JOEBERT ALVAREZ TAKES ON JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA IN MEXICO DEC 6
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 06 Nov 2014
Alvarez.
OAKLAND, CA ? Undefeated Filipino flyweight prospect Joebert Alvarez (14-0-1, 6KO) makes a gargantuan leap in his young boxing career when he was hand-picked to face WBO and WBA flyweight champon and pound-for-pound caliber fighter Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico (30-2-0, 22KO) in a 10-round non-title fight at the Centro de Usos Multiples in Hermosillo on Dec. 6 in what appeared to be Estrada's stay busy fight.
Alvarez, 24, is currently rated No. 8 by the WBO where Estrada rules. Alvarez won his first overseas fight last April against Julian Rivera by unanimous decision in Mexico City and captured the vacant WBC Continental Americas flyweight title. He earlier won the Interim WBO Asia-Pacific light flyweight title against Jerry Tomogdan in Butuan City, Philippines on Dec. 8, 2012.
Estrada, also 24, left a trail of destruction in his last four fights ? wresting the WBA and WBO flyweight belts from Filipino-American Brian Viloria in April last year in Macau then knocked down and outpointed highly regarded Filipino flyweight contender Milan Melindo in July before knocking out another Filipino Richie Meparanum in the 10th round in Puerto Penasco, Mexico in April this year and for good measure, knocked out fellow Mexican warrior Giovanni Segura in the 11th round two months ago.
Estrada previously lost to pound-for-pound fighter Roman Gonzalez, who now holds the WBC belt in the same division, on Nov. 17, 2012 by close decision. Hard core boxing fans are looking forward to the rematch of the two elite fighters which by all indications, are heading towards that direction. Unless, Alvarez, from General Santos City and a protege of well-known boxing trainer Nonito Donaire Sr, upsets that plan.
?This opportunity comes very rarely,? a calm and confident Alvarez told Philboxing before his workout Tuesday afternoon at the Donaire Sr Boxing Gym in Oakland. ?With God's blessings, I'm going to win this fight,? Alvarez said.
?We're excited. We only knew about this fight last Friday but Joebert is well prepared for this fight,? Donaire Sr, who was in the corner when his son Nonito Jr shocked the boxing world by knocking out Vic Darchinyan in 2007, told Philboxing. Donaire Sr guided Alvarez to win the ?Buhay Boksingero? boxing tournament in 2011 in Cebu, Philippines before bringing Alvarez to his Oakland gym seven months ago.
Asked if he's got another ace on his sleeve that could duplicate his feat in 2007, Donaire Sr smiles and said, ?Alvarez fights like Manny Pacquiao, in and out, in and out, and he's got speed and power. Watch this fight, this will be another Pacquiao-Marquez type of fight.?
Joebert Alvarez stretches out at the Donaire Sr Boxing Gym in Oakland Tuesday. Photo by Dong Secuya.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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