On paper, it looks like Juan Francisco Estrada pushed Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez harder than anyone. Sixteen months ago, Estrada dropped Rodriguez in the sixth round of their WBC junior bantamweight title fight. Rodriguez beat the count and recovered, but on the cards he was in a real fight: one judge had Estrada up 57-56, another had it even at 56-56, before Bam turned everything around with a savage body-shot knockout in the seventh round.
Given Rodriguez’s resume heading into that June 2024 classic, it would be easy to assume Estrada gave The Ring’s 115-pound champion the toughest test of his eight-year, 25-fight career. Rodriguez doesn’t see it that way.
“I’d say Cafu was my toughest fight,” Rodriguez told The Ring, referring to his 10th-round TKO win over Phumelela Cafu on July 19. “I think it looked easy on TV just because he wasn’t throwing much. He was more on the defensive side, but just being inside the ring with him, he had power on his punches.”
Why Cafu Was Trickier Than He Looked
Rodriguez went in as a 35-1 favorite against South Africa’s Phumelela Cafu, but the fight was anything but a walkover from his perspective.
“I wasn’t aware of when he was gonna throw, just because he was being really defensive,” Rodriguez explained. “So, I feel like that’s what made it a difficult fight on my end. I had to be a little bit more cautious than usual.”
Cafu (11-1-3, 8 KOs) landed enough sharp counters to cause a welt under Rodriguez’s left eye, especially early when Bam was opening up with combinations. The then-unknown challenger made Rodriguez think, time, and adjust more than expected.
In the 10th, Rodriguez finally broke through decisively. A right hook staggered Cafu with about 1:15 remaining. Though Cafu never hit the canvas, his trainer threw in the towel roughly 20 seconds later, ending the former WBO junior bantamweight titleholder’s brave effort.
Bam Chasing Another Belt in Riyadh
Now San Antonio’s Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs), ranked No. 6 on The Ring pound-for-pound list, turns his attention to Fernando Martinez (18-0, 9 KOs) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
On the “Ring IV: Night of the Champions” card at ANB Arena, Rodriguez will attempt to add Martinez’s WBA belt to the Ring, WBC, and WBO titles he already holds at 115 pounds. Their 12-round unification clash is the second of four bouts on DAZN Pay-Per-View.
“He’s probably my toughest opponent to date, on paper,” Rodriguez said of Martinez. “It’s one thing to say it, but I’ve never been inside the ring with him, so it’s hard to tell, physically, what kind of opponent he will be. But on paper, I feel like he will be my toughest fight.”
Estrada dropped him. Cafu gave him headaches. But if Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is right, Fernando Martinez might be the one who pushes him furthest yet.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
