UK fans will have to look across the pond for this weekend’s boxing fix as Shakur Stevenson and Bam Rodriguez take their respective centre stages. 

As another week of the British boxing soap opera draws to a close, the fans are left with not even a reward. Which, considering the triple world title show clash on May 27th, seems pretty irritating. 

Then again, accentuating the sport’s diminishing reputation with yet more negative headlines makes you wonder, does boxing even deserve nice things?

At least they seem to be getting them stateside. Tank-Garcia and Haney-Lomachenko are classics in waiting - even Terence Crawford and Errol Spence seem to have stopped the dick-swinging and agreed to settle the score. 

Granted, this weekend is not about any of those mentioned. It is, however, about two fighters heading on a trajectory that could well see them mentioned alongside those superstars above. 

Let’s start with Stevenson and his 135lb inauguration. 

After losing his super-featherweight belts on the scales in September, the only way was up for the Newark sensation. It was a move that was forced, but the appeal was obvious - the lightweight division is stacked, and the fights are mouth-watering.

But you can be sure he wasn’t welcomed with open arms. 

The cocksure 25-year-old was quick to call for those leading the way. But as we know the top two were busy locking in a mega fight. The contenders? Well, no luck there either, as Isaac Cruz, William Zepeda and George Kambosos all politely declined.

A victim of his own ability to some degree, Stevenson has had to settle for the relatively unknown in Shuichiro Yoshino. The Japanese fighter can boast some impressive wins, including a late stoppage of Masayoshi Nakatani at the back end of last year. 

That was knockout number 12 in a 16-fight resume that resides solely in Japanese territory. 

So, for Yoshino, a big leap in occasion and opposition. For Stevenson, a night in which he must lay down a marker to those who feel they can reign without his interference. 

Time to get to work. 

Now to San Antonio, the homeplace of boxing’s breakout star of 2022. 

If you’re not already on the Bam Rodriguez hype-train, then make Saturday night your station of entry. This is a fighter whose accuracy, footwork and combination punching make him exceedingly watchable. 

It isn’t just the eye test he has passed either. The big-balls test was passed last February when on just six days’ notice, he climbed in and devoured super-flyweight royalty in Carlos Cuadras to become the first world champion born this side of the millennia. 

Now, back down at his more natural flyweight, he aims to become a two-weight world champion against 15-1 Mexican Cristian Gonzalez. 

Despite not having the best credentials, you can bet your top dollar that Gonzalez will bring the heat. It seems a theme with these smaller guys. For Bam, this is exactly what he should want as he continues to pave his way towards stardom. 

See, the lower weights never draw as much attention as the big guys, and therefore need to extract every ounce of spectacle out of their fights to hit the mainstream waves that the likes of Chocolatito have in recent years.

Maybe, however, with the entertainment value consistently accompanying the skills on show, Bam could well be the face of the era that turns the tide. 

Let’s just hope that in light of Sunny Edwards signing with Matchroom, a Bam Rodriguez win at the weekend can bring us that step closer to our favourite Brit getting his long overdue summit meeting. 

Oscar Bevis