This win meant so much more than the titles that were unified in the ring.
Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez entered the biggest fight of his career with the news that he would be a father by next spring.
Already the sport’s youngest titleholder and two-division titlist, Rodriguez (19-0, 12KOs) can now add unified titlist to that list following his stoppage of Sunny Edwards after nine rounds. The 23-year-old San Antonio native floored Edwards in the ninth and produced cuts and swelling around both eyes to force the stoppage.
Rodriguez unified the IBF and WBO titles with his career-best accomplishment, which he viewed as an opportunity to forever provide a better way of life for his growing family.
“I knew this fight would not only change my life but change my daughter’s life as well,” Rodriguez said during the post-fight press conference after his DAZN-aired victory Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. “It would set her up for better opportunities and better things.
“I had a lot of motivation going into this fight. I have a daughter on the way. I can’t wait for her to be here, to meet her and to tell her about this fight.”
Rodriguez’s daughter is due in April.
He can share tales of his perfect 5-0 record in major title fights spanning two weight divisions. His first title win came in this region last February, when he beat former titlist Carlos Cuadras on just six days’ notice to win the vacant WBC junior bantamweight title. He replaced an ill Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, the former lineal champion whom Rodriguez obliterated inside of eight rounds last June 24 in his San Antonio hometown.
The feat was considered his career-best outing to date, which was easily trumped by his tour-de-force performance versus Edwards (20-1, 4KOs), a long-reigning and previously unbeaten IBF flyweight titlist. It came after being made to look human in wins over Israel Gonzalez last September and when he overcame a broken jaw to outpoint Cristian Gonzalez for the vacant WBO flyweight title on April 8 also in San Antonio.
“This fight was the biggest win of my career, of my life,” acknowledged Rodriguez. “My last two performances, a lot of the media was writing me off. They were saying I was a hype job, this and that.
“That, on top of winning another title in a unification bout against an undefeated champion is just, it’s as big as it gets. That’s why I was so emotional after the fight.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox