WBC super flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada and young phenom Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez will meet on June 29th in what fans view as a changing of the guard between the aging and the young lion on DAZN at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, June 29.
Can Estrada Hang With the Young Gun?
Estrada hasn’t fought in two years and looked pretty rough the last time out. His armor showed signs of serious rust spots, and he didn’t look like the fighter he was a decade ago.
Juan Francis beat Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez in his last fight in 2022 in their third fight. For his part, Bam Rodriguez is coming off a win over Sunny Edwards and looked amazing in that fight.
Promoter Eddie Hearn is calling this fight the two best fighters on the planet at 115, which is a huge stretch of the imagination. Estrada-Bam is still a good fight, but it’s definitely not a match that has the two best fighters on the planet. Hearn’s gushing about this fight involving the two best fighters on the planet is a bit much.
Estrada is well past it at 34, and he would be food for many of the top contenders in the super flyweight division. One would hate to see what would happen to Juan Estrada if he mixed it up with IBF 115-lb champion Fernando Martinez (16-0, 12 KOs), the emerald gem of the division.
“What a fight this is,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “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 at least two better fighters than Estrada at 115, perhaps three, but he’s still a good fighter and more popular than most, except for Roman Gonzalez. If Estrada loses to Bam, it should be interesting to see if he retires.
Will Estrada Retire if he Loses?
If he stays out of the ring for two years like we just saw, he might as well retire because he’ll be too old and past it when he returns, and he looked terrible in his last three outings.
Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) looks like he’s at the end of the line, having struggled in his last three fights, appearing to lose two of them but likely given wins for old times sake.
Against the 24-year-old Bam Rodriguez, the judges likely won’t be able to save Estrada