Naoya Inoue's agent working with Matchroom to finalise Bam Rodriguez fight in Tokyo in March
Eddie Hearn said earlier this week that Rodriguez's team were willing to go straight into the fight in March and that he was waiting on an offer from Inoue's side.
Naoya Inoue's agent, John Lewis, has told The Ring he is working with Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith of Matchroom to finalise a deal for Inoue to face Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez in a super fight in Tokyo in March.
Inoue, the undisputed super-bantamweight champion, has said Rodriguez must skip any December fight and move straight up to 122lbs to face him. Rodriguez is in talks to meet WBO bantamweight champion Christian Medina on the Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua undercard on 11 December, and Smith said this week that the interim fight was 50-50, with a decision due within days. Hearn said he was waiting on an offer from Inoue's side and that Rodriguez's team are willing to go straight into the fight in March. Rodriguez's head coach, Robert Garcia, has said the WBA bantamweight champion is willing to skip a December fight if Inoue's team reach out and negotiations go well.
Inoue retained his four world titles with a points win over Junto Nakatani in May. Rodriguez, 26, became a three-weight world champion this year when he knocked out Antonio Vargas in the sixth round.
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