WBO flyweight champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez 18-0 (11) has largely allowed IBF counterpart Sunny ‘Showtime’ Edwards 20-0 (4) to say what he likes about him in the lead up to their unification bout at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona this Saturday night.

But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been listening. Mexican-American southpaw Rodriguez, 23, is promising to knock Edwards out.

“This fight is going to be exciting,” said Rodriguez. “The sky is the limit for me; anybody, anywhere. He’s a very good fighter, very technical, very skillful, fast, smart. I knew one day down the line we would meet up and here it is.

“He hasn’t been in with someone with the skills I have and with the power on top of that. I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to win, I’m taking his belt, and I’m taking his ‘0’. I’m going to knock him out.”

Rodriguez had a tougher than expected fight last time out when he outpointed Cristian Gonzalez 15-2-1 (5) to win the vacant WBO title in April. Gonzalez might have lost but he got his pound of flesh on the way through, fracturing Rodriguez’s jaw.

“My jaw feels good,” said Rodriguez. “It’s a little numb but the doctor said it would be like that for a while. I felt a little crack and then my ear started ringing so I knew something was up. I was able to bear it and finish the fight.

“I didn’t enjoy the win. I went straight to the hospital and got surgery on the Monday and then I was on the six-week diet, strictly pudding, smoothies, milkshakes, whatever I could eat without chewing was what I was on, but as long as I’ve got my coffee, I’m good.”

Britain’s Edwards, 27, says Rodriguez never really wanted the fight.

“The reason I laid off you was I know how hard it was to get you and your team to accept this fight,” Edwards said. “You didn’t want this fight. On Saturday night you are going to be like your brother, retired.

“You have no heart for this… everyone says ‘game plan, game plan, game plan’ but it all goes out of the window when you can’t lay a glove on me. Facts. I’m not worried about this kid.”

Rodriguez was having none of it.

“I said yesterday though that on social media he likes to talk but in person he doesn’t,” he said. “If I didn’t want this fight, I wouldn’t be here. We wanted it and that’s why we’re here.

“I am going to do you like Julio Cesar Martinez did to your brother… my hand will be raised in victory, and I am taking his belt, his ‘0’ and it’s time… Bam Rodriguez, unified champion on Saturday night.”