LIVE ON DAZN FROM 7PM CT/ 8pm ET
 
8 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
 
Austin Williams 162lbs vs.     Denis Douglin 161.6lbs
(Houston, TX)                            (Las Vegas, NV)
 
FOLLOWED BY
 
8 x 3 mins Featherweight contest
 
Raymond Ford 126.8lbs        vs.     Aaron Perez 127.2lbs
(Camden, NJ)                                   (Albuquerque, NM)
 
FOLLOWED BY
 
12 x 3 mins WBA and Ring Magazine World Light-Flyweight titles
 
Hiroto Kyoguchi 107.6lbs      vs.     Aaron Perez 107.2lbs
(Tokyo, Japan)                                   (Ensenada, Mexico)
 
FOLLOWED BY
 
10 x 2 mins Undisputed World Welterweight championship
 
Jessica McCaskill 144.6lbs     vs.     Cecilia Brækhus 145lbs
(Chicago, IL)                                        (Bergen, Norway)
 
FOLLOWED BY
 
12 x 3 mins WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine World Super-Flyweight titles
 
Juan Francisco Estrada 114.8lbs vs.         Roman Gonzalez 114.8lbs
(Hermosillo, Mexico)                                     (Managua, Nicaragua)
 
FLOAT
 
8 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight contest
 
Souleymane Cissokho 159.4lbs      vs.     Daniel Echevarria 167lbs
(Bagnolet, France)                                       (Durango, Mexico)

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai kicks off this week’s action in Thailand searching for a 50^th pro win against Kwanthai Sithmorseng live on DAZN from 9.30pm ET tonight – and the Thai legend wants to make a big statement before sitting back the next day and watching Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez go to war for the second time in Dallas on Saturday night, knowing he’s in line to face the winner.

Rungvisai is looking to get back to World champion status having lost his WBC World Super-Flyweight strap to Estrada in LA in April 2019. The 34 year old responded to that defeat with a pair of wins on home soil in 2020, and knows that a milestone win against Sithmorseng would be the perfect preparation for a trilogy fight with the winner in Dallas.

“I am not only preparing to fight Kwanthai, but also for the Estrada and Chocolatito winner,” said Rungvisai, who scaled 114.7 lbs, with Sithmorseng weighing 114.9lbs. “I’m not overlooking Kwanthai, but I’m confident that I will beat him.

“He’s a very well-rounded boxer with great experience, who has fought at World level, but I am confident that my 50th win will be impressive. I am the stronger man, but I can’t afford to overlook him.

“Their first fight was very competitive. Ultimately, I think it will come down to their preparation and the fighter with the best conditioning will win. 

“Both of my fights with Chocolatito were extremely entertaining, if I am to fight him next for a third time, I’ll do it again and become a three-time World champion.

“My second fight against Estrada was very close. I accept the judges favored him, but if it’s him for the trilogy I will beat him.

“They are legends of the sport. It’s great for the division the best fight the best and I obviously include myself in that list. It can only help elevate the 115lbs division to become one of the more popular weight classes in the game.”

By Norm Frauenheim–

Saturday is an anniversary. The calendar repeats itself. Maybe, history will too.

Roman Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada meet in a fight featuring two of the best from boxing’s lightest divisions exactly 28 years since Michael Carbajal and Humberto Gonzalez fought for the first time.

Carbajal and Gonzalez were junior flyweights on March 13, 1993. So-called little guys, 108 pounds each. Combine the two and you’d barely have one heavyweight in today’s sumo-sized weight class.

But the little was gone nearly three decades ago, knocked out by Carbajal and Gonzalez after a bout long-remembered for its big-boy impact. Carbajal got up twice, first in the second and again in the fifth. Gonzalez went down once and stayed down, beaten in the seventh at the Las Vegas Hilton.

It was violent on any scale. It was dramatic on every scale. It set a standard, still there and perhaps still unequalled in any of the divisions at the bottom of the scale.

From 115 pounds and down, there is still a search for another fight that can again re-define the fighters at weights so often overlooked.

Gonzalez and Estrada are called junior-bantamweights or super-flyweights. Pick your acronym. The weight is the same: 115. The pick here is Super Fly, as in Curtis Mayfield.

