ESTRADA: I COULD FIGHT CHOCOLATITO AGAIN
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 28 Jun 2024
Mexican teases fourth fight with foe – but not looking past Bam test
Juan Francisco Estrada says he is open to a fourth fight with Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez – but first plans to end the rise of Jesse Rodriguez on Saturday night at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, live worldwide on DAZN.
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Estrada (44-3 28 KOs) has already shared 36 epic rounds with Chocolatito, and holds a 2-1 advantage over his Nicaraguan rival, nudging ahead after edging another stunning battle via split decision a stone’s throw from Saturday night’s venue in Glendale in December 2022.
The Mexican defends his WBC World and Ring Magazine Super-Flyweight titles against ‘Bam’ (19-0 12 KOs), with the unbeaten San Antonio ace looking to regain the WBC belt he won at Footprint Center in February 2022 against Carlos Cuadras, and successfully defended twice before vacating, most notably by knocking out Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in his Texas hometown four months later.
Estrada, Chocolatito, Cuadras and Rungvisai make up the new four kings of the Super-Flyweight division, and Rodriguez is looking to claim a third crown from the vaunted quartet, but Estrada is in no mood to let the rising sensation add his name to his impressive list of victories and is out to prove that experience matters.
“People sometimes disrespect fighters like me when they say, ‘Gallo Estrada is too old now’,” said Estrada. “But I'm going to show on Saturday that it isn't true and my career will keep progressing for a good while yet
“Lots of people say we're too old now but if Chocolatito becomes a champion at Bantamweight, a fourth fight would be great. I think to win any World title in any division at our ages would be nice and not just anyone could do that. If Chocolatito becomes a champion at Bantamweight, we'll go after him or any champion at that weight.
“Sometimes I think about how I've been out for a year and a half, due to injuries and other unforeseen circumstances and that could make the Inoue fight a difficult one to make because he continues to move up the divisions and he obviously wants to build his career and break many records on the world stage and I'd much prefer to go up to bantam and face the champions in that division.
“We can have plans and make plans but we have to focus on the fight we have in front of us first. If they say they're going to knock me out, beat me and then they're going up a division to face Inoue that's their business but let's see on Saturday. If Jesse Rodríguez beats me it will because he's a better boxer, not because of anything else like my age because they've been saying a lot that I'm old now, that I'm on my way out and on Saturday, I'm going to show that this isn't the case.”
Estrada‘s clash with Rodriguez is part of a stacked night of action in Phoenix, where former World champions Sunny Edwards and Adrian Curiel collide, unbeaten duo Arturo Cardenas and Danny Barrios meet for the WBC Continental Americas Super-Bantamweight title and Yamileth Mercado defends her WBC World Super-Bantamweight title against Ramla Ali.
Matchroom’s latest signing Leonardo Rubalcava will open the show against William Flenoy over six rounds, Phoenix’s Fabian Rojo faces New Mexico’s Daniel Gonzalez over six rounds at Welterweight and unbeaten Californian Bantamweight Gabriel Muratalla meets Mexican Carlos Fontes over eight rounds.
Photo: Amanda Westcott or Melina Pizano / Matchroom.
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