By Oscar Pick
BLOCKBUSTER reveals in Japan await the winner of this Saturday’s WBC and Ring Magazine super-flyweight conflict between Juan Francisco Estrada and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.
Estrada returns to the ring in December 2022 following an epic trilogy decider in opposition to Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, placing his belts on the road in Phoenix, Arizona.
Stepping up to the plate might be one other pound-for-pound star, who shares the 34-year-old’s want to reign supreme over the remaining champions at 115 lbs.
In current years, boxing’s decrease divisions have, for essentially the most half, been dominated by Mexican and Japanese fighters.
These fighters – or killers, as they’re maybe extra aptly identified – have, due to their plain expertise, thrown the highlight onto the game’s historically much less well-liked weight lessons.
Naoya Inoue
Formidable puncher and future corridor of famer Naoya Inoue, who’s now the undisputed champion at super-bantamweight, has, by means of his electrical performances, garnered extra curiosity for fights such because the one happening this weekend.
The 31-year-old has made a mockery of the misperception that these campaigning in lighter divisions are “feather fisted”, pulverising champions who, in their very own proper, are amongst boxing’s most elite.
It is not only Inoue who must be praised for bringing new eyeballs to bouts which are fought under 135 lbs, although.
His marketability in Japan has, certainly, exponentially elevated the incomes potential for fighters in and round his weight however, equally, there’s something to be mentioned for Kazuto Ioka and Kosei Tanaka, two sensational belt holders at super-flyweight who, together with Estrada and Rodriguez, intention to lay their declare on the division’s primary spot.
Kazuto Ioka (Naoki Fukuda)
Ioka emerged victorious when the pair locked horns again in 2020, stopping Tanaka with a ferocious onslaught within the eighth spherical.
Since then, the 35-year-old has additional prolonged his unbeaten run, whereas his former opponent has rebuilt himself impressively, capturing the WBO strap in his final contest.
Ioka now appears to be like to unify the titles, taking over IBF champion Fernando Daniel Martinez on July 7. Less than two weeks later, Tanaka will defend his belt in Japan as properly.
With Japan quickly establishing itself as a hotbed for expertise within the decrease divisions, there may be little doubt that Estrada or Bam will quickly land a career-defining dustup – probably for the undisputed crown – staged in one of many world’s most embellished boxing territories.
For Estrada, the motivation is evident. On Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel – in a current behind-the-scenes episode of “Make the Days Count” – the Mexican proclaimed that he intends to stay within the sport for one other 4 years.
Having already consolidated his legacy after three scintillating wars with Chocolatito, Estrada is about to not solely rubber stamp his greatness but in addition show his longevity by finishing a near-20-year profession.
Despite being ten years his subsequent opponent’s junior, Rodriguez finds himself in an identical hurry to safe accolades.
First, the American hopes to regain his outdated WBC title, returning to the Footprint Center the place he received the trinket after defeating super-flyweight veteran Carlos Cuadras in 2022.
Just a number of months later, in what many have branded a coming-of-age efficiency, Bam retained his belt with an eighth-round stoppage win over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, one of many division’s most fearsome operators, earlier than he vacated and moved down to flyweight in pursuit of extra silverware.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 16: Jesse Rodriguez (R) of the United States throws a proper on Sunny Edwards of Great Britain throughout their IBF and WBO world flyweight title combat at Desert Diamond Arena on December 16, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
It was then in direction of the top of final yr when, in a unification with Briton Sunny Edwards, Rodriguez confirmed that he can provide extra than simply flashy footwork and sharp combos. He stood within the pocket, held his ft, and placed on a punishing, spiteful show, forcing a ninth-round nook stoppage.
With Bam now expressing a want to face Inoue down the road, there isn’t any incentive to pump the breaks on his development.
Rather, he has, in preparation for his subsequent project, been compelled to increase his degree as soon as extra; sharing rounds with Chocolatito in sparring – a spectacle that the majority of boxing’s fraternity can solely dream of being a fly on the wall for.
So, whereas Estrada and Bam – two consummate professionals – will, in fact, stay targeted on the duty at hand, they might discover it troublesome to hold their consideration away from the thriving boxing market in Japan, the place the game’s decrease divisions proceed to flourish.
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