The Juan Gabriel Estate Teaming Up with Cirque Musica for Special Cirque-Style Show Inspired by His Iconic Music

Juan Gabriel’s beloved music will be celebrated in a special way…

The late Mexican singer’s estate and Cirque Musica have announced the production of Cirque Musica Presents Querida: The Official Celebration of Juan Gabriel, which will kick off in Mexico City in October.

Juan GabrielAccording to a press release issued by Cirque Musica — which produces cirque-style shows featuring acrobats, aerialists and “daredevil” athleticism combined with the “greatest music of all time” — the company has signed a global rights deal with the late Mexican artist’s estate for the creation and production of the show “with the purpose of bringing the joyful legacy of the singer to the fans.”

The first iteration will take place on October 22 at the San Rafael Theater.

“We will continue his legacy in every way we can so his work and art can reach a new generation,” said Ivan Aguilera, Juan Gabriel’s son, in a statement. “I am thrilled to work with Cirque Musica to bring this spectacular interpretation of my father’s legacy to his amazing fans. My father was a natural entertainer and I know he would be very pleased with this production.”

Added Stephen Cook, president of TCG Entertainment, creator and producer of Cirque Musica, “Cirque Musica is honored to be working with Juan Gabriel’s estate to bring this production to the stage. Our goal is to be the biggest and the best show in the world and this is the next step. We understand the importance of Juan Gabriel and the impact his music made, and we are excited to bring this celebration to his loyal Mexican fans.”

According to a description of the production, Cirque Musica Presents Querida will interpret the music of the legendary recording star and prolific songwriter with “an extraordinary cirque presentation to include breath-taking aerial performances and acrobats; creating an artistic spectacle in tribute to the beloved Mexican icon.”

News of this project comes months after the estate signed an exclusive global agreement with Virgin Music US Latin and UMPG that includes “never-before-released” material.

The deal will represent the singer’s post-2008 catalog and future recordings, and also extended its publishing administration agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group, which will exclusively represent Gabriel’s extraordinary catalog of songs worldwide.

Gabriel died of a heart attack the morning of August 28, 2016, in Los Angeles following a show at The Forum. At the time, the then-66-year-old singer and icon was at the peak of his career in the midst of the U.S. leg of his MeXXico Es Todos tour, a 22-city arena trek that had him playing 360 stages to accommodate sold-out crowds.

Mana to Launch Unprecedented Residency at The LA Forum

Mana is holding a forum

The Grammy award-winning Mexican rock band has announced an unprecedented Los Angeles residency at the Forum in Inglewood, with concerts starting in March and continuing indefinitely.

ManaIt’s the first-ever arena residency in the city of Los Angeles, and members of Mana said they promise to play “for as long as Los Angeles fans will have them.”

The Forum will be the only place in the United States where fans will be able to see Mana play live in 2022.

Long-term residencies at arenas in places like Las Vegas are commonplace among top-rank acts like Britney Spears, Celine Dion and Gwen Stefani, but they are unheard of in Los Angeles, even in the fabled Forum’s 50-year history.

Mana is one of the best-selling Latin touring acts of all time. From their first show in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Palace in 1993 to their 2019 run at the Forum on the Rayando El Sol Tour, Mana broke the record as the first and only act to sell out seven dates at the Forum as part of a single tour since the venue’s reopening (previously held by Kanye West and the Eagles).

“We are proud to announce this historic residency with Mana, doing what no other band has ever done in Los Angeles,” said Geni Lincoln, general manager and senior vice president of booking for the Forum.

“On their 2019 Rayando El Sol Tour, Mana cemented their position as the reigning kings of the Forum, breaking the record for the most shows sold out on a single tour since our remodel and reopening. This residency is the culmination of an incredible journey, with an incredible band, and we look forward to hosting their fans from around the world for these historic shows.”

Mana got its start in 1986 when four friends from Guadalajara, Mexico, came together to fuse new rock sounds with Latin and Caribbean rhythms. The group’s current lineup includes Fher Olvera as vocalist, guitarist and main composer, Alex Gonzalez on drums, Sergio Vallin on lead guitar, and Juan Diego Calleros on bass. Mana released its first album Falta Amor in 1990. In 1992, they released Donde Jugaran los Ninos? — which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and became the best-selling Spanish-language rock album of all time.

