Latest news with #PhumelelaCafu
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘I'm f—ing coming for your head': Cafu promises to upset Bam Rodriguez
Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez has become a pound-for-pound contender in recent years, and he already has a fight set for November 22, which would see him face Fernando Martinez, possibly for three of the four major world titles at super flyweight. But first, Rodriguez must go through Phumelela Cafu on July 19, and Cafu sounds none too happy that he's seemingly being looked past, promising to ruin Rodriguez's path to undisputed glory. 'Bam, I'm fucking coming for your head, bro. It all ends on the 19th,' Cafu said at a workout. 'And the new unified super flyweight champion of the world! I'm 'The Truth,' baby, and I'm going to prove it to you all. Let's fucking get it!' South Africa's Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KO) holds the WBO title, which he won from Kosei Tanaka in an upset on the road in Japan last October, nicking a split decision, and proving he can hang with the top fighters in the 115 lb division. The 25-year-old Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KO) has been off about the same amount of time, last fighting in November, when he took care of Pedro Guevara inside of three rounds, less than five months after he stopped longtime top star Juan Francisco Estrada in seven. Rodriguez really broke through in early 2022 when he faced Carlos Cuadras and won the vacant WBO 115 lb title, after which he made two defenses, then moved down to flyweight to win the WBO and IBF titles in that division, prior to his move back up to 115 to face Estrada. The American will be a heavy favorite against Cafu, but Cafu definitely is at the level that he cannot be truly overlooked, and if Rodriguez makes that mistake, he could find his November date with Martinez, who holds the WBA title, going to the South African instead. More from What's next for Terence Crawford? Is a jump to PBC in his near future? Dave Allen announces retirement from boxing at 28 Fury's return pushed back to 2021, Dec. 5 date off Pros react to Crawford's sudden stoppage win over Brook Arum furious over Franco-Moloney 2 decision, threatens to 'get the f*** out of Vegas' Hearn: It's 'laughable' to rate Fury's resume over Joshua's Brook ponders retirement after KO loss to Crawford
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez vs. Phumelela Cafu live results, round-by-round updates, ring walks, start time for unified title fight
Uncrowned has Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez vs. Phumelela Cafu live results, round-by-round updates, highlights, ring walks and start time for the Rodriguez vs. Cafu fight card on Saturday at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. WBC champion Rodriguez and WBO champion Cafu collide in a much-anticipated unification bout headlined by one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world. Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs) is Uncrowned's No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer. A former WBO and IBF unified flyweight world champion, "Bam" has swiftly developed a cult following uncommon for a fighter in the 115-pound weight class. He captured the WBC super flyweight title in 2022 with a decision win over Carlos Cuadras, and has since defended it four times, beating the likes of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Israel Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada and Pedro Guevara. Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KOs) heads into the biggest opportunity of his career looking to make the first defense of his WBO belt. The native South African won the title this past October with a split decision over Kosei Tanaka. The Rodriguez vs. Cafu prelims begin at 5 p.m. ET and can be watched below via Uncrowned. The main card starts at 7 p.m. ET on DAZN, with main event ring walks expected around 10:40 p.m. ET. Follow all of the action with Uncrowned's live results and highlights below, as well as play-by-play of the main card. Main Card (7 p.m. ET, DAZN) WBC/WBO super flyweight championship: Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez vs Phumelela Cafu Super middleweight: Diego Pacheco vs Trevor McCumby Middleweight: Austin Williams vs Etinosa Oliha Bantamweight: Arturo Cardenas vs Dominique Crowder Super welterweight: Omari Jones vs Alfredo Rodolfo Blanco Prelims (5 p.m. ET, Watch via Uncrowned) Super welterweight: Nishant Dev vs. LaQuan Evans Super welterweight: Hector Beltran vs. Edgar Gutierrez
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez's Texas return is a reminder of how far he's come
It's been more than five years since Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez stepped foot in the arena he's about to headline this weekend. The gifted southpaw was just 20 years old when he landed on a February 2020 card topped by stablemate and four-division champ Mikey Garcia's win over Jessie Vargas. Rodriguez was the first fighter through the door for a show at the Ford Center at The Star, the practice facility for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys in Frisco, Texas. Outside of racking up his 11th win, his memories from that evening aren't particularly of the fond variety. 'It's crazy to think how far I've come since then. I was the first fight that night, and there were maybe 30 people in the building when I entered the ring," Rodriguez told Uncrowned. 'They didn't even have my name spelled right on the fight poster.' Ten fights and four world titles later, San Antonio's Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs) no longer has to worry about fighting in anonymity. The proof is in the anticipated turnout Saturday for his junior bantamweight unification clash with South Africa's Phumelela Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KOs). Rodriguez, Uncrowned's No. 5 pound-for-pound fighter, risks his lineal and WBC 115-pound championship against the visiting Cafu, who attempts the first defense of his own WBO title. A crowd of roughly 12,000 is expected to be on hand at The Star — a 40,000% increase from the paltry number of fans who saw Rodriguez take out Marco Sustaita in the eighth round back in 2020, several hours before most of the fans filed in for that night's Garcia vs. Vargas DAZN main event. 'I think that's badass that fans are responding the way they have,' said Rodriguez, whose last fight in Texas was more than two years ago. 