Eddie Hearn believes Jesse ‘Bam Rodriguez’ will become boxing’s next biggest superstar.
Boxing has always been littered with huge commercial superstars with the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua dominating the current era of sweet science.
But with Mayweather retired and Fury and Joshua in their twilight years, the next generation is eager to kick down the doors of opportunity and announce themselves on the world stage.
Many hugely talented prospects have already done that including British heavyweight Moses Itauma, who has been compared to icon Mike Tyson.
But Hearn believes it isn’t the glamour heavyweight division where the next superstar is breaking through.
He believes he has the next pay-per-view king within the Matchroom Boxing stable, in the shape of boxing’s youngest ever world champion ‘Bam’.
He told talkSPORT.com when asked who is boxing’s next big star: “It’s Bam [Rodriguez] for me.
Because of his age. He’s at a slight disadvantage because he’s in a lower weight class.
“But he has the ability to go up to bantamweight, super bantamweight. He’s already a two division champion.
“I think he’ll be at least a four division champion. Yeah. So, I think he’ll be a generational great.”
After acknowledging Rodriguez’s greatness, he went on to give special plaudits to Shakur Stevenson and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, who he believes are too close to becoming huge names.
“Honestly I believe Shakur [Stevenson] will be as well,” he continued.
“I think if he goes in, I think he can beat Tank [Gervonta Davis], that certainly makes him a superstar.
“But right now, Jaron Ennis has next got the biggest fight in American boxing.
“It’s going to be one of the best nights of the year, and it will be incredible if he beats Eimontas Stanionis,
“I think he’s going to be the one that’s going to come out. I believe he can beat Terence Crawford.”
Rodriguez is on an incredible run, holding an unbeaten record and the WBC super flyweight title at the age of 25.
Traditionally the smaller weight classes have struggled to produced the same volume of superstar, but he could be given his ferocious punching power and KO record.
14 of his 21 victories have come with a brutal KO including his most recent win over Pedro Guevara in three rounds last NJovember.
A huge future showdown which could appear is against pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue.
Inoue has campaigned at Rodriguez’s weight and all the way up to super-bantamweight.
He is a four weight champion and a fight between the two heavy handed athletes could be one of boxing’s biggest spectacles.
