LOS ANGELES — Rudy Hernandez has presided over the career of Junto Nakatani ever since The Ring’s No. 7-ranked pound-for-pound fighter was 15 years old.

The duo has marched on to three division titles.

Nakatani (30-0, 23 KOS) is the 118-pound WBC champion and on the cusp of landing a career-defining fight against undisputed junior featherweight king Naoya Inoue.

But if another super slugfest suddenly shapes up against The Ring and WBC 115-pound champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, a fight Nakatani wants, Hernandez is confident they can blast and stop him well inside the final bell.

“I hope we fight Bam,” Hernandez told The Ring in an interview following a training session with Nakatani at L.A. Boxing Gym. “If you were Bam, would you be calling out Nakatani? Junto beats Bam, 100 percent, within six to eight rounds. We’ll knock him out. I am confident about it, but that’s my opinion. It’s not personal. It's business.”

Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs), The Ring’s No. 6-rated P4P fighter, has stated that it’s just a matter of time before he faces Nakatani, and that a fight against the Japanese demolition man is more realistic than a matchup against Inoue because they’re closer in weight. Rodriguez is next set to face WBO champion Phumelela Cafu in a title unification fight on July 19 at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Nakatani is also next involved in a title unification fight against IBF champion Ryosuke Nishida (10-0, 2 KOs) on June 8, with the vacant Ring title on the line as well.

“Junto is now 27 and has full-fledged manpower,” said Hernandez. “He understands. He’s accurate. He knows where to hit, and how. He has good reflexes and instincts.”