Inoue's agent working with Matchroom to finalise March Tokyo fight with Bam Rodriguez

A fight between Naoya Inoue and Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez is moving from talk toward a deal, but one condition still hangs over it: Rodriguez's December plans. Inoue's agent, John Lewis, told The Ring he is working with Matchroom's Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith to finalise a Tokyo date in March.

Inoue has set the terms publicly. Rodriguez must skip any fight in December and move straight up to 122 pounds to face him. That puts the interim bout in doubt. Rodriguez, the WBA bantamweight champion, is in talks to face WBO bantamweight champion Christian Medina on the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua undercard on Dec. 11. Smith said this week that the fight was 50-50, with a decision due within days.

Rodriguez's camp appears flexible. Hearn said he was waiting on an offer from Inoue's side and that Rodriguez's team are willing to go straight into the March fight. Head coach Robert Garcia has said the fighter would skip December if Inoue's team reach out and negotiations go well.

The fight would pair two champions at very different points. Inoue is 33 and the undisputed super-bantamweight champion. He kept all four world titles with a points win over Junto Nakatani in May. Rodriguez is 26 and became a three-weight world champion this year by knocking out Antonio Vargas in the sixth round. The fight would be in Inoue's home country of Japan.

What to watch next is the Medina decision, due within days. If Rodriguez passes on Dec. 11 and Inoue's side makes its offer, the March fight would be close to done. If the Medina fight goes ahead, Inoue's condition would be broken, and the timeline could change.