Juan Francisco Estrada knew a good competition when he joined.
The Mexican star hasn’t even crossed the line for a third game against Roman Gonzalez on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona (DAZN) and he talked about the possibility of a fourth encounter between the minor fighters.
Fans will not object. Estrada (43-3, 28 KOs) and “Chocolatito” (51-3, 41 KOs) are some of the most successful – and most exciting – light boxers of their generation.
“He beat me in 2012 and I beat him in the second match, so you could say this is the decider,” said Estrada, who will fight Gonzalez for the 115-pound WBC belt. blank, said. “There could be a fourth like Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Márquez, who knows? We’re going to have our trio and we don’t know if it’ll end here or not.
“We’ll find out who’s the best, who’s going to lead the fights to win, and if in the future, God willing, there’s a fourth, let’s go.”
The rivalry began in 2012 at the old Sports Arena in Los Angeles, when Gonzalez was a 108-pound belt holder and already a pounder, and Estrada was an unnamed 22-year-old relative.
Estrada lost the match by a unanimous decision but pushed the two-division champion harder than anyone expected even though he dropped from 112 pounds to 108 for the match, thereby establishing himself as a champion. potential stars.
He beat Brian Viloria by a split decision in his next bout the following year to win two 112-pound majors, and he never looked back.
“The first fight was my first fight in America, my first fight in the lightweight flyweight division,” Estrada said. “I am a fly and have to descend to compete for this world title. It was a great fight. Honestly, I feel good, but the weight affects me. I don’t feel strong.
“But when the game started, from the first half to the 12th, we gave our all. At the time, he was the champion, one of the best weightlifters, and he won the right to decide. I am nobody. We fought hard. I felt that I won that game by a few points, but he understood.
“With the fight we went through, we have more opportunities. We fought Brian Viloria in flyweight and you could say it was the fight that made me famous in the boxing world, it got my name out there.”
Estrada went on to beat a string of top contenders to make her own as a weightlifter, including deciding then-time 115-pound belt holder Srisaket Sor Rungvisai – two-time Gonzalez conqueror – to become a two-division champion.
Three battles later, he faces a familiar foe, Gonzalez. rematch took place last March in Dallas. And this time, Estrada was on the right side of a decision in a classic fight, though it was a controversial nod.
However, he equalized his arch-rival to set up the fight on Saturday… and, as he said, another meeting could be beyond that.
“When we have to face Chocolatito again, it’s time [junior bantamweight], Estrada said. “Once again, we gave it all. It was an extremely difficult fight for both of us. Thankfully I was awarded the win. It was a great fight, and now we’re joining that trio.
“He will be the Hall of Famer. He is a boxer who has won multiple titles in four divisions. I respect him as a warrior. I also won the title. … I think he also realized that I’m not like any other boxer. And as we fight now, we will decide who is the best.”
