Fourth-ranked World Boxing Association bantamweight Jonathan Rodriguez of the United States indicated in his public workout on July 12 that his nontitle fight with kickboxer-turned Tenshin Nasukawa of Teiken Boxing Gym on July 20 in Tokyo will be a heaven-sent opportunity for him.
The 10-round fight, to be held at Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena, will be staged at the catchweight of 54.4 kgs (120 lbs).
Speaking before a group of reporters at the gym, the 25-year-old Rodriguez said he will not declare a knockout victory over Nasukawa, also 25, but added he wants to do his kind of boxing, which he said will eventually lead to an opportunity he has been waiting for.
What he meant is the fact that at present all the world champions of the four major sanctioning bodies are Japanese, and if he can beat Nasukawa, ranked seventh in the bantamweight division by the WBA, he thinks he can return to Japan to challenge one of them.
Rodriguez, who arrived in Japan on the evening of July 11, said he does not want to declare what he thinks is superior to Nasukawa. But he quickly added he has more career as a boxer than Naukawa, although he admitted Nasukawa himself has an experience as a kickboxer.
He showed two rounds of shadow boxing and mitt hitting, respectively during the day’s workout.
His trainer and father Indio Rodriguez said Rodriguez has a superior combat skill in every aspect and is spotless.
His best fight was his first-round knockout victory over former WBA super flyweight champion Khalid Yafai of Britain with a devastating right hook to the head for the vacant WBA inter-continental title last November. Though Rodriguez was defeated by the WBA’s top-ranked bantamweight Antonio Vargas of the U.S. in February this year, he scored a knockdown in the first round.
Nasukawa’s trainer Takahiro Ao said, ‘’I think Nasukawa can beat him, although he has to be careful about his right hooks which decked Yafai in addition to left hooks at short range. We will work out a strategy not to fight with him at short quarters.’’
Rodriguez has a 54-4 win-loss tally as an amateur and has a professional record of 17 wins, including seven KOs against two losses and a draw. Nasukawa has three straight wins, one by KO.
The July 20 fight is part of the event dubbed ‘’Prime Video Presents Live Boxing 9,’’ in which three world title fights will also be included.