Jesse Rodriguez vs Phumelele Cafu Predictions: The ‘Bam’ before the Martinez storm?

Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez looks to unify his WBC super flyweight championship with Phumelela Cafu’s WBO version this Saturday, July 19. The fight takes place at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. DAZN will air the card live, featuring outings for WBO number-one super middleweight Diego Pacheco and 160lb contender Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams.

Here are my Jesse Rodriguez vs Phumelela Cafu predictions ahead of this

Jesse Rodriguez vs Phumelela Cafu Odds

‘Bam’ is out in front at a mammoth 1/33. A startling reflection of his superiority, even as he faces a fellow world champion. Cafu is priced at 10/1 to become a two-belt king. The draw is priced at 25/1.

Jesse Rodriguez vs Phumelela Cafu Fight Preview

This fight represents an emerging new normal in boxing. ‘Bam’ Rodriguez heads into Saturday’s showdown with a November outing against WBA super flyweight champion Fernando Martinez already scheduled. 

As a reminder, this fight with Cafu is not some knockaround eight-rounder. This is not a keep-busy outing on an undercard to stay fresh. Rodriguez is fighting the WBO champion of the world while already scheduled to fight his WBA equivalent.

This is how Turki Alalshikh likes his boxing and, because he is the one with all the money, the grand old sport is in fealty to his whims. Not that there is anything wrong with ‘Bam’ taking on Martinez, it is a cracking prospect. But is there any need to announce it this far in advance, as a unification no less, when Rodriguez may not even have a belt to unify by November?

The most disrespected party here is Cafu. The WBO champion, who took the title on the home turf of the reigning king Kosei Tanaka no less. That is an almighty feat and it deserves better than being treated as a footnote in someone else’s story. Yes, the South African is the underdog. But so were Randolph Turpin, James ‘Buster’ Douglas, Frankie Randall and Andy Ruiz Jr. The best laid plans and all that.

Cafu might not have the record of a man who presents much danger to a pound-for-pounder like Rodriguez. 10-0-3 is a strange ledger, with three draws out of 13 fights a startling amount of stalemates. But he does know a thing or two about upsets.

After all, few outside of Cafu’s team gave him a prayer against the once-beaten, four-weight world champion Tanaka. His chances were seen as edging closer to none than slim, particularly given the Tokyo setting. But Cafu knocked his man down in round five to edge a split decision. From humble beginnings and unheralded fights, a quarter of which he had drawn, Cafu was not expected to offer much. But ‘Truth’ offered a slice of history.

The task facing the South African boxer is far greater here, of course. Beating Tanaka was one of the upsets of 2024. But if Cafu were to find a way past ‘Bam’, we might be talking about the upset of the decade. The 26-year-old posted a workout video on his Instagram saying “Bam, I’m coming for your f**king head”. Who says modern boxers are overly media-trained?

Rodriguez’s noggin can be found, that much is true. Cristian Gonzalez broke the Texan’s jaw in their 2023 encounter, which ‘Bam’ won on points. The great Juan Francisco Estrada had him down in the sixth round of their encounter, before Rodriguez knocked him out in the seventh. Yes, the WBC super flyweight kingpin can be hurt. But he is yet to be beaten, going 21-0 with 14 knockouts.

The Rodriguez resume across two weights is sensational. ‘Bam’ is in his second reign as the WBC super flyweight king, while he also holds The Ring title at the weight. In between his two stints in this division, the southpaw dropped down to flyweight to win the WBO and IBF belts.

‘Bam’ has beaten Sunny Edwards, Carlos Cuadras, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Israel González and Pedro Guevara, along with the aforementioned Estrada and Cristian Gonzalez. The two Gonzalez’s are the only ones in that group never to have been a world champion. Seven title fights across two divisions in outstanding company. No wonder Rodriguez is on any pound-for-pound list worth its salt.

Chances are, before Christmas we will be talking about nine title fights and seven former or reigning champions beaten. But chance is exactly what it is. Turki might be boxing’s new tsar, but there is an etiquette in place for a reason. Let the fighters decide the direction of travel in the most democratic way there is. With their educated fists.

Jesse Rodriguez vs Phumelela Cafu Full Card

Jesse Rodriguez vs Phumelela Cafu

Diego Pacheco vs Trevor McCumby

Pablo Valdez vs Robert Redmond Jr

Omari Jones vs Alfredo Rodolfo Blanco

Nishant Dev vs LaQuan Evans

Hector Beltran vs Edgar Gutierrez

Austin Williams vs Ivan Vazquez

Jesse Rodriguez vs Phumelela Cafu Prediction

For all my proselytising, ‘Bam’ really should win this contest. Cafu was a revelation against Tanaka. He’ll have to be the other 26 books of the New Testament to upset the superb WBC champion.

I don’t see it. That does not make the fact that plans were made above Cafu’s hair-dyed head right. But the likeliest outcome is a ‘Bam’ masterclass here. 

Rodriguez is riding a spell of three consecutive stoppages. I like him to add a fourth here. ‘Bam’ by knockout is your 1/4 shot. To make it a little tastier, let’s say Rodriguez in rounds 4-6 at 12/5.

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