Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez to Fight Cristian Gonzalez for Vacant WBO Flyweight Title

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez will be battling for another belt…

The 22-year-old Mexican American boxer will meet Cristian Gonzalez for the WBO‘s vacant flyweight title on April 8 in San Antonio, according to ESPN.

Rodriguez is ESPN’s No. 3 boxer at 115 pounds but revealed plans to move down one weight class following his September victory over Israel Gonzalez.

At 112 pounds, Rodriguez will chase his first full-fledged world title. He was the WBC titleholder at 115 pounds after Juan Francisco Estrada, the organization’s longtime champion, was bestowed franchise champion status.

Now, Rodriguez (17-0, 11 KOs) will set up shop in a familiar weight class when he takes on Gonzalez, who has lost only once but has never competed outside his native Mexico.

Rodriguez, who is from San Antonio, broke out last year in a big way. He began his 2022 campaign with a decision victory over former champion Carlos Cuadras in February.

He followed up with an even more impressive victory, an eight-round TKO of longtime former champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Rungvisai owns wins over future Hall of Famers Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Estrada, and Rodriguez was able to pick him apart in a star-making performance.

After that victory, Rodriguez signed a long-term extension with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing and returned with a decision win over Israel Gonzalez on the Canelo Alvarez–Gennadiy Golovkin 3 undercard.

Hearn hoped to match Rodriguez with Estrada and perhaps Chocolatito in 2023, but those plans are on hold for now while he campaigns at 112 pounds. (Rodriguez’s brother, Joshua Franco, retained his 115-pound title following a draw with Kazuto Ioka on December 31.)

The 23-year-old Gonzalez (15-1, 5 KOs) has never faced an opponent of significance.

Juan Francisco Estrada Defeats Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez to Retain 115-Pound Title

Posted on December 4, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Francisco Estrada is keeping his title…

The 32-year-old Mexican professional boxer defeated Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez via majority decision in their third fight on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona, to retain his lineal 115-pound championship.

But after three bouts and 36 rounds between two future Hall of Fame boxers, the rivalry between them still isn’t quite settled.

One judge scored it even but was overruled by scores of 115-113 and 116-112 in favor of Estrada.

ESPN scored the bout 114-114.

Estrada, who also captured the vacant WBC junior bantamweight title, controlled the first half of the fight by boxing from the outside. He regularly timed Gonzalez with a crisp left hand to the body that disrupted his rhythm and surely contributed to his slow start.

Estrada was able to walk Gonzalez into counter shots while he swept the first five rounds on two scorecards. But after a sluggish start, Gonzalez suddenly found his footing in Round 6.

Gonzalez cranked up the volume and swarmed Estrada, who was repeatedly pinned on the ropes by the increased output. Gonzalez continued to come forward and poured punches on Estrada, who couldn’t match his older foe shot for shot. Gonzalez swept Rounds 6 through 10 on two scorecards.

The championship rounds were the difference. Estrada won Rounds 11 and 12 on two scorecards to avoid the draw and closed strong with a clear final frame in which he connected on 26 punches, his best of the fight.

“I do believe that Roman deserves a fourth fight,” Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) said in Spanish in translated comments. “I think we left the result clear about who the winner was, and if he wants the fourth fight, we can do it.

Estrada added: “He’s a future Hall of Famer. I won today out of my own merit. It doesn’t take anything away from him. I won because I was better prepared. I think that he still has a lot ahead of him in his career.”

That’s if Gonzalez (51-4, 41 KOs), a 35-year-old native of Nicaragua, chooses to continue with his boxing career.

“I don’t know yet. I’m going to talk about it with my family,” Gonzalez said in remarks translated from Spanish. “All fights are different and all fights are difficult, and I think this is the most difficult one.”

However, Gonzalez said he would fight Estrada a fourth time “as long as they pay well.”

Saturday’s fight was entertaining during the second half, but it was a far cry from their first two battles, which were instant classics. Gonzalez won the first meeting via unanimous decision to retain his 108-pound title in 2012.

The rematch didn’t materialize until nearly nine years later, with Estrada taking a controversial split decision in March 2021. Somehow, they topped their epic first fight with a total of 2,529 punches in the return bout.

They twice were scheduled to fight a third time, but those plans were postponed by positive COVID-19 tests, first by Gonzalez and then by Estrada. Gonzalez fought Julio Cesar Martinez on short notice in March and picked him apart en route to a lopsided decision win. In September, Estrada defeated Argi Cortes in a tougher-than-expected challenge.

