Juan Franciso Estrada has invoked his rematch clause to force a second fight against Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez after losing his WBC super flyweight title to him by a seventh-round knockout on June 29th in Phoenix, Arizona.
The 34-year-old Estrada (44-4, 28 KOs) looked outgunned by the 24-year-old ‘Bam’ Rodriguez last June, getting battered most of the fight before being stopped in the seventh. Apart from a flash knockdown Estrada scored, it was
Financial Motivations?
It was Juan Francisco’s third consecutive poor performance since 2022, making some believe he’s washed up and has nothing left in the tank to avenge his loss to ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. The money Estrada will make in a rematch with Rodriguez could be a factor in why he’s chosen to take the second fight.
Even if Estrada is knocked out again, he’ll get a nice payday, which will help cushion his retirement years in his native Mexico. According to boxing insider Dan Rafael, the Estrada vs. Rodriguez rematch will “likely occur in December.”
Estrada’s decision to invoke his rematch clause, which was predictable on his part, foils ‘Bam’ Rodriguez’s plans to fight a unification against one of the champions at 115. Rodriguez was eying unifications against these super flyweight champions:
– Fernando Martinez – IBF
– Kazuto Ioka – WBA
– Kosei Tanaka – WBO
Estrada’s Decline Post-Chocolatito Fight
Estrada hasn’t looked like the same fighter since beating Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez by a 12-round split decision in their second fight on March 13, 2021. Although Estrada deserved the victory, he took many shots from Chocolatito in that fight.
The Nicaraguan talent, Chocolatito, hit Estrada with combinations the entire fight, which may have permanently damaged him. Estrada hasn’t looked near his old self after that second-second clash against Gonzalez. Juan Franciso ate a lot of combinations from Chocolatito, and it’s not surprising that he’s not looked the same since.
Former WBC super flyweight champion Carlos Cuadras is another fighter whose career nosedived after his fight with Gonzalez in September 2016. In the immediate aftermath of that fight, Cuadras lost two out of his next three contests.
In Estrada’s three fights since then, he’s looked like an empty shell of his former self, beating Argi Cortes and Chocolatito with very questionable decisions and being knocked out by ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.
Many boxing fans believe ‘Chocolatito’ was robbed in his third fight against Estrada on December 3, 2022, in Glendale, Arizona. The judges gave Estrada a 12-round majority decision, but fans on social media and seemingly many at ringside disagreed.
They felt that Roman Gonzalez won. I watched the fight, and I had Gonzalez easily winning by nine rounds to three. Indeed, it was even more one-sided than Chocolatito’s win over Estrada in their first fight in November 2012.
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