By Steve Kim

Noted trainer Robert Garcia has advised BoxingScene.com that he has signed highly touted amateur Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez - the younger brother of undefeated bantamweight prospect, Joshua Franco (7-0, 4 KO's) - to a managerial deal and has inked him to a promotional pact with Teiken Promotions.

The native of San Antonio, Texas, was a four-time national champion as an amateur and won a silver medal at the World Championships.

Signing with Teiken Promotion and the highly respected Akihiko Honda means Rodriguez will be fighting in Japan often, as well as America.

"I talked to Mr. Honda and we're going to fight him two or three times a year in Japan and Mr. Honda works very closely with Top Rank and also with Tuto Zabala Jr from Florida. So he'll be fighting here in the United with Top Rank and Tuto Zabala. But he'll be under Teiken Promotions," said Garcia, who goes back with the company going back to his days as a boxer.

"My first three professional fights were with Mr. Honda and my fourth and fifth fight were at the Great Western Forum also under Mr. Honda because that's when I was still training with Genaro Hernandez," explained Garcia. "So we become friends and we always stayed in touch, him, Akemi (Irie) who works with Mr. Honda. We're very close and I always wanted to continue to work with him.

"But I never had fighter I felt that belonged with Mr. Honda and it had to be a guy in the smaller weight divisions like 'Bam' Rodriguez, a 108-pounder."

Teiken Promotions, specializes in the lower weight classes and has recently signed former world champion, Brian Viloria and 2016 Mexican Olympian, Joselito Velazquez to promotional deals.

Garcia says,"I think it's a perfect fit, he's a great promoter, at the moment he's with a lot of great fighters in the smaller divisions and I think 'Bam' Rodriguez is the next one."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com