Fight Week: Bam Rodriguez Returns Home

Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez 17-0 (11) has returned to the Alamo City To make history. "Bam" will look to become a two-division world champ as he moves down to 112-pounds and challenges for the vacant WBO Flyweight strap. Saturday night at the Tech Port Arena in San Antonio's west side. Rodriguez will take on the largely unknown Cristian 'Chicharito' Gonzalez in a 12-round affair.

Fight week kicked off with a meet and greet as well as a face-off between the two combatants in front of the Alamo. The festivities continued on Wednesday with a media workout. Thursday is the final Press Conference, which will air on DAZN. Finally, Friday is the official weigh-in, which will also be aired by the streaming service at 1 PM local time at the Espee on E. Commerce Street.

Rodriguez captured the 115-pound WBC world title in February of 2022 by outpointing the legendary Carlos Cuadras in Phoenix, Arizona. He then gave a career-best performance and battered future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in the eighth round. He defended the WBC strap one last time on Mexican Independence Day Weekend against Israel Gonzalez on the undercard of Canelo-GGG II at the T-Mobile in Las Vegas. Rodriguez scored a UD victory. Gonzalez has two wins of note. In his last outing, he defeated fringe contender Juan Alejoz and scored a first-round TKO last March. Chicharito additionally has a win over Saul Juarez, a common opponent with Rodriguez, in which he secured a 10

-round unanimous decision victory in a tough and competitive fight. Rodriguez scored a sensational second-round KO and posterized Juarez. That was in late 2020 in the Top Rank Bubble in Las Vegas

Gateway City Native to Be Honored on April 8 card in San Antonio

Gateway City Legend to be Honored on Bam Rodriguez Card in San Antonio

One legend will be honored, while another legend in the making gets to demonstrate his unique and formidable skill set in the Alamo City. That will be the scene at the Tech Port Arena in San Antonio on April 8th. Legendary Laredo native Orlando Canizales is a 2009 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He compiled a 50-5 -1 (37) record and held the IBF bantamweight title from July of 1988 till December of 1994. He made 15 consecutive title defenses which equaled an all-time division record. The bantamweight division (118) is one of boxing's original seven weight classes, there are now 17 weight classes. Canizales made his first title defense at the Freeman Coliseum and did so in sensational fashion. He dropped Jimmy Navaro twice on his way to a first-round TKO. It was the first title defense in a legendary run. In addition, Canizales fought his second pro fight at the Freeman Coliseum. Also, a first-round TKO! This win came over Reymundo Eureste, an Eagle Pass native. He fought in San Antonio a total of six times, going 5-1 with the one loss, a very close and controversial loss to Wilfredo Vazquez in his bid to become a 122-pound world champ. The Gateway City native is regarded by most as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Bantamweight of all time.

In the evening's main event, San Antonio fan favorite and native Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez (17-0) will look to become a two-division world champ as he moves down from 115 to 112 and captures the vacant WBO Flyweight title as he takes on Cristian Gonzalez of Tultitlán, México. Bam Rodriguez last fought in San Antonio in June of 2022 and scored a career-best win in stopping the legendary Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in eight absolutely one-sided rounds.