On Saturday, Estrada and Gonzalez combined for 1,610 punches in a more tactical battle to determine supremacy at 115 pounds.

But there was no clarity in the end, as the fight truly could have gone either way. A fourth bout would surely be welcomed by boxing fans, but there should be plenty of other options for both men. Chief among them could be the winner — and perhaps loser too — of the New Year’s Eve title unification fight in Tokyo between Kazuto Ioka and Joshua Franco.

No matter which path each boxer takes going forward, one thing is certain: Estrada and Gonzalez will forever be linked to each other.

Joshua Franco Reportedly Agrees to 115-Pound Title Unification Bout Against Kazuto Ioka

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Joshua Franco is hoping to expand his belt collection…

The 26-year-old Mexican American boxer and Kazuto Ioka have agreed to terms for a 115-pound title unification bout on December 31 in Japan, according to ESPN.

Ioka (29-2, 15 KOs) holds the WBO junior bantamweight title, while Franco (18-1-2, 8 KOs) was elevated by the WBA in August after its super champion, Juan Francisco Estrada, relinquished his belt.

Ioka, a 33-year-old who fights out of Tokyo, won the title with a split-decision victory over Donnie Nietes in 2018. He has made five successful defenses, most recently a unanimous-decision win over Nietes in a July rematch in which he left no doubt.

Franco, from San Antonio, closed out three consecutive fights against Andrew Moloney with a decision victory last August. He hasn’t competed since and secured his release from Golden Boy Promotions in August.

Ioka is rated No. 4 by ESPN at junior bantamweight, one of boxing’s most stacked divisions. Franco, the brother of Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, is No. 7.

Future Hall of Famers Roman Gonzalez and Estrada meet in a trilogy on December 3, and the winner could meet the victor of Ioka-Franco next year.

Juan Francisco Estrada to Face Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in Trilogy Bout in December

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Francisco Estrada is preparing for a triology…

The 32-year-old Mexican professional boxer is expected to meet Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez on December 3 in a trilogy bout for the junior bantamweight championship, promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing has announced.

No location for the fight was revealed.

This is the third time the third fight between Estrada and Gonzalez has been scheduled. The future Hall of Famers were set to square off in October 2021 before Gonzalez tested positive for COVID-19. A March bout was postponed after Estrada contracted the coronavirus.

Estrada returned Saturday to his native Mexico with a tougher-than-expected decision victory over Argi Cortes to retain the WBC franchise championship at 115 pounds. Now, Estrada heads into the rubber match with Gonzalez, a rivalry that began 10 years ago.

Gonzalez (51-3, 41 KOs) scored a unanimous-decision victory over Estrada in 2012 to retain a 108-pound title. Estrada (43-3, 28 KOs) exacted a measure of revenge in the March 2021 rematch at 115 pounds, but the split-decision win was marred by controversy. They combined for 2,529 punches in the return bout that was ESPN’s runner-up for fight of the year.

“When you talk about great rivalries over the years, this is right up there,” Hearn told ESPN last year. “Fight 1 was a classic, and Fight 2 was probably the best I have ever seen live. The decider will be historic.”

After Estrada withdrew from the rematch, Gonzalez went on to defeat 112-pound champion Julio Cesar Martinez in March in yet another master-class performance for the 35-year-old Nicaraguan.

Estrada, who relinquished his WBA title last month, is ESPN’s No. 1 junior bantamweight. Gonzalez, who was long recognized as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, is No. 2.

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez to Defend WBC Title Against Israel Gonzalez in September

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez‘s breakout 2022 campaign continues…

The 22-year-old Mexican American professional boxer will defend his WBC super flyweight versus Israel Gonzalez in the chief support bout to Canelo Alvarez–Gennadiy Golovkin 3 on September 17 in Las Vegas, Matchroom Boxing announced Monday.

Rodriguez (16-0 11 KOs) scored the biggest win of his budding career last month with an eight-round TKO of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Rungvisai owns wins over future Hall of Famers Roman Gonzalez (“Chocolatito“) and Juan Francisco Estrada, and Bam Rodriguez was able to pick him apart at 22 years old in a star-making performance.

The victory followed a decision win over Carlos Cuadras in February when Rodriguez, who fights out of San Antonio, captured the WBC title. (Estrada is the franchise champion.)