“We have so many surprises in store for our fans at this residency,” said the members of Mana in a statement. “No two shows will be the same. Get ready to see Mana like never before — special guests, unique set lists and a kick-ass new production we put together special for these shows at the Forum. L.A. is a second home for us. We started here 30 years ago at the Hollywood Palace, and we’ve been rocking with L.A. fans ever since. We are amped to get back on stage in the City of Angels and want our fans to feel the same.”

The Forum is owned by billionaire Steve Balmer, who also owns the LA Clippers.

The performances will kick off on March 18 and 19, plus April 22 and 23, with more dates soon to be announced. Tickets will be available starting at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 19 at Ticketmaster.com.

Soda Stereo’s COVID-19-Postponed “Gracias Totales” Tour Getting an Early 2022 Reboot

Soda Stereo is preparing for a restart…

The Argentine rock band’s long-awaited Gracias Totales tour — which launched on February 29, 2020, in Colombia but was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak – is set to resume with new U.S. dates.

Soda Stereo

Part tribute to the rock band’s late frontman Gustavo Cerati and part reunion of the band’s surviving members Zeta Bosio and Charly Alberti, the tour will resume on February 27, 2022, at Miami’s FTX Arena (formerly American Airlines Arena) and on March 3 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The Miami show will be presented by Move Concerts and Loud And Live and Live Nation will present the LA area show.

The Gracias Totales tour will feature special performances and state-of-the-art technology that will make it possible for fans to enjoy the voice and image of Cerati.

“It is exciting to hear the whole process of how the band is doing,” the tour’s production manager and the band’s first manager and sound engineer said in a statement. “I think that people are going to be moved, not only because of the technical aspects but also the spirit and energy are impressive.”

Fourteen invited artists were set to appear during the previous U.S. dates including Gustavo Santaolalla, Draco Rosa, Julieta Venegas, Richard Coleman and AterciopeladosAndrea Echeverri, to name a few. No word yet on the final guest lineup.

The previously announced shows in New York and Houston will not be rescheduled according to a “lack of availability of adequate venues because of the post-COVID concert schedule.” However, promoters will fully refund those who purchased their tickets.

Tickets for the Miami and LA shows are already on sale via ticketmaster.com.

Alejandro Fernandez Announces 19-Date U.S. Leg of “Hecho en México” Tour

Alejandro Fernandez is rarin’ to get back on the road…

After a more than 12-month hiatus that saw him interrupt his tour mid-start, the 49-year-old Mexican superstar has announced a 19-date U.S. tour.

Alejandro Fernandez

It’ll see him performing with 25 people onstage, including his full band, his Mexican mariachi, special guests Christian Nodal and his son, Alex Fernández, as well as a handful of guests in different cities.

The “Hecho en México” tour, so named after Fernández’s Grammy-nominated album (out on Universal Music Latin), kicks off on September 10 in Reno, and ends October 24 in Phoenix.

The tour is presented by Live Nation, and tickets go on sale on April 16 at 10:00 am on Ticketmaster.

The tour will play to full capacity venues, says Luana Pagani, a partner in Seitrack, Fernandez’s management team. For these venues, it translates to 5,800 people at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden to nearly 15,000 at The Forum in Los Angeles.

“Nothing is ‘normal’ yet in terms of venues, but we understand all venues will follow their protocols, and we will as well,” says Pagani.

All visa and work requirements for Fernández and his musicians have already been cleared, and Fernandez will also perform at the Latin American Music Awards April 15.

For Fernandez, the import of his tour announcement is not lost, especially as one of Latin music’s biggest stars, as the scion of one of Mexico’s most prominent musical families (his father is Vicente Fernández), and as the spokesperson of Families Belong Together. The campaign of the National Domestic Workers Alliance works to end family separation, and will receive a portion of the tours’ proceeds.

“We lost a lot of people in this pandemic — fiends, family,” Fernández tells Billboard. “So the most important thing is we’re coming back properly, doing things right and with a very important message after all that’s happened, which is thanking God that we’re alive.”

