“Everybody keeps talking about the Inoue fight,” Hearn told IFL TV. “We’ve had Inoue’s managers on saying, ‘Have you heard anything about this fight? We want to do the fight.’ We’ve not heard anything. Ultimately, if we don’t find out soon about the Inoue fight, we can’t keep waiting. Robert Garcia is saying, ‘What are we doing?’”
The alternative is IBF champion Willibaldo Garcia Perez. Hearn has discussed placing that fight on the October 31 card headlined by Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli.
Beating Garcia Perez would make Rodriguez the undisputed champion at 115 pounds. That distinction would change his position in future negotiations with Inoue. Bam would come to the table as the champion who cleaned out his division, not as a smaller fighter chasing the largest payday available.
Remaining active also makes more sense than surrendering his next date to an opponent who has not made an offer. Rodriguez built his reputation by defeating elite fighters such as Juan Francisco Estrada and Sunny Edwards. A lengthy layoff would waste part of the attention those performances created.
The weight difference presents another reason not to rush. Rodriguez competes at 115 pounds, while Inoue fights two weight classes above him at 122. Inoue has little incentive to reduce his weight, and Rodriguez would place himself at a serious physical disadvantage by jumping directly into a division where Inoue is already established. Another junior bantamweight fight would give Bam time to consider moving through 118 pounds first.
Mentioning Garcia Perez also serves a negotiating purpose for Hearn. It tells Ohashi Promotions and Top Rank that Rodriguez will not sit by the phone. If Inoue’s side truly wants the fight, it must move beyond comments and present Matchroom with something formal.
Inoue vs. Rodriguez retains Hearn’s interest as one of boxing’s best technical matchups. Still, interest alone cannot hold Bam’s calendar. Garcia Perez provides a meaningful alternative, an undisputed championship, and a place on one of the year’s largest cards.
If no offer arrives soon, Rodriguez should take the unification. Collecting the final belt would leave him with more authority when the Inoue conversation finally becomes serious.