'We're only four hours away (from San Antonio). I have a lot of family and friends supporting me, so it's going to be amazing. 'It's a good feeling to be in this position. The last time I was here was five years ago. Nobody was here when my fight began, because I was the first fight on the show. To see how far I've come from then to headlining in the same place, it's amazing.' Even more amazing is the run Rodriguez has been on ever since he entered the title picture. Cafu represents the sixth former or current titlist Rodriguez will face over a span of just eight fights. He has picked up major titles on four of those nights, beginning with his February 2022 WBC junior bantamweight championship win over former champ Carlos Cuadras in Phoenix, Arizona. The opportunity came last-minute — Rodriguez was training for a flyweight bout on the undercard when he agreed to enter the main event at the higher weight on just six days' notice in place of an ill Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Hardly anyone was in attendance that night, though it remains the starting point of Rodriguez's rapid ascension to the top. He stuck it out at junior bantamweight for the rest of the year. The run included his first hometown headliner, to a much more favorable review. Fittingly, it came against Sor Rungvisai, a former lineal and WBC 115-pound champion whom Rodriguez obliterated inside of eight rounds in front a capacity crowd in San Antonio. Rodriguez returned home two fights later, again to rabid local support as he defeated Mexico's Cristian Gonzalez to win the vacant WBO flyweight title. His newfound status as a two-division beltholder came at a cost, however, as Rodriguez suffered a badly broken jaw midway through his April 2023 headliner with Gonzalez, delaying plans for a targeted unification clash against then-unbeaten IBF titlist Sunny Edwards. That fight came later in the year and represented Rodriguez's first true grudge match — as well as the first real sign of a box-office attraction on the horizon. The pre-fight build was spicy and often disrespectful, as England's Edwards crossed several lines in labeling Rodriguez's team and the SNAC program Rodriguez represents as cheaters. Their December 2023 unification bout took place at Desert Diamond Arena just outside of Phoenix and to a far more favorable turnout than when he faced Cuadras nearly two years prior. Rodriguez delivered big time for his newfound fan base, earning a ninth-round stoppage to become the top fighter at flyweight and among the sport's best pound-for-pound talents. Six months later, Rodriguez returned back to the area — and to the same venue where he claimed his first world title. The same WBC junior bantamweight belt was at stake, though claimed by Mexico's Juan Francisco Estrada, the division's recognized lineal champ since 2019. Rodriguez climbed off the canvas to knock Estrada out in the seventh round to begin his second WBC 115-pound title reign. The biggest fight of Rodriguez's career came with the crowd to match. The memorable clash in June 2024 sold 7,261 tickets, with the crowd largely split but in full support of Rodriguez by night's end — and for good reason. 'Phoenix has become my second home,' Rodriguez insisted. 'It's where I won my first world title, where I unified [in nearby Glendale] and where I became The Ring champion against Estrada. I even became a Phoenix Suns fan. I don't know when it will happen again but I'll definitely be back there for sure. 'For now, the priority was to return to my home state. I'm grateful the fans have responded the way they have.' So, too, is the team who has believed in him during his rise through the ranks. 'The most pleasing thing about the show this weekend — aside from the number of people [who will be] in the building — is that Jesse is finally getting the recognition he deserves,' Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn told Uncrowned. 'He's one of the best in the world for sure. But often, the harsh truth is that the [115-pound] division doesn't always get that recognition. 'But he has this almost cult following, this quiet aura about him that draws people in. The remarkable thing about this is that he's not even doing it in his home city. Dallas is four hours away, but he's got friends and family coming in and the local turnout has been incredible." A win on Saturday will put Rodriguez in line to face yet another reigning titlist in Fernando "Pumita" Rodriguez (18-0, 9 KOs), a tough-as-nails Argentinean who holds the WBA belt. The bout was already announced earlier this month by Turki Alalshikh, boxing's biggest current financier who secured the fight as part of his Nov. 22 super-card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Neither that matchup nor Martinez's name were even mentioned by Rodriguez or Hearn during Thursday's final pre-fight press conference. 'First of all, it would have been extremely disrespectful to Cafu,' acknowledged Hearn. 'Look, the fight was made and announced sooner than we'd have liked, but Jesse really didn't have a choice. It was either take the fight or lose the spot on that card. 'But we just got to keep Jesse focused, which has never, ever been an issue. It's a little awkward to be in this position, but it's just more motivation to win this weekend.' Rodriguez doesn't even need the allure of a bigger fight down the road to prevail in the one directly in front of him. His only motivation to win during his 2020 appearance at The Star was to remain unbeaten. After all, it wasn't like he could look out into the crowd for extra support. Then again, it was motivation to make sure he didn't have that problem the next time he rolled into town. 'Returning to my home state to be in a unification really means a lot to me,' said Rodriguez. 'We didn't know what the fan reaction would be like when we agreed to this fight, just that we knew it would be a lot bigger for me than the last time I was here. 'It's a great feeling to welcome another champion to Texas and bring a fight like this to my fans.' While all of his focus is on Cafu and not at all on the fight that awaits in November, there is one fantasy event that Rodriguez can't help but visualize. 'Maybe one day, we can take a big fight to the Alamodome,' Rodriguez dreamed aloud of headlining at the 73,000-seat venue in his hometown. 'Imagine that, going from first fight of the night in front of almost nobody to bringing out all of San Antonio.'
