Speaker 1: Well, it is my great pleasure going to be joined
on the podcast. This week they repeat guests and one
Jesse Vaan Rodriguez. Jesse, you're the lineal and the WBC
Junior band and Weight world champion, and I'll just let
our listeners know what you've got coming up. You're going
to be in a unification fight with from Lele Tofu,
the WBO champion, looking to unify those titles at one
hundred and fifteen pounds. It I'll headline the Matchroom boxing
card on his own. It'll take place on July nineteenth
and your home state at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas.
So welcome to the show. I thank you very much
for doing this. Yes for having anytime. Man, I know
how much you've won it because you've spoken so much
about it about wanting a unification fight in this weight class.
You were able to do it in the flyweight division.
But before I ask you about this fight, I just
wanted to reflect a little bit on your big fight
last year. You had two fights, but the big one,
you know, in an excellent year, was a rather impressive destruction,
if I must say so, against the future Hall of
Famer and Jan Francisco Estrada, who was the champion at
that time. You went and got back the BBC title
that you had vacated to drop down to the flyweight
division and then came back up to take it from
him as well as his lineal title. And you know,
it was a heck of a fight. You knocked him out,
but he did have the right to a rematch, and
in the ring he said he would probably go for it.
Ultimately he decided against it. He came back in his
first fight since that loss. Just recently he moved off
to bandonmweight. I just wondered where you at all surprised
he didn't press for the rematch, knowing the warrior that
he is. Were you disappointed he didn't go for the rematch?
Speaker 2: I was surprised, actually, I feel like it was a
huge shock to me. I was already in training camp
for the fight itself. I think it was still on
the works, but mentally physically, I was already prepared for
another fight against him. And then about the second week
into training camp is when I found out that he
had actually put out a bit. So it did shock
me in a bit in a way, just because I
know he's a warrior. I feel like he would have
wanted to get revenge against me, but I mean he
went his away and decided to move up. But I mean,
it's it's really out of my control.
Speaker 1: His career absolutely well. As I mentioned, one of the
goals you had talked about wanting to do was have
a fight for another one of the titles. You had
done it a flyweight, like I said, and so now
you're going to have the fight with Kafu. But I'm
always curious about when guys go in to the to
the efforts to get the unification. I sort of wonder
is it a particular opponent that they're interested in, because
there's obviously multiple belts, or is it just whoever's got
a title. And in that at the time where this
fight was being organized by match Room, you had Cafuho
had won the WBO title. You had I think, I
guess the more well known fighter Fernando Martinez, who had
the w the IBF title or no, the WBA title.
I guess yeah, And the IBF title was vacant and
they had a title fight getting ready to go. For
that point here is that if you run in a unification,
it was either fight Martinez or a fight CAFU, whoever
you can make a deal with. And so was it
that you wanted him or that you just didn't care
and you wanted a belt?
Speaker 2: Yeah, honestly I didn't care. But before the CAFU presented itself,
we were already in the works with Martinez for a
unification fight against him, and then just one random day
that fell through and I was stuck just waiting for
a fight in itself, and then KAFU presented itself and
they started working on that it would have get it done.
So now we're here two weeks out from the fight,
and I'm ready to go.
Speaker 1: So he's not the most well known guy obviously, he's
eleven in ZHO with three draws. He's only fought in
South Africa other than when he won this title, when
he fought over in Japan, So he doesn't have a
big name, even if you look at the record of
the opponents he fought in his home country. Because in
no way what I suggest that there's not good fighters
from South Africa. There's plenty of them, but they're not
guys that anybody would really recognize. And so I know
you're motivated to have another title, But what do you
think about him just as a fighter, if you've looked
at any of the videos of him or what you've seen,
because he's not very experienced, and he hasn't I've saw
a couple of videos, hasn't shown like incredible dynamics the
way you've done or some of the other opponents that
you have faced.
Speaker 2: Honestly, coming into this fight, don't know much about him.
I know he's coming off of that win against Tanaka
that was a huge upset, just considering that it was
over there in Japan in his home country, So I
know mentally he's coming off of that win very motivated
to come to first go and do the same against me.
I know he's training one hundred percent to give me
a great fight, but I feel like right now, I'm
just I'm unbeatable.
Speaker 1: Well, he got that win, as you mentioned against Tanaka.
It was by a split decision, but he did so
in the other man's home area, so you know, it's
and I saw the fight. It was legitimate win. It
was close, But a lot of people, like I said,
they don't know him, and they figure here's you know,
Jesse Van Rodriguez multiple division champion fought a lot of
top fighters, been looking spectacular in any of those fights,
and they figure that you're just going to roll right
through a guy that a they never heard of and
b if they check him out, hasn't really had any
big wins other than that Tanaka win. How do you
keep yourself from being over confident in a fight where
a lot of people just figure, you know, you're gonna
just walk through the guy.
Speaker 2: I just know that he has a lot of power.
He has eleven wins, eight of those have come by knockouts,
so that says a lot about you know, how hard
he punches. So just having that in the back of
my mind as well as just I know there's bigger
opportunities after this fight if I do get past Cafu.
So just those two combined keeps me level headed, down
to earth, and just keep training the way I have
been since the beginning of my career.
Speaker 1: One thing that it's interesting to me about this the fight.
The fight dates, I guess July nineteenth. It's a huge
day for boxing because besides your fight in a you know,
a unification fight, you also have earlier in the day,
you have the rematch between Alexander Usik and Daniel Dubad.
They'll meet to unify the titles for the undistributed heavyweight Championship.
