RING 115-pound champion Juan Francisco Estrada addresses the media after a June 27 press convention in Phoenix, Arizona. Photograph credit score: Amanda Westcott, Matchroom Boxing
Juan Francisco Estrada is able to undergo the current to revisit the previous.
The reigning Ring/WBC junior bantamweight champion goals to as soon as once more share the ring with Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez. The pair of future Corridor of Famers have provided three memorable clashes, with Estrada forward 2-1 of their sequence.
A fourth struggle was not dominated out after their terrific Dec. 2022 conflict, gained by Estrada (44-3, 28 knockouts) by way of majority determination. The 34-year-old from Hermosillo, Mexico first has to get previous one of many sport’s best younger abilities in 24-year-old Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs).
Evidently, he’s up for the problem.
“Folks generally disrespect fighters like me after they say, ‘Gallo Estrada is just too outdated now’,” acknowledged Estrada. “However I’m going to point out on Saturday that it isn’t true and my profession will hold progressing for a great whereas. “Numerous individuals say we’re too outdated now but when Chocolatito turns into a champion at bantamweight, a fourth struggle can be nice.”
Estrada-Rodriguez headlines a four-fight DAZN telecast Saturday night from Footprint Heart, house of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Estrada makes an attempt his seventh protection of The Ring junior bantamweight championship.
The struggle is the primary for Estrada since his trilogy conflict with Gonzalez (51-4, 41 KOs). Accidents and an incapacity to safe a unification bout led to his 18-month layoff.
Apparently, focused divisional titlists Kazuto Ioka (31-2-1, 16 KOs) and Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez (16-0, 9 KOs) will as a substitute face one another. Their July 7 WBA/IBF unification bout pits The Ring’s No. 2 and No. 3 junior bantamweights in a terrific matchup in Tokyo.
Estrada nonetheless seeks legacy fights within the post-prime portion of a profession destined for the Corridor of Fame. The 2-division champ enters his fourteenth profession struggle with a significant belt or The Ring championship at stake.
It’s a tall job versus the practically good Rodriguez. Nonetheless, Estrada is unbeaten in additional than six years and has a confirmed monitor file on the elite stage.
In the meantime. Gonzalez embarks on his personal comeback. The previous four-division champion faces Rober Berrera (27-5, 17 KOs) at bantamweight on July 12 at house in Managua, Nicaragua. With a win, the expectation is to race ‘Chocolatito’ to a bantamweight title shot.
A fifth divisional title for the legendary Nicaraguan would the proper enticement for Estrada to maneuver up in weight.
“I believe to win any world title in any division at our ages can be good,” stated Estrada. “Not simply anybody might do this. If Chocolatito turns into a champion at bantamweight, we’ll go after him or any champion at that weight.”
After all, there stays the matter of upsetting the percentages on Saturday.
“We will have plans and make plans however we’ve got to deal with the struggle we’ve got in entrance of us first,” acknowledged Estrada. “If they are saying they’re going to knock me out, beat me after which they’re going up a division to face [WBA 118 titlist Takuma] Inoue that’s their enterprise however let’s see on Saturday.
“If Jesse Rodríguez beats me it would as a result of he’s a greater boxer, not due to the rest like my age. They’ve been saying rather a lot that I’m outdated now, that I’m on my method out and on Saturday, I’m going to point out that this isn’t the case.”
