Garcia wants Rodriguez unification fight before Inoue clash

Robert Garcia wants Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez to fight for a second bantamweight title before chasing Naoya Inoue.

Garcia, who trains and manages Rodriguez, told DAZN after Saturday's sixth-round stoppage of Antonio Vargas that he wants the San Antonio southpaw to face WBO titleholder Christian Medina in a unification bout at 118 pounds. Rodriguez claimed the WBA strap with the win over Vargas in Glendale, Arizona, becoming a three-division champion at 26.

Why Garcia prefers Medina over Takuma Inoue

The plan puts a fourth belt ahead of a move to junior featherweight, where Naoya Inoue holds every major title. "It doesn't matter how much money they show us out there," Garcia said on the broadcast, per The Ring. "One more fight is what we need, then we'll be ready. I think we need somebody who is going to test 'Bam' with solid punches, not just speed."

Garcia floated September 12 in Riyadh on the Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli card as one option, though he acknowledged October or early November might be more realistic. Takuma Inoue, Naoya's younger brother, holds the WBC bantamweight belt and sits at No. 2 in The Ring rankings, but Garcia said Medina's power makes him the better test. The 26-year-old from Guadalajara is ranked fourth.

Rodriguez told Garcia after the Vargas fight that he felt the size difference against a natural bantamweight, which Garcia said confirmed the need for another bout at 118 before stepping up. "Why would we go straight into another division, which is going to make a big difference?" Garcia said. "We've got to pace ourselves."

Rodriguez debuted at No. 3 in The Ring's bantamweight rankings and sits fourth pound-for-pound. Inoue, who has gone 9-0 with six knockouts since moving to junior featherweight, remains No. 1 on the pound-for-pound list.

Source: ringmagazine.com