Fernández, a prolific touring act, is known — like his father — for his bravura performances that are long on time and high on quality.

For “Hecho en México,” he is upping the ante by touring for the first time ever with his son, Alex Fernández, who is 25 and signed to Sony. The prospect recalls Fernández’s own stage debut alongside his father, when he was only six years old.

However, says Fernández, “I only started to tour when I was 18, so we’re not that far apart. Alex is a good kid. He’s dedicated and professional. He’s seen how my father works, and he’s seen how I work, and he’s responsible. He’s hungry to do things right.”

Fernández will also invite rising ranchero/norteño star Christian Nodal as a special guest on at least three tour stops. The two became close after recording the hit “Duele” together. It was the kind of cross-generational collaboration Fernández had not done before in Mexican music.

Fernández, that rare artist who’s able to navigate easily between traditional pop and traditional regional Mexican music, had most often collaborated with pop acts, and in his concerts he tends to mix styles and outfits to represent his two styles of music.

Partnering with Nodal, and also with Edén Muñoz of Calibre 50, who will be a guest in at least one show, highlights a new generation of Mexican music starts that are propelling the music forward.

“There’s a resurging interest for Mexican music,” agrees Fernández. “In fact, I’ll be singing some of my pop material, but in more Mexican arrangements.”

Fernández will also perform the entire tour dressed in the traditional formal charro garb that includes the broad-rimmed hat, tight decorated pants and a short fitted jacket.

That’s good news for Mexican fans, who are expected to fly in from Mexico to see Fernández’s shows, particularly on the West Coast. The month of September, which has traditionally drawn Mexican tourists to Las Vegas for the many Latin music performances that take place there as part of Mexican Independence, is expected to see a surge in travel, as concerts have not restarted in Mexico.

“Last year I had played Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City and a couple of dates in Guadalajara and then we had to put everything on hold,” says Fernández. “This will be an epic return.”

Here are the dates and venues for the “Hecho En Mexico” tour:

*with Alex Fernandez
+with Christian Nodal

Fri, Sept. 10 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Theatre^
Sat, Sept. 11 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center*
Sun, Sept. 12 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center*
Wed, Sept. 15 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena*
Fri, Sept. 17 – Albuquerque, NM – Rio Rancho Events Center*
Sat, Sept. 18 – El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center*
Fri, Sept. 24 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land*
Sun, Sept. 26 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena*
Thurs, Sept. 30 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
Fri, Oct. 1 – New York, NY – Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
Sun, Oct. 3 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
Tues, Oct. 5 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
Fri, Oct. 8 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*
Sat, Oct. 9 – Hidalgo, TX – Payne Arena*
Sun, Oct. 10 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center*
Fri, Oct. 15 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose+
Sat, Oct. 16 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena+
Fri, Oct. 22 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum+
Sun, Oct. 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theatre*

Vergil Ortiz Officially Set to Fight Samuel Vargas in Golden Boy’s First Post-Coronavirus Fight Card

Vergil Ortiz is officially ready to rumble…

As previously expected, the 22-year-old highly regarded Mexican American welterweight will face veteran Samuel Vargas on July 24 in Golden Boy‘s first fight card since the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to boxing events across the world in mid-March.

Vergil Ortiz Jr.

The card will take place at the Fantasy Springs Casino Resortin Indio, California.

“We’re just excited, happy to be back with our fighters,” said Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions

“Especially a guy like Vergil who was scheduled to fight before the shutdown. He was 10 days out from fighting, so I’m just happy he gets to fight again, and we’re back at it.”

For the time being, Golden Boy’s cards in California will be held without an audience.

Ortiz (15-0, 15 KOs) is considered one of boxing’s best young fighters. The Grand Prairie, Texas native has stopped everyone he has faced thus far as a professional. In 2019, Ortiz stopped Mauricio Herrera in three rounds, and then Antonio Orozco in six.

Ortiz and Vargas were originally scheduled to clash on March 28 at The Forumin Inglewood, California, before that card was canceled.

