After Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez's One-Punch KO, Who Could He Face Next?

Make FightsATW Your Preferred Combat Sports Source

Enjoy our boxing and wrestling coverage? Add Fights Around The World as a Preferred Source on Google so our latest stories can show up more often in your Top Stories.

Add FightsATW on Google

Who is next for Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez?

“Bam” stopped Antonio Vargas in the sixth round to win the WBA bantamweight title at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. It was also Rodriguez’s third division in which he claimed a belt.

Bam, 24-0 (17 KOs), is a consensus top-five pound-for-pound fighter, and with just one victory to many will be viewed as the man in the bantamweight division. The 26-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, Bam, is so good that unification bouts might not even move the needle. He moved up in weight and faced a champion, only to be a massive favorite. Even though he might have lost some of the opening rounds, he solved the puzzle and lived up to the hype.

Glendale, AZ USA : Antonio Vargas Vs Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez Fight Night June 13, 2026 Photographed by Cris Esqueda/Matchroom Boxing.

Now, we ask what is next for Bam?

Junto Nakatani

Record: 32-1 (24 KOs)

Why: Dispel rumors of ducking.

For some reason, a subsection of hardcore fight fans feel Bam has avoided Nakatani. If he were to fight him, it would not just be a great fight; it would put an end to that. It also could be used as a comparison fight between “The Monster” Inoue, who just beat Nakatani.

Jose Salas Reyes

Record: 17-0 (11 KOs)

Why: A bantamweight beltholder

The IBF titleholder, Salas Reyes, is a fighter I’ve grown fond of since seeing him on ProBox TV. Salas Reyes is a brilliant boxer and an underrated champion. This is the highest risk fight with very little reward that Bam could take.

Christian Medina

Record: 27-4 (19 KOs)

Why: A bantamweight beltholder.

Medina holds the WBO bantamweight title and headlined a card on DAZN earlier this year. If a fight in Japan couldn’t come to fruition, Bam could opt to collect another title against the come-forward pressure fighter, Medina.

Naoya Inoue

Record: 33-0 (27 KOs)

Why: One of the best fights in the sport.

Naoya is one of, if not the best, boxers of this era. Bam is one division away from his division. It is a mega-fight in the lower weight divisions that is already being spoken of. It could be the best fight in the sport itself. It is the fight we all want to see, but when we see it, who knows? What we do know is that both guys take hard fights and will inevitably face each other.

Takuma Inoue

Record: 22-2 (5 KOs)

Why: The younger brother of “The Monster.”

Takuma holds the WBC bantamweight title and is the brother of Naoya Inoue. The fight could take place in Japan, further familiarizing Japanese fans with Bam while setting the stage for a mega-fight later on between Bam and “The Monster”.