Here’s hoping somebody plays Mayfield’s classic soundtrack to a 1972 film with the same name when they enter the ring in Dallas (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

Both Gonzalez (50-2, 41 KOs) and Estrada (41-3, 28 KOs) have been super at lighter weights. Their bout Saturday is rematch of a fight at 108 pounds, which Gonzalez won by unanimous decision in November 2012 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. A lot has happened since then. The Sports Arena is gone, torn down in 2016. Gonzalez is 33, no longer 24 and entering his prime. Estrada is 30, no longer 21 and tireless.

Their sequel is a little – perhaps a lot – too late. Carbajal and Gonzalez wasted little time. They fought twice more, both at 108 in 1994, first at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. and then Mexico City. Neither rematch compared to the original. Gonzalez won both, scoring a split decision at The Forum and a majority decision in Mexico City.

Nevertheless, the first fight left a public appetite for more. The Forum rematch drew a crowd of 15,102. It was full of fight fans and celebrities, including Magic Johnson who had a seat on a floor he so often dominated during his days with the Showtime Lakers.

The second rematch drew a crowd of an estimated 30,000 at an old bullring.

There haven’t been audiences that big for any bout in the light divisions since then or perhaps before then.

Those numbers also added up to purses still never equaled at any of the lightest weights. Carbajal signed for a promised $1 million for the first rematch. The reported seven figures made him the lightest fighter to ever collect the sum. He’s still at the top of that historical pay scale.

That surprises him.

“Then, I thought this was just the beginning of something new,’’ said Carbajal, now 53 and still living on the street in the central Phoenix neighborhood where he grew up.

It is surprising, mostly because of Gonzalez, a masterful tactician with a mixture of great balance and power. He might not have Carbajal’s ferocious power or the tactical skill of the brilliant Ricardo Lopez, the best ever at 105 pounds.

But the Nicaraguan has displayed enough of both.

At junior-fly (108) and flyweight (112), Gonzalez was as complete a fighter as any. It propelled him to the top of the pound-for-pound debate. After Floyd Mayweather’s announced retirement, The Ring made him the lightest ever to be No. 1 in the publication’s 2016 ratings.

Then a flyweight, Gonzalez decided to move up the scale in pursuit of bigger money. He wanted a $1-million payday. He didn’t get it. Instead he got a couple of losses, both to Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai at 115 pounds.  

Gonzalez’ biggest payday was $600,000 for a knockout loss to Rungvisai, according to contracts filed with the California State Athletic Commission after Gonzalez defeat, his second straight after a decision loss to Rungvisai, both in 2017.

There are reasons for weight classes. There’s price in not remembering them, too. The undersized Gonzalez paid for the jump. Carbajal stayed at 108 throughout his career.

“I never had to go up,’’ said Carbajal, whose decade-long career would end in 1999 with an 11^th-round knockout of Jorge Arce, later a bantamweight and super-bantamweight champion.

The fights came to him, said the Hall of Famer, who had the advantage of being an American whose pro career was preceded by media visibility that came with his Olympic bouts at the 1988 Games.

He got a silver medal after a controversial loss for the gold to a Hungarian who was never heard from again after the Seoul scores were announced. It was a preview of what the world was about to witness – the outright theft of Roy Jones Jr., who lost gold at light-middleweight to a South Korean. Like the Bulgarian, the South Korean never fought again.

Carbajal and Jones came home known and liked by an American audience that saw them perform with poise, despite the adversity. The fix was in, yet they fought on.

It’s been harder to get known — to win over fans — for Gonzalez and Estrada, a Mexican born in Puerto Penasco, a fishing town on the Sea of Cortez about five hours south of Phoenix.

But maybe this is the time. Maybe the calendar is more than just coincidence. It’s a chance to make, if not repeat, more than just a little history.      

Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez says he is ‘proud to have represented Nicaragua with such dignity’ – but still has plenty more to add to his legacy as he prepares to face Juan Francisco Estrada in a unification rematch at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Saturday night, live worldwide on DAZN.

TICKETS FOR ESTRADA VS. CHOCOLATITO ARE ON SALE NOW FROM TICKETMASTER– TICKETS START AT $35 (PLUS FEES)

WATCH VARGAS AND ALGIERI TALK TACTICS ON MATCHROOM’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW!