TimesLIVE
17-07-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Phumelela Cafu bids to end SA boxing's drought of ‘big name' glory
WBO junior-bantamweight champion Phumelela Cafu bids to push South African boxing back into the limelight when he takes on WBC counterpart Jesse Rodriguez in a unification bout in the US on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time). Rodriguez, a crafty southpaw who offloads his power shots at short range, is the best in the division at the moment and is the ticket Cafu needs to punch if he wants to score a long overdue shock South African victory. The last local fighter to topple a major name in world boxing was Simpiwe Vetyeka when he dethroned WBA featherweight kingpin Chris John in 2013, sending the Indonesian legend into retirement. Before that one had to go back another decade to when Corrie Sanders stunned Wladimir Klitschko with his speed and power to lift the WBO heavyweight title on a second round stoppage. Klitschko, widely considered heir apparent to Lennox Lewis at the time, went on to dominate the division. Amid those two wins across 22 years were several defeats — Phillip Ndou against American superstar Floyd Mayweather (2003), Silence Mabuza against Rafael Marquez of Mexico (2004), Moruti Mthalane and Jeffrey Mathebula against Filipino Nonito Donaire (2008 and 2012 respectively) and Thabiso Mchunu against Ukraine great Oleksandr Usyk (2016). Defeat has been the more common outcome in these big stage bouts. There were five losses from five attempts between late 1996 and 2001, with Mexican Ricardo Lopez accounting for two, beating Morgan Ndumo (1996) and Zolani Petelo (2001). Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines upstaged Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in 2001, Naseem Hamed had an easy night against Vuyani Bungu in 2000 and Phillip Holiday seldom looked comfortable against Sugar Shane Mosley in 1997. It was South Africa's own Sugar, Thulani 'Sugar Boy' Malinga, who scored one of the sensational victories of the 1990s when he edged Briton Nigel Benn by split decision in early 1996, but even he went down to two other superstars. Malinga lost a split decision to Chris Eubank, another British box office draw, in 1992 and was stopped in six rounds by Roy Jones junior in 1993. In early 1991 Brian Mitchell, holder of the WBA junior-lightweight title, drew with IBF champion Tony Lopez in a unification bout. He beat Lopez in a rematch later in the year with only the IBF belt at stake. Gerrie Coetzee scored arguably the highest profile win of the 1980s when he stopped Michael Dokes for the WBA heavyweight crown in 1983, when it counted as 50% of the championship. He was also impressive when destroying former world champion Leon Spinks in one round in 1979. Kevin Lerena takes on Lawrence Okolie in London, also on Saturday night, with the winner likely to be thrust into world heavyweight title contention. Victory for Lerena would give him the opportunity to fight for a spot on the list of South African giant slayers. Peter 'Terror' Mathebula lifted the WBA flyweight title in 1980, while Harold Volbrecht was stopped by hard-hitting WBA welterweight king Pipino Cuevas earlier that year. In 1973 Arnold Taylor scored his sensational 14th round knockout of Mexican Romeo Anaya to win the WBA bantamweight title, and in 1950 Vic Toweel ground down veteran Manuel Ortiz to land the undisputed world bantamweight crown. South African fans had to wait 23 years between the triumphs of Toweel and Taylor. The drought since Vetyeka's 2013 victory until now is the second-longest in South African boxing.
TimesLIVE
14-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Phumelela Cafu excited for day of ‘Truth' to unify titles
World Boxing Organisation (WBO) junior-bantamweight world champion Phumelela Cafu says he never thought one day he would fight to unify world titles. Nicknamed 'The Truth', Cafu will put his belt on the line against World Boxing Council (WBC) titlist Jesse Rodriquez in a winner-takes-all contest at the Star Frisco in Dallas, Texas, on July 19. On the same day but at London's Wembley Stadium, Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois will battle it out for their undisputed heavyweight title fight. Usyk, from Ukraine, holds the WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, IBO and The Ring belts, while his English dance partner will put his IBF title on the line. 'I am so excited my fight against Rodriquez happens on the same day as the heavyweight championship, which means that weekend will be about unification fights and I am part of it,' said Cafu.