That's obviously a huge deal. And around the same time
that your fight is going to be taking place, that
your card is going on in Texas. In Las Vegas,
he'll have the legendary manupac Yo coming out of retirement
after four years to take on Mario Barrios to fight
for the WBC's welterweight title with a pretty loaded undercard. Normally,
if dam Rodriguez is going to be in a unification fight,
you're gonna get all the attention that week. You're gonna
be the man that all the boxing fans and media
are focused on this time. You know, with all due respect,
it's probably not going to be the case because your
opponent's not the most known guy. Yeah, and it's the
heavyweight title and it's Manny pac Yo. So are you
at all disappointed that you face that type of stiff
competition that normally everyone will be focused on your event
and probably because of the loaded schedule with lots of
good fights, that won't be the case this year. And
this is you know this coming up.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I actually don't mind it. I'm actually happy just
to be a part of it, to headline my own
card on the same day as those fights. Like you said,
O Sig, my longtime friend Mario Borrows fighting Manny Pacyo
so to share. Yeah, I'm getting a call.
Speaker 1: Sorry, no problem. The technologically at Jesse vam Radriguez. What
do you ca Yeah, happens to the best of.
Speaker 2: Us, right, But yeah, I'll just restart that. Like I said,
I'm just happy to be a part of the night
highlighting my own card. You're Light nineteen with these great
fighters USIG, my longtime frame Mario Barrios. To share a
boxing night with them, just it's a It's an honor
at the end of the day. Like you said, I
won't be getting too much attention just because of the names.
But I'm just happy to be in the ring myself.
After a long layoff eight months, I'm just happy to
get back in there and perform.
Speaker 1: One of the things I always wonder also, is you
know you're you're making good money for these fights. You're
getting the fights you want in terms of unification fights,
You're building your name up continuously because you're still a
very young fighter. Relatively speaking. So I just wonder what
is the main motivation? Is it the titles? Is it
the money? Is it just a specific name? Is there
something else? Like? What is it that when you get
out of bed to go do that hard work to prepare,
that's first and foremost on your mind as the reason
why you're doing it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Honestly, my dream when I started professional boxing with
to become world champion, and I already accomplished that back
in twenty twenty two. So now being a father, knowing
I have a daughter and a son on the way,
it's just that's, honestly my motivation to just be able
to win these fights, get bigger paydays, be able to
provide for them in the long term, long long run.
That is so for there is all the motivation I
ever needed.
Speaker 1: So if everything works out for you in this fight
with CFU, there are the other champions, you'll have two
of the titles if you're the winner. There is still
Martinez out there. The IBF title was filled in a
recent fight where Willibaldo Garcia that won that vacant title.
I've talked to the Willibaldo Garcia team. They say he's
going to be in Frisco to be ringside to check
you out, and he wants to fight you if you win.
So what is what is your game plan?
Speaker 2: Like?
Speaker 1: What would you want most? Is it still Martinez because
you mentioned it before? Is it Wilebaldo, who's you know,
will probably make a pretty big fight also for you,
given that he's Mexican and you can fight in front
of a big his crowd or have you not thought
about it?
Speaker 2: Honestly, ideally I would like the Martinez fight. I haven't
put too much thought behind what's going to happen after
this fight. I'm just one hundred percent focused on CAFU.
So everything plays out well, we'll talk about it after that.
Speaker 1: Well, one thing I know that you and I'm not
talking about for the next fight, but every fighter dreams
about what's in the long run. I don't know if
you remember this, but when we were out in Los
Angeles last summer in August at the Terrence Crawford Israel
Majamav fight, we sat at that table in the hotel
that was the fight hotel, and that little lounge there
and we were just sort of, you know, talking about
this and that, and you know, you were telling me
that your dream would be eventually a huge mega fight
against Noya in a way, who was the one hundred
and twenty two pounds disputed champion. He's still in that
weight class. You know, you'd obviously have to move up
a couple of divisions over the course of however long.
Is that still what you harbor as like the big
one for Jesse Rodriguez?
Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure in a way, he's still dominating at
the top of his game right now. So if we
ever meet up in a fight, I would love that
fight to happen in Japan, and I feel like that
would be a huge fight for all the boxing. Honestly,
I would I would say that that's my dream fight
right now.
Speaker 1: And so that means obviously by this, by saying that
you would be willing to at some point either either
skip over the Bandam white division or maybe fight at
bandam weight, they'll go right to one twenty two. Well,
how do you think that your frame and your size
and all the things to go into it would would
translate to the heavier weight class two weight classes in
this case.
Speaker 2: Honestly, if the fight presented itself right now, I would
have you know, I wouldn't be able to say no
to that opportunity. So if it ever presents itself from
now into whatever, if it becomes a fishaw, I have
no problem taking that fight.
Speaker 1: Well, that would obviously be a big one. But I
both you guys have a lot to do between now
and then because you have this important fight with Kafu
coming up. He's got his fight scheduled. He's got two
fights I think coming up this year, one in September,
another one in Saudi Raby at the end of the year,
and who knows after that. I think they still look
to do a knack Atani fight, but that would be
I take a dream fight for boxing fans. Is there
any other one out there that you have your eye
on in the future.
Speaker 2: Oh, honestly no, I'm just one hundre percent focused on
what's going on right now, and that's uh Catfoo.
Speaker 1: Do you know how to say his first name because
it's tough. Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 2: I don't know how to say it.
Speaker 1: I believe it's humalle all right, all right, So I'm here.
I'm here to help.
Speaker 2: I appreciate it.
Speaker 1: Jesse, thank you very much for your time. I really
do appreciate it. I wish you nothing about us success
in your fight.
Speaker 2: Yes, sir, thank you.
Speaker 1: He did