Chocolatito (50-2 41 KOs) was victorious in the first fight with Estrada (41-3 28 KOs) in November 2012, and his final fight as a Light-Flyweight World ruler. Two years later in his 40^th pro fight he became a three-weight World ruler by beating Akira Yaegashi in Japan for the WBC and Ring Magazine World Flyweight titles and his September 2016 victory over Carlos Cuadras landed him World honors at a fourth weight with the WBC Super-Flyweight strap.

Chocolatito has always been honored to be part of the rich boxing history in his homeland, led by one of the all-time greats in the late Alexis Arguello, and the former pound-for-pound king fondly remembers looking up to and spending time with Arguello, as he looks back on a remarkable career that he believes still has many more chapters to be written.

“When I fought Yaegashi, the question that all of Nicaragua had was ‘Are you on the same level as Alexis Arguello?’” said Chocolatito. “I won that third title in Japan and then a fourth title came, where everybody was waiting expectantly to see if I’d win it. I trained a lot because it was one of my dreams. And then… boom! I won the title and Nicaragua welcomed me like never before.

“I’m so proud to have represented my country with such dignity. And well, I’m so happy for my parents, my family. And for Alexis, who was always there for me, teaching me the good things about this boxing world.

“I always respected all the orders Alexis gave me because he’s a three-time champion. It’s an honor. He was like my father. We were very close. Sometimes he invited me to his house, and I remember being at his house, eating and I got relaxed, and he dropped me off at my fight and that day was the first time that I got hit hard.

“I was scared, but I got up and I knocked the guy out. But those are life experiences that I had with him where I learned. Because I think, I could have not gotten up after that punch. But due to the conditions, it made me get up again. Alexis was a very demanding person in the gym. And even in the fight.

“I consider myself a man who’s done the best that I could. I had difficult times growing up but, in the end, it worked out well. Life has taught me a lot of things, and I learned. And I feel and think that I’ve already conquered many things in boxing. What comes now with this title is just extra.

“I never imagined myself getting to where I am now. But wow, it is still hard, it costs me. Because I train the right way. I do things the way they should be done. But I like it. And it’s what’s let me help my family. Help my kids. I don’t complain because I thank god for where I am now.

“Life has been hard and difficult with sacrifice. My family, my children, what makes me get up in the morning is to keep reaping victories in boxing. Not only that, but many young guys that want to be like the champ, like Chocolatito. But in the end, it’s what gives you your happiness in life. What you want to achieve in your life.

“When I retire, I will leave very satisfied and very happy to have been able to have so much success for my kids and my family, and also for the people of Nicaragua.”

Estrada and Chocolatito clash on a massive night of triple-header World title action. 

There’s another case of repeat or revenge as Jessica McCaskill (9-2 3 KOs) defends the undisputed World Welterweight title against Cecilia Brækhus (36-1 9 KOs) and there’s a Matchroom debut on the card for Hiroto Kyoguchi (14-0 9 KOs) as he defends his WBA and Ring Magazine World Light-Flyweight titles against Axel Vega (14-3-1 8 KOs), and it’s a huge night for a clutch of rising talents on the bill.

Ford (8-0 4 KOs) has been in hot form, closing 2020 out with impressive stoppage wins in Florida and Texas and the 21 year old takes on unbeaten New Mexico talent Aaron ‘Angel Baby’ Perez (10-0 6 KOs) over eight rounds.

Williams (7-0 6 KOs) is looking to build on his own stellar 2020 performances where he won all three of his fights via stoppage in Miami, Mexico City and Dallas, and ‘Ammo’ will look to continue that streak in his first eight round bout against the experienced ‘Momma’s Boy’ Denis Douglin (22-7 14 KOs) who has shared the ring World champions George Groves, Anthony Dirrel, David Benavidez and Jermell Charlo.

Jones III (5-0-1 2 KOs) battled to a split draw in Mexico City in his last outing in October, and the Ohio starlet will look to brush that off in his first eight round battle against dangerous Texas native Jorge David Castaneda (13-1 11 KOs).

