Garcia questions Inoue’s commitment amid Rodriguez unification plans

Trainer Robert Garcia has indicated that negotiations for a potential bout between Naoya Inoue and Bam Rodriguez have stalled, with no formal offer received from the Japanese champion’s camp despite Inoue’s stated willingness to wait until March. Garcia confirmed that Rodriguez is scheduled to fight in November or early December for a unification title against Mexican champions holding the IBF and WBO belts.

Garcia, speaking from his academy in Moreno Valley, California, noted that promoter Eddie Hearn has not received an offer from Inoue’s team, nor has he personally. While Inoue has reportedly stated he will wait until March to hear from Rodriguez’s side, Garcia expressed frustration at the lack of communication, questioning whether the champion is genuinely interested in facing Rodriguez.

“We’re moving on,” Garcia said. “November, early December is going to be Bam’s next fight. Will definitely have to be a unification. There’s two Mexican champions that are the IBF and the WBO and then Inoue’s brother. So, that would also be a big fight.” He added that if Inoue insists on waiting until March, his team will proceed with the unification bout first and then reassess.

The trainer also addressed Keyshawn Davis’s decision to decline a title shot against Devin Haney, suggesting the fighter may not have been ready or truly desired the opportunity. Garcia argued that Davis had been calling out Haney and Shakur Stevenson to elevate his profile but hesitated when the offer materialised, citing the $3 million purse as insufficient for Davis’s current standing in the sport.

“I think he never really wanted the fight,” Garcia said. “He wanted his name up there... but not in that level. So, to get there you got to take this ‘smaller’ portion of the pie to get there. Maybe he knows he’s not ready for it, that’s why he’d rather step away. Stepping away from that kind of money shows the world he never really wanted that fight.”