Inoue vs Rodriguez: Garcia says Bam can skip December; Ohashi targets March 2027

The fight boxing has talked about since May now has a month and a year attached, but no contract. Hideyuki Ohashi, Naoya Inoue's gym president, said in Tokyo on October 28 that talks are moving toward March 2027, adding "Step by step, things are moving forward positively." That is a progress report, not an announcement.

The sticking point has been what Jesse Rodriguez does first. Inoue, who retained his four super-bantamweight titles with a decision over Junto Nakatani in May, objected to Rodriguez fighting in December and then returning in March. He wanted a direct meeting, and he teased a move up to featherweight if he did not get one. That left a possible unification with WBO bantamweight champion Christian Medina on the Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua undercard on 11 December in doubt. Matchroom's Frank Smith put that fight at 50-50.

Rodriguez's trainer, Robert Garcia, has shifted. He first wanted one more bantamweight fight, but he now says Rodriguez can go straight into Inoue. He told BoxingScene that if Inoue cannot wait an extra two months, "I don't think it's a weight issue." He demanded Inoue's team send a contract. Skipping Medina could mean Rodriguez vacating his WBA bantamweight belt.

Garcia also told ESNEWS that he has been building Rodriguez into a true 122-pounder, and that Inoue does not know it. In his view the two will be the same size in the ring. He has also said Inoue is pressuring the fight because he is 34 or 35 and the wait only helps Rodriguez, a claim that rests on Garcia's word alone.

The age gap is real. Inoue is 33 and Rodriguez is 26, and Rodriguez would be moving up from bantamweight to meet an established four-belt champion. Boxing News says the card could land at the Fukuoka Dome, while earlier reports had Inoue's agent John Lewis working with Matchroom on a Tokyo date. Neither venue is confirmed.

Watch for a signed contract, a decision on Medina and the December date, and whether Rodriguez vacates the WBA belt. Until then, the March 2027 target stays a target.