster… it’s a hell of a fight but I feel like there is a gap there that I don’t like [for Rodriguez].”
While many share Porter’s view, others are eager to see the matchup materialize. Rodriguez’s trainer, Robert Garcia, has expressed confidence that his fighter would be ready for the challenge in the future.
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