Does Jesse Rodriguez deserve to be in the top five (p4p)?

Absolutely not. Some much needed clarity needs to be brought to this discussion, to counter most of the delusional ravings I've seen on here over the last week. Let me put this into perspective, make no mistake, Bam Rodriguez's best win, bar none... is Sunny Edwards. Yes, having the likes of Gallo Estrada, Sor Rungvisai and Cuadras on your resume seems impressive and they certainly are glitzy names. But one cannot neglect the reality, that not only were all three of them on the slide, they were wallowing around in the sandpit at the bottom of it.

Let's be honest, Cuadras has been circling the drain since facing Chocolatito back in 2016. He hasn't had a marquee win since, picked up 3 losses to McWilliams Arroyo and Estrada, one by stoppage, and gifts against Carmona, and arguably against Guevara, and looked very average against Cardenas. So he wasn't even remotely a viable threat and is the definition of a spent force. Add to that, Cuadras literally looks shot, so much so, I fear for his long term health every time he steps in the ring. So... how much credit does one deserve for a win over a Thabiso Mchunu level fighter? Arguably, even lower tier than that, Mchunu has actually picked up a few decent wins since losing to Usyk.

Then we have Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, who I love dearly, for a while one of my favorite fighters. But be honest with yourselves, what the **** has Sor Rungvisai done that's P4P worthy since his incredible back to back wins over Gonzalez and Estrada back in 2018? Not a goddamned thing, that's what! Aside from his bone headed as hell approach of fighting as an orthodox fighter against Gallo in the rematch, instead of fighting as a southpaw and win walking away, like he did he first time, basically handing him the win on a silver platter. He looked sluggish as hell, and plodded to laborious wins over Hiram Irak Diaz and the shot to absolute hell Amnat Ruenroeng. Aside from that, he's been on a bimonthly version of a bum of the week tour. In many cases, not even securing stoppages against truly dreadful journeymen. So the version Bam fought, was a mere shell of the Wangek of old. I would compare the Sor Rungvisai win to Tony Bellew, but that would be too generous. The Bellew Usyk faced was on a far more impressive run at Cruiserweight and Heavyweight than Sor Rungvisai has been on lately. Even comparing him to Inoue's win over Tapales is too generous, Tapales was coming off on the best win of his career. It's roughly Bud's win over Avanesyan level.

Then we have poor old legs stuck in quicksand half cocked El Gallo, who if everyone is being perfectly honest with themselves, hasn't look very good since his first win over Carlos Cuadras, which he only won due to a knockdown. He lost to Sor Rungvisai. then went on to look like goopy ass against Orucuta, won a rematch against special needs level ring IQ version of Sor Rungvisai, struggled with and lost several rounds to Beamon, got dropped by and struggled against a shot Cuadras and got a bit of a gift against Argi Cortes. But, but, but... he beat Chocolatito twice doe! Yes, and? Even though I was fine with it, most were railing against his win in the rematch an the version of Roman he fought in the third one, was even more shot than he was in the second one. Of course everyone will say, but Roman was reborn!!! Really, he was? Everyone was saying he was finished after Cuadras and Sor Rungvisai battered him senseless, back to back to back. Where's the proof he was revitalized? His win over that bum Kal Yafai? The same Yafai that was coming off of one of the worst robbery wins that year against Israel Gonzalez, who went on to coming within a **** hair of being stopped in the 1 against the bummy Jerald Paclar, then brutally stopped in 1 but the equally bummy Jonathon Rodriguez. That win aged like sour milk. But what about his win over Martinez!!! The one moving up in weight, he also missed weight? The one who went on to get a gift against Carmona and Cordova, and luckily scored a late stoppage against Ronal Batista and avoided controversial scorecards, meanwhile the same Batista wet to to get blown through in 4 by David Jimenez's hoe Crappy Ramirez. Face it, Gonzalez and Estrada beat whatever was left in their shopworn carcasses out of one another, and would be steamrolled by several top operators in and around the division. I doubt either of them could beat even Takuma Inoue. So, the Gallo Estrada win, was roughly on the same level as, Usyk's win over old divisional war horse Marco Huck.

After Sunny, Bam's second best win is Israel Gonzalez. Who he went full on Salido against, in a ball punching jubilee, and needed a gift to win. The only feasible scorecard was 114-113 Bam and even that was too generous. While what I've said might seem harsh, it's also undeniable.

At best he's around 11th.

 

Nope. It's clearly premature