From overlooked prospect to P4P star: The rise of ...
Key takeaways
- "He's going to be good, man," Donaire said after seeing the young southpaw flash his jab and pop off a few combinations.
- In 2026, Rodriguez not only fulfilled Donaire's prophecy but exceeded it as a two-division world champion and ESPN's No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
- "I feel like there's still a lot of Bam Rodriguez for people to see," Rodriguez told ESPN on Wednesday.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez is looking to become a three-division champion with a victory over Antonio Vargas on Saturday. Matchroom Boxing Andreas Hale Jun 12, 2026, 07:49 AM ETClose Andreas Hale is a combat sports reporter at ESPN. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and pro wrestling. In Andreas' free time, he plays video games, obsesses over music and is a White Sox and 49ers fan. He is also a host for Sirius XM's Fight Nation. Before joining ESPN, Andreas was a senior writer at DAZN and Sporting News. He started his career as a music journalist for outlets including HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z's Life+Times. He is also an NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker as a producer for the animated short film "Bridges" in 2024.Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsIn early 2012, Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez attended a media workout session in San Antonio for his favorite boxer, Nonito Donaire, then a junior featherweight world champion. Rodriguez, who was 12 years old at the time and following in the footsteps of his older brother and future world champion Joshua Franco, was preparing to head to a boxing tournament but wanted to catch a glimpse of one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world before leaving. Instead of simply seeing Donaire ply his craft, he was invited into the ring to show his skills.
"He's going to be good, man," Donaire said after seeing the young southpaw flash his jab and pop off a few combinations. But even then, Donaire couldn't have imagined that the teen nicknamed "Bambino" would become who he is now.
In 2026, Rodriguez not only fulfilled Donaire's prophecy but exceeded it as a two-division world champion and ESPN's No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer in the world. On Saturday, Rodriguez, 26, will be back in action as he pursues a world title in a third weight class when he faces WBA bantamweight champion Antonio Vargas (DAZN, 7 p.m. ET) in Glendale, Arizona.