“Having the chance to fight on Mexican Independence Day weekend as the co-main to Canelo-GGG is truly special, and I plan on putting on another spectacular performance and continuing to build my legacy,” said Rodriguez, ESPN‘s No. 3 junior bantamweight. “Each fight now is more important than the last. It’s not about just winning; it’s how you win. That’s mine and my coach Robert Garcia‘s job now; to look sensational each and every time we step in the ring and continue to show the world that I am one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.”

Gonzalez, who fights out of Mexico, has lost in each of his world title challenges. He was stopped by Jerwin Ancajas in 2018 and outpointed by Kal Yafai later that year. Most recently, Gonzalez (28-4-1 11 KOs) dropped a unanimous decision to Chocolatito in 2020.

“I want to thank the champ Jesse Rodriguez for the opportunity,” said Gonzalez, 25. “I know I’ll take full advantage of this and make my dream come true of becoming a world champion.”

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez Defeats Srisaket Sor Rungvisai to Retain WBC Junior Bantamweight Title

Posted on June 26, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse “Bam“ Rodriguez is keeping his title…

“This is the youngest champ in boxing and he already might be a pound-for-pound great,” said Rodriguez’s promoter, Eddie Hearn. “He’s here for legacy; he’s here to be remembered.”

It was a dazzling display from Rodriguez, who headlined in his hometown for the first time. He used an excellent southpaw jab, beautiful footwork and plenty of angles to keep Rungvisai off-rhythm and at the end of his power shots.

Rungvisai (50-6-1, 43 KOs) owns victories over a pair of future Hall of Famers in their primes — Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada — so it was particularly impressive the way Rodriguez was able to pick off his heavy shots and win every round in dominant fashion.

The plodding 35-year-old from Thailand needs to set his feet to deliver his power shots, but Rodriguez never allowed him to do so. He presented a moving target, and on the rare occasion Rungvisai did close distance, “Bam” turned him around.

“In the third round I felt his power wasn’t the same,” said Rodriguez, who entered the fight rated No. 5 by ESPN at 115 pounds. ” … That’s when I decided to take over. … Having Robert Garcia in my corner is a huge advantage.”

Rodriguez, whose brother Joshua Franco holds a secondary title at 115 pounds, said he could campaign at 112 pounds before returning to the weight class.

“He’s a very underrated fighter and it’s a matter of time until he gets his shot,” Rodriguez said of Franco, who is ESPN’s No. 6 junior bantamweight.

Rungvisai, ESPN’s No. 3 boxer at 115 pounds, lost for just the second time since a 2014 technical decision defeat to Carlos Cuadras. And it was Cuadras whom Rodriguez defeated in February to announce his arrival and pick up his first world title, though Estrada remains the WBC’s franchise champion in the weight class.

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez Defeats Julio Cesar Martinez By Unanimous Decision

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Roman Gonzalez is celebrating a big win…

The 34-year-old Nicaraguan professional boxer, known by his nickname “Chocolatito“, schooled Julio Cesar Martinez and once again demonstrated why he’s a future first-ballot Hall of Famer with a unanimous-decision victory over the weekend in San Diego.

Gonzalez was “very surprised” that Martinez made it to the final bell after absorbing a brutal beating, and the scores (118-110, 117-111 and 116-112) belied how truly one-sided the contest was.

“My corner told me not to give him any rounds,” Gonzalez, ESPN‘s No. 2 115-pound boxer, said in Spanish via a translator. “He was very courageous. He took a lot of punishment.”

The punishment was inflicted by combinations delivered in classic “Chocolatito” fashion: with precision and impeccable technique. The beauty of Gonzalez’s game is the way he flows offense and defense. Even as he unloaded 1,076 punches, Gonzalez was able to fend off Martinez’s reckless attack with a high guard tightly wrapped around his ears.

Gonzalez landed 374 punches, more than double Martinez, who landed 182 of 713.

Gonzalez landed 58 of 129 punches in the final round, displaying the sort of elite condition that is a hallmark of his game.

Martinez, fighting out of Mexico City, held his hands low, providing an easy target for Gonzalez’s well-placed shots. The victory was Gonzalez’s 21st against a boxer from Mexico, the lone loss a highly controversial decision defeat to rival Juan Francisco Estrada in a 115-pound title unification last March. They were set to meet a third time on Saturday, but Estrada withdrew after he tested positive for COVID-19. Gonzalez defeated Estrada in a 108-pound title fight in their first fight in 2012.

Martinez, ESPN’s No. 1 112-pounder, stepped in for his countryman on six weeks’ notice and agreed to move up one weight class to 115 pounds. However, he was overweight Friday at 116.4 pounds. The fight proceeded after Martinez weighed 122.6 pounds Saturday, within the 126.5-pound rehydrating limit governed by the California commission (10% of contracted weight).

