Matchroom’s Saturday night program lost one of its four world championship fights (the one you’d most likely expected would be canceled), but it’s still a bill featuring three world title fights, and there’s plenty of action elsewhere this weekend.

On Saturday, who will win between Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai? Our choices for that bout, as well as four others!

Christ, Scott (41-18)

Bam Rodriguez is one of my favorite actors. I believe he has a bright future in the sport and that he will be a long-time competitor and champion who will mix it with many of the top names. Starting with this could give you an idea of where I’m headed.

Rodriguez has the talent to easily win this fight, but Rungvisai is a big, tough 115-pound fighter who can still crack a lot of people, and Rodriguez showed much too much eagerness to engage in the pocket with Carlos Cuadras. Cuadras has more abilities than Rungvisai, but the Thai strikes harder, and when he deals damage, he is aware of it and responds accordingly. And once he gets going downhill, it’s really difficult to stop him.

To be honest, I’m cheering for Rodriguez here. I’d love to see a young fighter with his talents build a claim towards the top of what has been and continues to be a terrific division to watch for years. I like his desire, confidence, and conviction in his abilities. But I’m going with the veteran to take advantage of an opportunity and cause a stoppage in a bout that calls for a rematch. I wouldn’t be shocked if Bam’s freshness and enthusiasm triumph, but perhaps I’m siding with the veteran because I’m aging out of cultural significance. It’s either this or pretending boxing was ever noble or PPV undercards were ever terrific in the previous two decades. You have to choose your locations. Rungvisai TKO-10

Esco Wil (46-13)

This is a bout I could see going any way, but I believe it will come down to how Bam Rodriguez holds up against a massive super flyweight. Yes, Rodriguez showed his ability to climb up in weight when he defeated Carlos Cuadras, but Sor Rungvisai is a larger, stronger opponent who delivers a greater punch. Conversely, and this is where I’m leaning, Sor Rungvisai is 35 years old now, has more kilometers, and isn’t as much of a volume puncher.

As a result, I believe Rodriguez will be able to outpoint him in most of these rounds, and barring being clipped by a momentum-changing shot or just being outmatched, I believe his talent level will be sufficient to win over the distance. I’m going to go with Rodriguez to make a choice. UD-12 Rodriguez

Hansen, John (47-12)

Bam Rodriguez is a deserving champion and a terrific role model for numerous other young boxers who are dissatisfied with their own stagnant stew. He took advantage of a hazardous opportunity against Carlos Cuadras. His reward is an even more difficult game against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, which I believe will be just a bit above his capabilities.

During this week’s show, Scott examined the grammatical absurdity of referring to someone as a “big 115 lber.” However, the term fits Rungvisai. He’s about as huge as 115-pounders get. In Chocolatito and Juan Francisco Estrada, he’s proven he can handle boxers with stopping power and flawless abilities. On occasion, he appeared flat against weaker opponents, but many of those performances occurred while he was dealing with serious personal circumstances outside of the ring. And each time, Rungvisai definitely did enough to win. His only defeat in eight years came in the rematch with Estrada. Without disrespect to Estrada, Rungvisai did a lot to hurt himself by moving away from southpaw for the majority of the night.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Rodriguez won this bout. He’s obviously capable, but he’s also capable of bringing out the greatest side of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. And we’ve already seen that man deal with two separate P4P level fighters. I anticipate many more years of praising Jesse Rodriguez. But I believe this night will be a humiliating setback for the younger man. UD-12 Rungvisai

Stumberg, Patrick (47-12)

Father Gascoigne, a huge beast that serves as an initial test in the PS4 classic Bloodborne, is one of the first adversaries you confront. His unrelenting onslaught and mid-fight transformation into an even more bestial and powerful form push the player to begin learning the game’s combat’s combination of aggressiveness, dodging, and parrying. The lessons you acquire versus him transfer over to one of the last opponents, an enormous juggernaut named Gehrman who amps up everything that made Gascoigne a misery to 11. You’re in for a world of hurt if you didn’t take those teachings to heart.

That’s how I see it; the key to Rodriguez’s success will be if he learned the appropriate lessons from his fight with Carlos Cuadras. Of course, it’s not a direct comparison; aside from being a southpaw, Srisaket is notably slower and more flat-footed than Cuadras. But what cost Rodriguez his previous fight was his propensity to loiter in the pocket and play catch-and-pitch with a naturally larger fighter, and Srisaket’s extraordinary power makes that a game Bam can’t play if he wants to maintain all of his teeth. Rodriguez has the agility to run circles around Srisaket and the dexterity to go in, do his damage, and get out without being caught. It’s simply a question of whether he can do it for 12 rounds without stopping.

Given how well he performed overall against Cuadras on such short notice, and never getting past eight previously, I believe he has what it takes. San Antonio gets another dub. UD-12 Rodriguez

Quick Selections!
Jonathan Gonzalez vs. Mark Anthony Barriga

Scott: Barriga SD-12

Wil: Gonzalez TKO-9

John: Gonzalez UD-12

Patrick: Gonzalez UD-12

Elwin Soto vs Hekkie Budler

Scott: Soto UD-12

Wil: Soto UD-12

John: Soto KO-9

Patrick: Soto UD-12

Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Ronny Rios

Scott: Akhmadaliev TKO-10

Wil: Akhmadaliev TKO-8

John: Akhmadaliev TKO-7

Patrick: Akhmadaliev UD-12

Jessica McCaskill vs Alma Ibarra

Scott: McCaskill UD-10

Wil: McCaskill UD-10

John: McCaskill UD-10

Patrick: McCaskill UD-10