Juan Francisco Estrada will return from an extended break to defend his WBC and RING super flyweight titles against unbeaten Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a 12-round main event this Saturday night, June 29th, from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, live on DAZN. The event will kick off at 9 PM ET.
Estrada's Recent Struggles
The bout may hinge on how well Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs), who has competed professionally for 16 years, can perform, but he was a shadow of his former self the last time he stepped in the ring and age appears to have caught up with the veteran.
Estrada hasn't performed well since winning a 12-round split decision in a rematch against Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in March 2021. In his two fights since then, Estrada has looked underpowered against Algi Cortez and Chocolatito Gonzalez.
Many fans believe that the judges gave Estrada a gift decision in the Estrada vs. Chocolatito three-part fight in Glendale, Arizona in December 2022. Chocolatito appeared to win the bout with two wins in the 10th round against an underachieving Estrada who was not competitive at all from the start.
The bout was even more one-sided than their first bout in November 2012, which ended with Chocolatito Gonzalez winning by 12-round decision. The three-fight series sent a message to fans that the Nicaragua-born Chocolatito was not well-liked by the Arizona judges, while Estrada was being overpowered.
If Estrada can't significantly improve his performance, Bam Rodriguez will likely beat him on Saturday night and the judges won't bail out the champion like they did against Chocolatito.
Bam Rodriguez returns to 115 pounds
Bam Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) is moving up to 115 pounds after winning the IBF and WBO titles at 112 pounds. With a lack of high-level competition at flyweight, Bam is returning to the division to challenge the legendary Estrada, as well as champions Fernando Martinez, Kazuto Ioka and Kohei Tanaka.
Saturday's undercard matches:
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- Sunny Edwards vs. Adrian Curiel
- Yamileth Mercado vs. Ramla Ali
- Arturo Cardenas vs. Danny Barrio
- Leonardo Rubalcava vs. William Flennoy
- Fabian Rojo vs. Daniel Gonzalez
- Gabriel Murata vs. Carlos Fontes
“I consider myself a complete boxer. I can go out there and put pressure on people and I can box,” Juan Francisco Estrada told DAZN Boxing about his aim to fight Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez this Saturday night. “I don't think Bam is going to have an easy fight.
“I think Bam Rodriguez has to be prepared to die as well, because I'm prepared to give everything in the ring, and I never want to give up on this fight. If I can fight to the end, which probably won't be the case, it will be the best fight of the year.”
“I'm just going to do what I plan to do and people are going to see the best Bam Rodriguez ever,” Bam said. “I'm going to give it my all and I want to get my title back. I'm going to come in on June 29th with a fresh mind and a fresh attitude and I'm ready for anything.”
“Juan Francisco Estrada is a legend in the sport. He's been around for many years. He was the champion when I was still an amateur. It will be an honor to share the ring with him, but on June 29th I will take over. I believe that if I beat Estrada I will be the face of the lower weight classes. With what I have achieved so far, I am one fight away from winning,” Bam said.