Martinez was also fined 20% of his $250,000 purse, with $25,000 paid to Gonzalez and the other half to the commission.

“He looked too small, he looked too inexperienced,” promoter Eddie Hearn said. “He’ll go back to flyweight.”

At 112 pounds, Martinez could be matched with fellow champion Sunny Edwards in a title unification bout.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, has plenty of options to sort through with Hearn. The trilogy battle with Estrada remains a compelling matchup for supremacy at 115 pounds.

“Everyone knows that the last fight I had with ‘Gallo’ Estrada, I won,” Gonzalez said.

Another tantalizing trilogy possibility: a meeting with Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, who owns a controversial decision victory over Gonzalez but also a devastating fourth-round knockout that left many wondering if “Chocolatito” would ever return to form.

Surprisingly, Gonzalez didn’t just return to the pound-for-pound list but clearly remains better than ever. Even against a highly regarded 27-year-old power puncher, Gonzalez was in total control from bell to bell in a masterclass performance that adds to his Hall of Fame legacy.

Age is particularly unforgiving to smaller boxers who rely on speed and reflexes and absorb more damage than bigger boxers, but Gonzalez has never been held back by conventional wisdom.

“‘Chocolatito’ seems to be getting better and better, that was just a sublime performance tonight,” Hearn said. “You saw the difference between a very good world champion and a pound-for-pound legend.”

Joshua Franco Defeats Andrew Moloney to Retain Secondary WBA Title

Posted on August 15, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Joshua Franco is keeping his title…

The 25-year-old Latino boxer has settled the score with Andrew Moloney, capping a rivalry that climaxed with a controversial finish in November and ended at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Saturday with a decisive victory in the ESPN main event.

Franco, nicknamed “El Profesor,” retained his secondary WBA title at 115 pounds with a unanimous decision over Moloney. All three judges scored the fight 116-112.

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez is the recognized champion at junior bantamweight.

Earlier this week, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza announced his intentions to clean up the plentiful secondary titles that have muddied the championship picture. But with the win, Franco figures to earn a shot at one of the “big four” at 115 pounds in the near future, a stacked division headlined by Juan Francisco Estrada, Gonzalez, Kazuto Ioka and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.

“I see bigger fights. I see Chocolatito, Gallo Estrada, Ioka,” said Franco, ESPN’s No. 6 boxer at 115 pounds. “For sure, this win puts me top five, on the same list as the other champions. I needed this fight to prove myself.”

Franco (18-1-2, 8 KOs) consistently beat Moloney to the punch and landed the cleaner, harder shots. The bout featured plenty of inside fighting, but it was always Franco who was able to push Moloney back in those exchanges.

Despite being just 25 years old, Franco has now been a part of two boxing trilogies. He fought Oscar Negrete three consecutive times in 2018 and 2019, with a win sandwiched between two draws. Saturday’s victory over Moloney came in a third meeting.

Franco scored a unanimous decision win over Moloney (ESPN’s No. 7 115-pounder) in June 2020, when an 11th-round knockdown was the difference-maker.

In the November rematch, Moloney closed Franco’s right eye before the ringside doctor stopped the fight in Round 2.

Believing he had just exacted revenge, Moloney (21-2, 14 KOs) jumped onto the turnbuckle to celebrate. Instead, he was met by the feeling he was robbed of his biggest victory to date. Referee Russell Mora curiously ruled that the swelling was the result of an accidental clash of heads, and the fight was deemed a no-contest even after instant replay was consulted for more than 25 minutes. In reality, it was Moloney’s punches — 51 connected in just two rounds. (Franco landed 18.)

“That eye was closed by 50 jabs,” Moloney said in November. “That’s why his eye is shut — not the head-butt. There’s no head-butt. I can’t believe they took this away from me. I’ve trained my ass off for the last five months, been away from my family, and they just take it away from me. I can’t believe they didn’t give it to me. That’s why they have instant replay working right now.”

This time, instant replay did its job. Referee Jack Reiss called a knockdown in Saturday’s Round 7 after Franco fell to the canvas, but after the sequence was reviewed, the ruling was reversed.

“The call wasn’t right; I knew that I slipped,” Franco said. “When he told me they’d go to replay, I said, ‘OK, they’ll get it right.'”

