By: Sean Crose
It’s a part of contemporary boxing. Fighters watch footage of other fighters who they’re going to face as often as possible. Watching what a fighter has done before can logically be a sign of what he’s going to do again. It makes a lot of sense to watch films of future opponents, and many if not most fighters engage in doing it whenever they have the chance. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez however is another story. The undefeated, 23-0 fighter has made it clear that watching tape can be misleading. And indeed the man has a point as he points out a fighter can easily change his strategy.
“I like to just go out the first couple rounds and see what they bring to the table,” Rodriguez told Boxing Scene. “You can go out and watch all the film in the world, and he can change his style up fight night.” So what’s the man do for strategy? “Just go out there to see what they bring.” There’s no doubt Rodriguez’ next opponent will be more than happy to show Rodriguez what he brings to a fight. For on the 13th of this month Rodriguez will be squaring off against Antonio Vargas.
At stake will be the WBA bantamweight title. Should he win, Rodriguez will be a three-time world champion. Suffice to say the scheduled 12 rounder against Vargas is a match that Rodriguez is expected to win. Strange things happen in boxing though and Vargas is not a man to be taken lightly. This is especially true when one considers the fact that Naoya Inoue may appear on the horizon should Rodriguez prove victorious. Whether he watches video or not, Rodriguez is most certainly going to want to enter the ring on the 13th in the best shape of his life
Always confident, however, Rodriguez does not come across as being the least bit overwhelmed by where he is in his career. “A lot of people might not know who Antonio Vargas is,” said Rodriguez (via Boxing Scene), “but my team and I know.” He may not be watching film, but it’s clear that Rodriguez is familiar with his opponent next week. “We’re not taking it lightly at all,” he said. “We’re here inside the gym giving it 100 per cent every day.” Without doubt, Vargas is training like he never has before himself. He has a great deal on the line on the 13th, after all.
There’s a reason however, why Rodriguez is favored to win. Just 26 years of age, he has accomplished a great deal in the ring. He’s also as skilled and smooth as he is tough and dangerous. Some might even argue that Rodriguez is the entire package one would want in a fighter. Rodriguez, no doubt hopes that that’s the case…or perhaps he already believes it. Again, this is not a man who likely finds himself lacking in confidence. He’s proven a lot so far, and if he looks good against Vargas, he may begin proving a lot more.
Worth noting however is the fact that Vargas too is a confident individual. And, unlike Rodriguez, he may be watching video of his opponent.“We’ve focused on every detail,” he told British Boxing News. “The conditioning, the strategy, the sparring, everything has been executed at a championship level.” Vargas added that: “I feel like I’ve reached another level during this camp. I’m hungry to show the boxing world this version of myself.”
Sounds like something entirely new. Perhaps Rodriguez is quite right not to study tape after all. In fact, the man’s approach to preparation has certainly proven successful so far.
*Image: DAZN
