Ramon Cardenas has warned Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez that super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue will not repeat the defensive errors that allowed Cardenas to knock him down in 2025. Inoue has since adjusted his guard ahead of a prospective bout.
Cardenas floored Inoue with a counter left hook during the second round of their title fight on 4 May 2025 in Las Vegas. Despite the early knockdown, the Japanese champion made immediate mid-fight tactical adjustments before securing a stoppage victory.
Cardenas noted that Inoue recognised his mistake during the contest and resolved it quickly without offering further opportunities.
Speaking to Ring, Cardenas said: “He messed up with me, but he’s not going to mess up the second time. Even when I fought him, I knew what he was doing. He put his hands down, but after that first punch, I didn’t catch him anymore. It wasn’t there anymore, and I kept looking for it,”
Following that bout, Inoue demonstrated tighter defensive discipline in subsequent performances against Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Junto Nakatani. He maintained a higher guard, effectively closing the defensive gap Cardenas had exploited.
That tactical adaptation creates a major structural problem for Rodriguez. The American produces his best offensive work by stepping inside, altering angles, and targeting the body with combinations. However, operating at close range places him directly within reach of Inoue’s powerful short uppercuts and hooks.
Rodriguez has previously absorbed clean punches against opponents such as Juan Francisco Estrada and Sunny Edwards. But moving up to 122 pounds against a faster, stronger puncher alters those calculations. Exchanging blows with Inoue is a high-risk strategy.
The two San Antonio boxers share a long history, with Cardenas knowing Rodriguez since childhood. Cardenas revealed that Rodriguez originally boxed right-handed before converting to a southpaw stance at around 10 or 11 years old.
Inoue has set a March deadline to finalize terms for a potential fight against Rodriguez. If the match goes ahead, Rodriguez faces the difficult task of finding a new opening against a champion who has already rectified his mistakes.