The first third of Saturday’s fight was difficult to score, with tons of inside fighting. But like in the first meeting, Franco took over as the fight pushed on. His jab was the key this time around, setting up 127 power punches landed to Moloney’s 73.

“I had to switch it up on him,” said Franco, who is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya. “He thought I was going to put pressure on him the whole time. That wasn’t working, so I had to switch it up and go to my boxing skills.

“I had fun with my rhythm, with my jab, my feet. I’m comfortable in there, and that’s what I did.”

WBC Announces Juan Francisco Estrada & Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez Trilogy Fight

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a trilogy for Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

The WBC has announced a four-fighter 115-pound tournament to crown a true junior bantamweight champ, which includes a trilogy fight against the 30-year-old Mexican junior bantamweight champion and the 33-year-old Nicaraguan professional boxer.

The card will also include a bout between former champions Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras. The winners will face each other after.

For this to happen, the WBC elevated Estrada as its “franchise” champion and chose to make Rungvisai vs. Cuadras 2 for the now vacant regular 115-pound title. Estrada is the third WBC “franchise” champion (Canelo Alvarez at middleweight and Teofimo Lopez at lightweight are the others).

The request for a third battle between Estrada and Gonzalez came naturally after both were involved in a great rematch on March 13 that Estrada won in a close and controversial decision to unify the WBC and WBA world title s.

Estrada was supposed to face his mandatory challenger, Sor Rungvisai, who defeated Ekkawit Songnui by third-round TKO, also on March 13. However, the fight that generated the most interest was Estrada-Gonzalez 3 and therefore Matchroom Boxing, who promoted the rematch, began to work with the WBC to finalize the tournament.

Estrada and Gonzalez are 1-1 in their series. Rungvisai and Cuadras will meet a second time after Cuadras took the WBC junior bantamweight title from Sor Rungvisai in a technical decision victory seven years ago in 2014.

Matchroom has not announced yet when the third battle could take place and if the two title fights would be in the same card.

Juan Francisco Estrada Edges Past Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez to Win WBA, WBC and The Ring Magazine Junior Bantamweight Titles

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Francisco Estrada has proved that revenge is a dish best served cold.

The 30-year-old Mexican professional boxer edged past Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez by split decision in an extremely close fight at Dallas’ American Airlines Center on Saturday to win the WBA, the WBC and The Ring magazine junior bantamweight titles.

The victory comes eight years after Estrada (42-3, 28 KOs) and Gonzalez’s first action-packed bout, which was won by Gonzalez (50-3, 41 KOs).

This bout could’ve gone either way. The two combined for 2,529 punches — a junior bantamweight record — and landed 705, according to CompuBox. They combined for 2,133 punches in their first bout.

The scorecards Saturday night read 115-113 Gonzalez, 117-111 Estrada and 115-113 Estrada. The 117-111 score was shockingly wide, but the two 115-113 scores were representative of a fight with two boxers putting on a nonstop show.

Immediately afterward, sensing there was unfinished business with their rivalry split at 1-1, Estrada called for a trilogy fight to settle it all.

“I think I did enough to win. Chocolatito is a great fighter, and I think he deserves a trilogy,” Estrada said on the DAZN broadcast. “I knew it was a close fight. I didn’t know if I was up or down, but I knew I had to close out the fight in the last two rounds.”

Gonzalez was gracious and emotional in defeat, saying, “Whatever happened, happened, but I gave it a great fight.” The four-division champion said the result was what “God wanted” and that he would welcome a third bout with Estrada.

“It was a better fight than the first one,” Estrada said. “I felt strong, and I felt like I won. In the last round, I gave it all. It was a great round.”

Estrada’s win could set in motion the conclusion of a set of trilogies. Estrada noted after the fight that his mandatory challenger is Srisaket Sor Rungvisai — a man he also has split two bouts with over the past few years. Rungvisai won the first bout by majority decision in February 2018, with Estrada winning the rematch by unanimous decision in April 2019.

Rungvisai, who also has two wins over Gonzalez, stepped aside to let Estrada-Gonzalez 2 happen. Now, Rungvisai will likely want his shot at settling the trilogy fight with Estrada.

Gonzalez, who despite starting a bit slow was the aggressor for much of the fight, had the advantage over Estrada in every CompuBox category Saturday night except body punching (89-31 Estrada). The 90 power punches landed in Round 12 (51 by Gonzalez, 39 by Estrada) is a single-round junior bantamweight record, per CompuBox.

The hope is that Part 3 of this must-see thriller happens far sooner than the eight-year wait for Part 2.

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