Souleymane Cissokho (11-0 7 KOs) is back in action for the first time since September 2019 and the unbeaten Frenchman tangles with Daniel Echeverria (21-10 18 KOs) over eight rounds. 

By Bart Barry-

Saturday on DAZN in maskless Dallas a match genuinely anticipated by our sport’s genuine aficionados happens for The Ring’s 115-pound championship.  Mexican “El Gallo” Juan Francisco Estrada defends his championship against Nicaraguan Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, The Ring’s number-two super flyweight and former owner of the division (along with flyweight, light flyweight and minimumweight).

If Estrada snatches the initiative from opening bell, seizes it, and refuses to relent, he wins.  Chocolatito is no longer the hunter he was more than eight years ago, and in their first fight he was well neutralized by Estrada.  Go back and watch (if only for the dulcet tones of our own Marc Abrams’ commentary).  The scores can’t be believed, especially the lopsided one, but Estrada’s reaction can be.

After a nigh-hellacious 12th round, when the final clang came, Estrada and his corner very much believed Estrada the victor.  But for round 6, they had a claim on most every round of the 12.  No more of a claim than Chocolatito, the champion, mind you, but a claim.  Round 6 saw Chocolatito take the initiative from Estrada with body punching.  Chocolatito caught Gallo with a threepair of hooks deep, and it took Estrada the rest of the round to round-up his composure and breath.  

But there was no spinning Estrada.  Chocolatito, at his best, spun his opponents, something like the way Manny Pacquiao did, and the sooner he spun you the quicker he owned you.  He didn’t spin Estrada hardly a bit.  Gallo knew what was what against Chocolatito, and fighting before a pleasantly raucous crown in Los Angeles, he knew what his countrymen demanded a prizefighter.  It was a fully professional showing by a man not even ranked in the WBA’s top 10 light flyweights at the time.

There’s an argument Estrada is undefeated since that night in 2012 though not a terribly strong one.  Rat King got him in their first match three years ago but not by much.  Gallo avenged that defeat properly in their rematch 14 months later.  How hard is it to better Rat King in a rematch?  Chocolatito still doesn’t know because he didn’t get close enough to measure for an estimate.

Since Sor Rungvisai stamped an exclamation mark on Chocolatito’s chest in 2017 our Nicaraguan hero has been on a farewell tour of sorts, or so we suspected till Chocolatito took the WBA’s super fly belt from Khalid Yafai a year ago.  If Yafai was not in Chocolatito’s class it was because very few are; Yafai was pretty well accustomed to successful title defenses when he came to Texas and got beat-up by a legend washed-up.  It was a small vindication for Chocolatito, disproving theorists who said 115 pounds were too big and young for him after Rat King.  A small vindication because Chocolatito appears about the least-vindictive of all alltime talents in our beloved sport’s history.  Those wrongheaded theorists who begged Chocolatito to retire after Carson, Calif., anyway did it out of love, not scorn.  

Chocolatito made a rare co-main appearance in October, outclassing a gangly Mexican youngster nicknamed Jiga just before Gallo made that wonderful match with his countryman Carlos Cuadras.  The postcard festivities had a redemption-earned feel to them.  Gallo would finally be granted his long-sought rematch with Chocolatito because he deserved it.  The way a child gets dessert for finishing veggies.

One gets the sense Chocolatito would like to make some more money and Gallo is the best available wage but could take or leave whatever belts are in the offing because he’s had them before and probably doesn’t want the inevitable demand for a rubber match with the rubberizing Rat King, who has Chocolatito’s number then and now and forever.  Saturday’s match is for Gallo and longsuffering aficionados like us.  However uneager Chocolatito may be for a test stiff as Estrada, once the bell rings there’s no one doubting the way Chocolatito will comport himself.

I can’t help feeling a bit about this match the way I felt before the third match between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.  That match was very much about Morales’ vindication.  After probably not beating Barrera in their first match and probably not losing to him in their second, Morales, on a six-fight streak and fully migrated to 130 pounds, got his third match with Barrera like a dessert plate.  Barrera, gone through by Pacquiao like wet tissue paper, was believed a very much reduced version of the guy who’d fought El Terrible for 12 rounds at 122 pounds and 12 more at 126.  Morales barely made their new weight for the rubber match and held his right hand cocked high to signal for all it was Barrera’s consciousness he wanted.  Then Barrera broke Morales’ nose with an uppercut and did not return to Morales the initiative.

