MASAM SPORTS 69: THE SUPER FLYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 18 Jul 2022
In the previous article, I wrote about Donnie Nietes' tall order on getting back the super flyweight or junior bantamweight world title. Here's another review of the details of the super flyweight champions.
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Juan Francisco Estrada, age 32, from Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico is a two-weight world champion, having held The Ring super flyweight title since 2019 and the WBA (Super) title since March 2021. He previously was the WBA (Unified) and WBO flyweight title holder from 2012 to 2015, and the WBC super flyweight champion in March 2021.
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Estrada is ranked as the world's best active super flyweight by The Ring and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB), and BoxRec.
He was once ranked among the top ten pound-for-pound fighters by The Ring, TBRB, and by Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Record 42–3 (28 KOs).
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Jesse Rodríguez, age 22, from San Antonio, Texas, U.S., has held the WBC super flyweight title since February 2022. He won the title as late replacement for Srisaket Sor Rungvisai against then champion Carlos Cuadras. Rodríguez won the fight by unanimous decision, scoring the only knockdown of the fight in the third round, sending the former titlist to the canvas with a right uppercut. Rodriguez became the youngest active titlist in boxing. Record 16–0 (11 KOs).
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Fernando Martínez, age 30, from Avellaneda, Argentina defeated Jerwin Ancajas by unanimous decision on February 2022 at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. winning the IBF super flyweight title. The judge scored it 117-111, 118-110 and 118-110 all for Martinez. Record 14–0 (8 KOs).
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Kazuto Ioka, age 33, from Sakai, Japan is a four-weight world champion, having held the WBO super-flyweight title since 2019. He previously held the unified WBA and WBC mini-flyweight titles between 2011 and 2012, the WBA (Regular) light-flyweight title between 2012 and 2014, and the WBA flyweight title between 2015 and 2017. Record 29–2 (15 KOs).
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Ryan Garcia showed a spectacular performance on Saturday night in dropping Javier Fortuna three times at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Fortuna promised that he would prove that Garcia was overrated. But Garcia dominated the fight since the opening bell and scored a staggering sixth-round knockout before the cheering fans.
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Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) totally dominated Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 KOs) who had difficulty defending his stinging jabs and long straight right hand. In the sixth round, Garcia unleashed a three-punch combination that ended with a thundering left hook and sent Fortuna crashing to the canvas for the third time. Fortuna did not rise and the referee gave Garcia the knockout win at the 0:27 mark of the round.
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Garcia also hit a crushing left hook to the body that sent Fortuna on a knee in the fourth round for the first knockdown of the fight. In the fifth round, Garcia caught Fortuna with a left hook knocking him down for the second time in the fight.
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Gilas Pilipinas lost to New Zealand, 92-75 and finished third in Group D of the 2022 Fiba Asia Cup on Sunday at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Philippine men's basketball team finished 1-2 in Group D and they will play with Japan, Group C’s No.2 seed, which will be led by NBA player Yuta Watanabe. It will be a knockout quarterfinal game on Tuesday.
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Making the playoffs was a regular achievement the big three of the San Antonio Spurs. Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan all played over 200 playoff games with the Spurs. But the most number of playoff games among NBA players was Duncan who entered the playoffs 18 times.
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Duncan played in the NBA Finals in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, and 2014, and he won the title in all except in 2013. The Spurs also had superstars David Robinson, Bruce Bowen, and Danny Green who also joined in more than 100 playoff games with the Spurs. However, it was Duncan who was the topnotcher of all San Antonio players.
Photo shows
Top (L-R) Rodriguez, Ioka
Bottom (L-R) Martinez, Estrada
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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