“I’m very thankful and excited to be headlining the first Golden Boy event after the quarantine,” said Ortiz, who has been training with Robert Garcia in Riverside for the past few weeks. “I’m happy that it’s still with the same opponent, so basically we’re picking up where we left off. It’s going to be a tough fight, and it’ll be a great way to kick off the year for me.”

Ortiz is facing a seasoned veteran in Vargas (31-5-2, 14 KOs), who has faced Amir KhanLuis CollazoDanny Garcia and Errol Spence over the course of his career.

“I think that everything happens for a reason,” said Vargas, who has been in Las Vegas in recent weeks, preparing for this bout. “I think this time off benefited me. I’m ready to upset the world. I believe I can come out with the win. The world is a weird place right now. The show will be different. There will be no fans, but I have no doubt I’m going to win.”

As Golden Boy officials began to put this card together, they found a rather limited pool of options to draw from, in terms of selecting boxers.

“There’s a lot of guys that just weren’t ready,” Gomez said. “They hadn’t been to the gym because [gyms] were closed, they didn’t train, do road work, sparring or anything. Now it’s a little better, but we’re not in the clear yet.”

The co-feature scheduled for July 24 is a 10-round lightweight contest between Hector Tanajara (19-0, 5 KOs) and Mercito Gesta (32-3-3, 17 KOs). Other fights include an eight-round middleweight bout between Shane Mosley Jr. (15-3, 9 KOs) and Jeremy Ramos (11-8, 2 KOs), a women’s junior flyweight fight between Seniesa Estrada (18-0, 7 KOs) and Jacky Calvo(12-5-2, 1 KO), and a clash between prospects Hector Valdez and Evan Sanchez.

There’s no indication when spectators will be allowed back into any sporting events, and from Golden Boy’s perspective, the hope at this point is just to try to get the first few cards off the ground smoothly.

“It’s hard to say. It’s scary. You’ve seen the numbers, they’ve been rising again,” Gomez said. “There have been surges in Florida, here in California. I don’t know what the governor is going to decide. I just hope we don’t get shut down again.”

Cris Cyborg Makes History with Bellator Win Over Julia Budd

Cris Cyborg has earned her place in the mixed martial arts history books…

The 34-year-old Brazilian-American mixed martial artist, whose real name is Cristiane Justino, made her Bellator debut at The Forum in Inglewood, California, in grand fashion.

Cris Cyborg

Cris Cyborg (22-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) scored a fourth-round TKO of Julia Budd to claim the women’s featherweight belt, to complete a grand slam and enhance her legacy in the sport.

The victory saw her win a championship with her fourth MMAorganization, having also won titles with the UFCInvicta FC, and Strikeforce.

In the early rounds of  Saturday’s fight, Cris Cyborg showed little respect to her opponent, throwing relentless strikes to Budd’s face and body.

When victory came in the fourth, Cris Cyborg dropped to the canvas, appearing to celebrate the win in disbelief having ended Budd’s unbeaten run of 2,998 days.

Camila Cabello Adds Additional European Dates for her “Romance” Tour

Camila Cabello is spreading a little more romance across the pond…

The 22-year-old Mexican & Cuban singer has revealed a series of new European dates next June as part of her world tour in support of her upcoming album, Romance, due out on December 6. 

Camila Cabello

Cabello’s biggest dates so far in England will kick off on June 1 at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham and include dates in Manchester, Leeds, Dublin, Glasgow and London.   

Cabello previously announced the kick-off of her Romance global outing, which includes a show at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 3, as well as a gig at The Forum in Los Angeles on December 6, the B96 Jingle Bash in Rosemont, Illinois, on December 7, a stop at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota on December 9 and a December 13 show at Madison Square Garden in New York.

So far, the full Romance tour is slated to kick off on May 26 in Oslo, Norway and launch in North America on July 29 in Vancouver. 

Cabello has previewed the album with the recently released song “Living Proof,” the chart-topping Shawn Mendes collaboration “Señorita,” as well as the singles “Shameless,” “Easy,” “Cry For Me” and “Liar.”

Here’s a look at Cabello’s UK and European dates below.

