Naoya Inoue Faces Threat from Jesse Rodriguez

Naoya Inoue remains unbeaten after becoming a two-division undisputed champion, with Shakur Stevenson naming Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez as the most likely fighter to defeat him.

Inoue unified all four major belts at 118lbs before moving up to super-bantamweight, where he has made seven straight defences of his undisputed crown.

He won his most recent outing against three-weight world champion Junto Nakatani with a unanimous decision victory at a sold-out Tokyo Dome last month.

Rodriguez became a three-division world champion last week, dethroning Antonio Vargas with a sixth-round stoppage at 118lbs.

The 26-year-old American is now the newly-crowned WBA bantamweight champion, with talk of him unifying the division or moving up to 122lbs.

Shakur Stevenson told The Agnew Podcast that he believes Rodriguez stands the best chance at toppling Inoue, saying "I think he's the truth, if anybody can do it-with them type of skills, I think 'Bam' can do it."

Stevenson admitted that in the amateurs, he was introduced to the fight of his life against Rodriguez's last opponent, Antonio Vargas.

Vargas subsequently competed at the 2016 Olympics and showed, even against 'Bam', that he is capable of posing problems to elite fighters, as seen in his **sixth-round stoppage** loss to Rodriguez.

Inoue's next assignment may be against Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, which could happen next year, and Stevenson's comments suggest that Rodriguez has a good chance of winning.

At 33 years old, Inoue's time at the elite level may be limited, especially if he faces tough opponents like Rodriguez.

Rodriguez's skills and recent wins make him a **formidable opponent** for Inoue, who will need to be at his best to defend his title.

Inoue's **seven straight defences** of his undisputed crown at super-bantamweight are a testament to his skill, but Rodriguez's **three-division world champion** status makes him a serious threat.