WBA bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue takes on IBF title holder Emmanuel Rodriguez in the semifinal of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) 118-pound division this Saturday in Glasgow, Scotland, live on DAZN.
Inoue (17-0), nicknamed "the Monster," entered the tournament as the favorite and knocked out Juan Carlos Payano in the first round in October to book his place in the semifinals. Rodriguez (19-0), meanwhile, scored a split decision victory over Jason Moloney, but the Puerto Rican is feeling confident he can beat the Japanese pound-for-pound star.
“Of course I’m very confident, I know I got what it takes to win” said Rodriguez in an official WBSS press release. “I entered the World Boxing Super Series because I have always wanted to fight the best. Now I’m fighting the boxer who boxing reporters think is winning the whole series, and that’s more motivation for me and my team. Puerto Rico will shine! I will win no matter what, by KO or UD. That’s my prediction.”
Inoue, on the other hand, is predicting another empathic finish in this bout.
“I’m excited to be fighting in front of the Scottish fans, and I am looking forward to putting on a great performance,” Inoue said. “My aim is a KO in any fight. In my last two fights last year, that moment just happened to come in the first round. My goal is not to finish the fight in the first round but will go for the KO when I see the chance.”
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With both men unbeaten and causing a stir in the division this promises to be an epic battle to unify the division. The winner of this bout will face Nonito Donaire (40-5, 26 KOs) in the final for a chance to lift the coveted Muhammad Ali trophy.
When is the Naoya Inoue vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez fight?
The Naoya Inoue vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez fight will take place on May 18. It's part of the World Boxing Super Series semifinals in the bantamweight division. Also on the card is a super lightweight semifinal matchup between Josh Taylor and Ivan Baranchyk.
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Where is the Inoue vs. Rodriguez fight?
The Inoue vs. Rodriguez fight will take place at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. The multi-purpose venue opened in 2013 and has a capacity of 13,000.
What time does Inoue vs. Rodriguez fight start?
The Inoue vs. Rodriguez fight undercard is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET, with the main card slated for a 4 p.m. start, both on DAZN.
How to watch Inoue vs. Rodriguez
Naoya Inoue vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez is available on DAZN, the global live-sports streaming service.
A new subscriber to DAZN can sign up for a monthly subscription or annual pass to watch the fight. The annual pass — which includes access to all of DAZN’s live events, as well as highlights, replays, behind-the-scenes features, original shows and live reports — is $99.99, which averages out to a little over $8 a month. For those who want a monthly plan instead of the longer-term value, fight fans can sign up for a monthly option for $19.99.
For current subscribers, the fight is already included as part of your plan.
Where can I stream DAZN online?
DAZN is available on a variety of platforms, including Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Playstation 3, as well as Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari browsers via DAZN.com.
Naoya Inoue record and bio
Name: Naoya "Monster" Inoue
Nationality: Japanese
Born: 04-10-1993
Height: 5’5”
Reach: 67½”
Total fights: 17
Record: 17-0 with 15 knockouts
MORE: Inoue vs. Rodriguez is a showdown the boxing world should pay attention to
Emmanuel Rodriguez record and bio
Name: Emmanuel "Manny" Rodriguez
Nationality: Puerto Rican
Born: 08-08-1992
Height: 5’6”
Reach: 66½”
Total fights: 19
Record: 9-0 with 12 knockouts
Inoue vs. Rodriguez fight card
Main card
Naoya Inoue vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez; IBF, WBA and Ring Magazine bantamweight titles
Josh Taylor vs. Ivan Baranchyk; IBF world & WBC silver super lightweight titles
Undercard
Zach Parker vs. Steven Crambert; super middleweights
Paul Butler vs. TBA; bantamweights
Lee McGregor vs. Cristian Narvaez; super bantamweights
Reece McFadden vs. Georgi Georgiev; super bantamweights
Chantelle Cameron vs. TBA; lightweights
Tommy Philbin vs. Harry Matthews; super middleweights