As Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez keeps blasting away the competition, the boxing public is calling for him to face fellow pound-for-pound greats who are two divisions above him.

The Ring, WBA, WBC and WBO junior bantamweight champion Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) knocked out Fernando Martinez (18-1, 9 KOs) in 10 rounds Saturday as part of “The Ring IV: Night of the Champions” card at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Rodriguez plans on chasing current IBF beltholder Willibaldo Garcia Perez (who next faces Kenshiro Teraji on December 27 in Saudi Arabia) to become the undisputed champion at 115 pounds. Perez should be an even bigger underdog and outmatched opponent than Martinez was in his title unification bout.

If Rodriguez is successful in his conquests, the likes of 122-pound undisputed champion Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, who is making his division debut on December 27 as well, would be a slugfest to salivate over.

While Rodriguez says he’s not necessarily in a rush to fight them, Nakatani coach Rudy Hernandez has fired shots stating that his charge can stop Bam inside eight rounds.

Not so fast says Rodriguez coach and The Ring’s 2024 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia.

“I have so much respect and love for Rudy,” Garcia told The Ring. “My first three pro fights in Japan were training with Rudy. We've always been friends. He's told me too, straight up, and that is his opinion. I respect his opinion. He believes in his fighter, and I believe in my fighter just as well.

“Before the Fernando Martinez fight, we were offered the Nakatani fight. Nobody mentioned Martinez until I was told that Nakatani decided not fight Bam because he was going to move up in weight. Bam and I had agreed to the fight, and the money, to fight Nakatani by the end of year.

"But a couple of days later I was told by Mr. Akihiko Honda that Nakatani was not going to fight Bam because he was going to move up to 122. And then we were offered Martinez instead. So, it's not like we don't want to fight Nakatani. Eventually, we are going to meet him. It's a huge fight. It's a great fight. I think it will be an explosive fight.

“I've seen Nakatani. I think Bam is much smarter, technical, and I think Bam can beat him. I can't promise a knockout like Rudy because Nakatani is a great fighter and a bigger man. Bam will beat him, but it won't be easy.”

Inoue (No. 3), Rodriguez (No. 4), and Nakatani (No. 7) are circling each other across The Ring’s pound-for-pound list.

Inoue (vs. David Picasso) and Nakatani (vs. Sebastian Reyes) will be featured in separate fights on “The Ring V: Night of the Samurai” on December 27 and the expectation is for the Japanese juggernauts to meet for a super fight sometime in 2026 if they are both victorious.