Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez is simply awaiting phrase to problem for the title he left behind at junior bantamweight.
The Ring has confirmed that San Antonio’s Rodriguez is in superior talks to subsequent face 115-pound champion Juan Francisco ‘El Gallo’ Estrada. The bout is focused to headline a June 29 DAZN present from Desert Diamond Area in Glendale, Arizona.
Rodriguez (19-0, 12 knockouts) way back signed a clean verify for the struggle. The 2-division and reigning IBF/WBO 112-pound titlist is because of subsequent struggle on that date.
Mexico’s Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) has but to decide to what could be the fifth protection of his RING 115-pound championship. He was beforehand in talks for a WBC/WBA unification bout versus Japan’s Kazuto Ioka (31-2-1, 16 KOs), No. 1 at 115. These talks have reportedly damaged off for a second time, which put Estrada-Rodriguez again into play.
The situation has hosted every of their earlier performances. Rodriguez (19-0, 12 knockouts), No. 1 at 112, unified the IBF/WBO titles with a ninth-round stoppage of England’s Sunny Edwards (20-1, 4 KOs), No. 2 at 112. The battle of unbeaten flyweight titlists would be the final on the weight for Rodriguez.
Previous to the struggle, Rodriguez overtly declared his intention to return to the 115-pound division. The Ring’s No. 10 pound-for-pound fighter received his first main title at that weight. It got here on quick discover when he moved as much as defeat former WBC titlist Carlos Cuadras in Phoenix, Arizona. The February 2022 win for Rodriguez got here with the vacant WBC 115-pound title which he defended twice.
Rodriguez then returned to flyweight, the place he received the WBO title final April at dwelling in San Antonio. His 12-round, unanimous resolution over Cristian Gonzalez got here at a value, nonetheless. Rodriguez suffered a damaged jaw halfway by means of the bout. He healed in time to deal Edwards his first defeat and take his IBF title final December 16.
Estrada beforehand served as a unified flyweight titlist. He moved as much as 115 in a bid to change into a two-division champ.
The hassle resulted in a Feb. 2018 defeat to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in a terrific Ring championship conflict. Estrada avenged that defeat with a factors win 14 months later atop an April 2019 DAZN present in Inglewood, California.
Accidents and the pandemic have restricted his profession exercise to only 5 Ring championship defenses. Two have are available in wins over the legendary Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, together with their Dec. 2022 rubber match in Glendale. Estrada received by way of majority resolution and likewise reclaimed the WBC 115-pound title. The belt was left behind by Rodriguez, who was ringside for the struggle.
On the time, it wasn’t recognized that he would subsequent face the winner of that bout. Rodriguez has since fixated on Estrada for his celebrated return to arguably the deepest weight class within the sport.
It’s now as much as the division’s king to finalize phrases. As soon as carried out, the matchup will mark among the best of an already stand out 2nd quarter schedule.
Jake Donovan a senior author for The Ring and vice chairman of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.
Comply with @JakeNDaBox
