Done deal: Estrada, 'Bam' to collide for 115 title on June 29
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Juan Francisco Estrada, the lineal/WBC junior bantamweight champion and a probable Hall of Famer, will end an 18-month layoff to defend against Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, who is returning to the division seeking to reclaim his old belt, Matchroom Boxing announced on Thursday.
The fight, which had been expected to be finalized, will take place on June 29 (DAZN) at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
“What a fight this is,” Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said. “When the best fight the best, excitement is guaranteed, and there’s no doubt that these are two of the best fighters on the planet.
“There are so many plot lines for us all to get our teeth into in the build-up to this incredible clash, but when the bell goes, the talking will stop, and we will be treated to something very special. Both fighters are to be commended for taking on the challenge. Will ‘Gallo’ (Estrada) prove too much too soon for Jesse, or can ‘Bam’ add Juan’s name to his already incredible (resume)?”
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Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs), 33, of Mexico, who is a former unified flyweight champion and a two-time junior bantamweight champion, is in the twilight of a storied career that includes an epic trilogy with legendary Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, the former pound-for-pound king and four-division champion. He is 2-1 against Gonzalez, despite a controversial split decision win in their 2021 rematch. Estrada also owns two wins over Carlos Cuadras, split a pair of fights with Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and outpointed Brian Viloria for the unified flyweight title in 2013.
But Estrada has not fought since December 2022, when he narrowly outpointed Gonzalez by majority decision in their rubber match to retain the lineal 115-pound title and claim the vacant WBC belt, which Rodriguez had relinquished.
Estrada’s long layoff was caused in part because he had been in talks for a Dec. 31 unification fight in Japan against WBA titlist Kazuto Ioka, but they were unable to finalize the deal. Now he is set to finally return.
“I’m very happy to announce my return against ‘Bam’ Rodriguez,” Estrada said. “After my last victory against ‘Chocolatito’ we took a good break and was able to spend quality time with my family and my kids and heal an injury I was dealing with.
“I will be more than ready since I know Rodriguez is a dangerous fighter, but in June it will be clear that there’s is plenty of ‘Gallo’ excitement to come.”
The 24-year-old Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs), a southpaw from San Antonio, is nearly a decade younger and in his prime. He won the vacant WBC junior bantamweight title via unanimous decision over former titlist Cuadras on short notice in February 2022.
Rodriguez defended the belt twice, by eighth-round knockout of former champion Sor Rungvisai in a very impressive performance and a decision over Israel Gonzalez to finish off a 2022 in which he was a strong fighter of the year candidate.
Last April, Rodriguez vacated the title to move down in weight to flyweight, where he outpointed Cristian Gonzalez for the vacant WBO belt. Rodriguez suffered a broken jaw, keeping him out until December, when he battered and stopped then-undefeated IBF titlist Sunny Edwards in a ninth-round knockout to unify 112-pound belts in an elite performance.
He wanted to move back up in weight for the biggest fight possible and now he has it.
“Fighting for my fourth world title against a legend like ‘Gallo’ is huge,” Rodriguez said. “This is a fight I’ve been wanting for a while and I’m ready to prove myself once again. On June 29, you guys will see another special performance — and the new!”
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Bam looking to lock up HOF before his 26 birthday.
This will be a great fight