LOS ANGELES – Jesse Rodriguez already has some big wins under his belt over the likes of Sunny Edwards, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadros.
But now he's moving on to the next level, facing Juan Francisco Estrada, a perennial top contender in the 115-pound division and considered by many to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing.
Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) and Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs), the WBC and Ring Magazine junior bantamweight champion, will face off on June 29 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on DAZN.
Oddsmakers are predicting the youngster will win over the experienced.
According to DraftKings, the 24-year-old Rodriguez is the favorite at -450, while the 34-year-old Estrada is the underdog at +330.
“I don't care about that. It doesn't factor into anything. I'm a bad guy,” Estrada told BoxingScene during a media workout at Matchroom Boxing Gym. “Odds don't mean anything. I know he's going to come at me at my best and give it my all. I expect the best from Estrada. It's going to be a great fight. There's going to be fireworks.”
“He's a legend in lower weight class boxing and it will be an honour for me to step in the ring with him. But come June 29th, all of that will go away and he will just be another opponent.”
“Bam” Rodriguez will be making his first return since brutally destroying Sonny Edwards over nine rounds in a flyweight title unification bout in December. Rodriguez knocked Edwards down, breaking the Brit's eye and forcing his corner to abandon the bout between rounds.
“I was a little surprised because the fight was so one-sided,” Rodriguez said. “I thought it would be a little harder and a little more competitive, but I was in control and that's boxing.”
Estrada will be a much tougher test.
“Garo” Estrada will be fighting for the first time since closing out his entertainment trilogy against Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in December 2022. Two of Estrada's last three bouts, dating back to March 2021, have been against the Nicaraguan, with Estrada winning both bouts by narrow decision.
Mexico's Estrada has won eight straight bouts since losing by majority decision to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2018. Estrada avenged his loss to Sor Rungvisai in a hard-fought bout in 2019.
But Estrada has stagnated a bit in recent years, while the burgeoning Rodriguez has been surprisingly active, preparing for his 10th fight since 2020 while Estrada will be competing in just his fifth.
But to put the experience into perspective, Estrada turned pro in 2008 when Rodriguez was eight years older. He has fought 322 rounds as a pro compared to Rodriguez's 102. Estrada has competed in 13 world title fights compared to Rodriguez's five. Both Rodriguez and Estrada have held titles at 112 and 115 pounds.
“I think youth is a big factor, especially with Estrada coming off a long break,” Rodriguez said. “I expect Estrada to perform at his best. He moves really well. He knows how to box and has a high IQ. … Sonny Edwards also moves well. You saw how I handled him.”
Rodriguez, at the mercy of the governing body, won the WBC 115-pound title, which Estrada will again hold. The WBC made Estrada its franchise champion in 2021, paving the way for Rodriguez to beat Cuadras for the vacant title during his breakout season in 2022. Rodriguez defended the title by stopping Sor Rungvisai inside eight rounds and also beat Israel Gonzalez by decision.
Rodriguez then vacated the title and moved down to 112 pounds in April 2023, where he won the vacant WBO 112-pound title with a unanimous decision victory over Christian Gonzalez-Hernandez before the Edwards fight.
Estrada defeated Gonzalez the last time he stepped into the ring to regain the WBC title.
Rodriguez, a San Antonio-born, slugger and southpaw who has been trained by renowned trainer Robert Garcia throughout his career, believes the odds are too great to win this bout, as Garcia has been a world champion in his own right.
“This is a big fight for the lighter weight classes. It should be a close, competitive fight,” Garcia told Boxing Scene. “Bam is like my son. He's been training with me since he was 10 years old. Our relationship is special, especially because of the special talent he has. The opportunity he's getting makes this fight even more exciting.”
Rodriguez creates an intelligence file on the enemy. Gonzales brings a new legend To prepare for the Estrada fight, he had Eric Boxer, a boxer he has long admired and respected, as his sparring partner last week.
Garcia called it one of the top five sparring sessions he's ever seen.
“It was a great experience,” Rodriguez said. “Action-wise it was a 10/10. It was a good fight, good work. It was some of the best sparring I've ever had.”
If practice makes perfect, Rodriguez is hoping to turn his rehearsal into a great run that will propel him into the top five on the pound-for-pound list.
“My goal is to be the undisputed champion at 115 pounds and I plan to fight here for the next few years,” Rodriguez said. “The possibilities are endless. I still have plenty of years left to do this and the boxing world will see it.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He is also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Mixed Martial Arts Journalists Association. He can be reached at @ManoukAkopyan on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, or by email at manouk.[dot]Acopian[at]You can contact us at gmail.com or www.ManoukAkopyan.com