May 26 – Oslo, Norway @ Spektrum
May 28 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena
May 30 – Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes Benz Arena
June 1 – Birmingham, UK @ Resorts World Arena
June 2 – Leeds, UK @ First Direct Arena
June 4 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Arena
June 8 – Dublin, IR @ 3Arena
June 9 – Glasgow, UK @ The SSE Hydro
June 11– London, UK @ The O2
June 14 – Antwerp, Belgium @ Sportpaleis
June 15 – Amsterdam, Holland @ Ziggo Dome
June 17 – Paris, France @ Accorhotels Arena
June 18 – Cologne, Germany @ Laxness Arena
June 23 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Hallenstadion
June 24 – Milan, Italy @ Forum
June 30 – Barcelona, Spain @ Palau Sant Jordi
July 1 – Madrid, Spain @ Wizink Center

Maná Becomes First Act to Perform Seven Shows in One Year at LA’s The Forum

It’s Lucky No. 7 for Manáfans in Los Angeles…

Due to continuing ticket demands, the legendary Mexican rock band has added a seventh show at The Forum in Los Angeles as part of its Rayando El Sol Tour, which kicks of at the end of August.

Mana

The seventh date at the venue, which will take place on December 7, makes Maná the only act in any language or genre to ever play seven dates at the venue as part of a single tour.

“Mana makes history today by becoming the first artist that will perform seven shows in one year at the ‘Fabulous’ Forum since our reopening in 2014,” said a spokesperson for The Forum. “Mana also holds our record for most shows since the reopening at 11. The Forum is proud and honored to be the home to Mana’s historic run of shows.”

Maná, Latin music’s most successful rock band and one of the most prolific and highest-grossing Latin acts in the market, announced dates forRayando el Sol, their first tour in three years, this past February. 

Tickets sales were so strong, that additional dates were added almost immediately, and the tour, originally set to kick off September 4 from Corpus Christi, is now starting August 31 in Laredo.

New dates were also added for Chicago, Oakland, San Jose, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and Los Angeles. 

Originally, Maná was slated to play four dates at The Forum, which grew to six, and now, seven. 

The group performed on Good Morning America this Wednesday, the same day they streamed an intimate performance for fans on their YouTubechannel in anticipation of their tour.

“Maná is a touring powerhouse,” Bob Roux, president of U.S. concerts for Live Nation, said in a statement back in March, talking about the sellout speed of Maná’s shows. “I’ve never seen an onsale like this in the Latin Market. This puts Maná in the rarefied realm of the biggest bands in the U.S., regardless of language.”

The Rayando el Sol tour will now play 35 stops. The tour takes its name from Maná’s 1989 breakout hit song of the same name.

“It was the song that kicked off our career when we were ready to walk away from it all,” Fher Olvera, Maná’s lead singer, told Billboardearlier this year. “We spent many years with very little money. One time, [drummer] Alex [Gonzalez] spent the night at an apartment in Colonia Roma [the Mexico City neighborhood depicted in Alfonso Cuarón’s film Roma] that didn’t even have furniture. And there, between beers, we wrote the song. At that point, I was ready to work in what I’d studied in college: communications. And Alex was going to return to Miami. But that song allowed us to breath, so we have a real appreciation. It’s a very emblematic song. It’s played everywhere.”

Maná: Rayando El Sol 2019 tour dates:

