Sources: 'Bam' Rodriguez, Phumelele Cafu negotiating unification bout
If finalized, WBC/WBO showdown eyed for July 19 in Dallas
Dan Rafael
Apr 17
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn is working to get a deal done for WBC junior bantamweight titlist Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and WBO counterpart Phumelele Cafu to meet to unify their belts in the main event of a DAZN card eyed for July 19 in Dallas, sources with knowledge of the discussions told Fight Freaks Unite on Wednesday.
Robert Garcia, who trains and manages Rodriguez, had a fighter on the Matchroom Boxing card headlined by the Jaron “Boots” Ennis-Eimantas Stanionis welterweight unification fight on Saturday night in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and while on hand Hearn briefed him on the discussions for the Cafu fight, one of the sources said.
After Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs), 25, a southpaw from San Antonio, unified flyweight world titles in December 2023 with a ninth-round knockout in a dominant performance against Sunny Edwards, he returned to junior bantamweight where he won his first world title in 2022. He eventually vacated to drop down in weight.
Rodriguez, one of boxing’s pound-for-pound best, didn’t miss a beat in his return to the 115-pound division. He had a big 2024 that made him a fighter of the year candidate.
Rodriguez demolished surefire Hall of Famer Juan Francisco Estrada in the seventh round in June to win the lineal title and reclaim the WBC belt he had vacated and then mowed down interim titlist and mandatory challenger Pedro Guevara via highlight-reel third-round knockout in November.
After the Guevara fight, Hearn and Rodriguez both said a unification fight next was a goal.
“Right now we need to see (Rodriguez) unify the division,” Hearn said. “He unified at flyweight. We want to see him unify at (junior bantamweight).”
Regarding a unification bout, Rodriguez said, “I’m ready right now.”
To get one, however, it means Cafu or bust.
WBA titlist Fernando Martinez is not available as he is scheduled to defend against former titlist Kazuto Ioka in a rematch on May 11 in Tokyo.
The IBF title is vacant and will be contested by Mexican countrymen Willibaldo Garcia and Rene Calixto in a rematch, probably on May 23 in Mexico. They fought to a split draw for the vacant belt in December.
Cafu had been linked to a possible title defense against four-division champion and former pound-for-pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, but when those talks broke off, Colin Nathan, who trains and manages Cafu, announced last month that Cafu would make his first title defense in the coming months at home in South Africa.
However, a unification fight with Rodriguez would undoubtedly be worth far more money than any fight Cafu could have in South Africa.
Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KOs), 26, a southpaw, won the WBO title by upset split decision over Kosei Tanaka on the road in Japan in October. He name checked Rodriguez last month when Nathan said the first defense was being planned for South Africa.
“My goal is to be undisputed, and I want to fight the big names in the division, like ‘Bam’ and Martinez,” Cafu said.
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