Aug. 31, 2019 — Laredo. TX Sames Auto Arena
Sept. 4, 2019 —  Corpus Christi, TX American Bank Center
Sept. 6, 2019 —  Houston, TX Toyota Center
Sept. 7, 2019 —  Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Sept. 11, 2019 —  El Paso, TX UTEP Don Haskins Center
Sept. 13, 2019 —  Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Arena
Sept. 14, 2019 —  Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
Sept. 20, 2019 —  Los Angeles, CA The Forum
Sept. 21, 2019 —  Los Angeles, CA The Forum
Sept. 22, 2019 —  Los Angeles, CA The Forum
Sept. 27, 2019 —  San Jose, CA SAP Center at San Jose
Sept. 28, 2019 —  San Jose, CA SAP Center at San Jose
Sept. 29, 2019 —  San Diego, CA North Island Credit Union Amphitheater
Oct. 9, 2019 —  Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Oct. 11, 2019 —  Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
Oct. 12, 2019 —  Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
Oct. 17, 2019 —  Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Oct. 19, 2019 —  Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
Oct. 20, 2019 —  Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
Oct. 22, 2019 —  Fairfax, VA EagleBank Arena
Oct. 25, 2019 —  Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
Oct. 27, 2019 —  Atlanta, GA Infinite Energy Arena
Nov. 6, 2019 —  El Paso, TX UTEP Don Haskins Center
Nov. 8, 2019 —  Houston, TX Toyota Center
Nov. 9, 2019 —  Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Nov. 14, 2019 —  Edinburg, TX Bert Ogden Arena
Nov. 15, 2019 —  San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
Nov. 17, 2019 —  Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Arena
Nov. 22, 2019 —  Los Angeles, CA The Forum
Nov. 23, 2019 —  Los Angeles, CA The Forum
Nov. 24, 2019 —  Los Angeles, CA The Forum
Nov. 27, 2019 —  Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
Nov. 30, 2019 —  Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
Dec. 5, 2019 —  Fresno, CA Save Mart Center
Dec. 7, 2019 —  Los Angeles, CA The Forum

Bad Bunny Returning to the U.S. for 14 City Tour

Bad Bunny is hitting the American road again…

The 24-year-old Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton singer, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has announced his 2019 tour dates, with a return to the Unites States on the docket.

Bad Bunny

Kicking off at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania, on March 14, Bad Bunny will perform in 14 shows, including such legendary arenas as Madison Square Garden in New York and the Tacoma Dome in Washington State.

The tour is being promoted by Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN).

Ticket sales will start on Friday, December 21.

This year, Bad Bunny visited the U.S. with his La Nueva Religión tour with most dates selling out, including his stops at the American Airlines Arena in Miami and The Forum in Los Angeles.

Bad Bunny Tour Dates

 

Juan Francisco Estrada Defeats Felipe Orucuta by Unanimous Decision

Juan Francisco Estrada is a deciding winner

The 28-year-old Mexican professional boxer, a former WBA and WBO Flyweight champion, defeated Felipe Orucuta at The Forum in Inglewood, California over the weekend by unanimous decision following a hotly contested 12-round bout.

Juan Francisco Estrada

The judges scored the fight 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111 for Estrada.

Orucuta (36-5, 30KOs) proved a much tougher opponent than expected. But Estrada (37-4, 25 KOs), after fading in the middle rounds, rallied down the stretch to win decisively, if not spectacularly.

“When two Mexicans are in the ring, you’re going to get a great fight,” Estrada said.

Estrada hopes the victory will earn him a rematch with junior bantamweight titleholder Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, who beat Estrada by majority decision in February.

Obviously going for a quick win, Estrada abandoned his usual economical style over the first three rounds, winging wild punches with bad intention. Many missed, but he connected with enough to take all three rounds.

Orucuta began to work his way back into the fight in the fourth, landing his share of punches, but it wasn’t quite enough to take the round.

In the fifth, Estrada sent his adversary reeling backward with a hard right to the head near the end of the round. At that point, it seemed Estrada was on his way to an easy win; but that changed in the sixth, when Orucuta landed a hard left hook to the body, forcing Estrada into the ropes.

The underdog unleashed a two-handed flurry, and most of the punches landed cleanly, before Estrada extricated himself from the ropes. Suddenly, Estrada didn’t look like a sure shot.

The seventh was another good round for Orucuta when he got the better of several brutal exchanges in an action-packed round. The crowd that had been booing the bout earlier jumped to its feet, as the two fighters stood toe to toe.

Urged by his corner to keep pressing, Estrada gradually took over again. A cracking right to the head rocked Orucuta in the eighth, but he kept his feet under him and fought back.

Estrada finally showed the expertise that he is known for, sweeping the remaining rounds. He almost got the knockout he wanted in the 12th, when he chased Orucuta around the ring, landing flush punches to the head.

However, the final bell interrupted Estrada’s onslaught with his extremely durable opponent still on his feet.