If Estrada headhunts Saturday in pursuit of a knockout and legacy he may well get his nose broke, too.  If Estrada enters the fight cautiously, looking to outbox the Nicaraguan master, he may never get into a gear high enough to do so.  Estrada has a direct path to beating Chocolatito, but it is not a wide path.

Certainly Chocolatito believes he is Estrada’s superior.  Soon as Chocolatito realizes he is trading punches with the man who across 24 rounds unmanned Srisaket Sor Rungvisai he is likely to relent enough for Estrada to have his vindication.  Dragging Chocolatito to that realization is everything Gallo must do.

I believe he will.  I’ll take Estrada, KO-11.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Tickets for the unification rematch between Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez will clash in a for the WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine World Super-Flyweight titles on Saturday March 13 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, go on sale at 10am CT/ 11am ET tomorrow (February 28). The event is live worldwide on DAZN and is presented in association with Zanfer Promotions, Teiken Promotions and Latin Sports.

TICKETS GO ON SALE TOMORROW FROM TICKETMASTER – TICKETS START AT $35 (PLUS FEES)

Estrada and Chocolatito first clashed in November 2012 in Los Angeles, with Chocolatito successfully defending his WBA Light-Flyweight title via unanimous decision, and now over eight years later, they will meet again

Mexican star Estrada (41-3 28 KOs) has established himself as the #1 fighter at 115lbs and underlined his status with a thrilling 11^th round KO win over Carlos Cuadras in October in Mexico City, climbing off the canvas in the third round to beat his fellow countryman for the second time in his career.

Former pound for pound #1 Chocolatito (50-2 41 KOs) recorded his own impressive win on the same night by outpointing hungry young Mexican Israel Gonzalez in the first defense of the WBA title that he ripped from Kal Yafai with a clinical KO win in February in Texas.

A stacked undercard in support of the main event is led by another rematch as Jessica McCaskill defends the undisputed World Welterweight crown she ripped from Cecilia Brækhus.

McCaskill (9-2 3 KOs) handed the Norwegian star her first pro defeat on the streets of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma in August, snapping the long-standing unbeaten via majority decision and becoming a two-weight World champion in just her 11^th pro fight in the process.

Brækhus (36-1 9 KOs) was denied a record-breaking night with McCaskill preventing her from recording her 25^th consecutive successful World title defense, but she activated the rematch clause and will now go for revenge in the Lone Star state against the Chicagoan – but the champion was succinct in her belief that the belts will remain hers

On a huge triple-header of World title action, new Matchroom signing Hiroto Kyoguchi will defend his WBA and Ring Magazine World Light-Flyweight titles against Axel Vega.

Kyoguchi (14-0 9 KOs) makes his third defense of the WBA crown having stopped Heikke Budler for the strap in December 2018 to become a two-weight World ruler and then seeing off the challenges of Tanawat Nakoon and Tetsuya Hisada in June and October of 2019. In December, Matchroom announced a multi-fight promotional deal with the Japanese star, working with Canelo Promotions and manager Eddy Reynoso, and that relationship kicks off with his clash with Vega.

Kyoguchi fights for the first time in the States against the 20 year old Mexican (14-3-1 8 KOs) who gunning for a World title in his second attempt having challenged for the WBO Minimumweight strap in October 2019.

Jessica McCaskill and Cecelia Brækhus will rematch for the undisputed World Welterweight title on a stacked card on March 13 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, live worldwide on DAZN, on a stacked card topped by the rematch between Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez.
AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON TICKET ON-SALE DATES AND PRICES WILL BE MADE IN DUE COURSE
McCaskill (9-2 3 KOs) ripped the belts from the Norwegian star on the streets of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma in August, snapping the long-standing unbeaten via majority decision and becoming a two-weight World champion in just her 11^th pro fight in the process.

Brækhus (36-1 9 KOs) was denied a record-breaking night with McCaskill preventing her from recording her 25^th consecutive successful World title defense, but she activated the rematch clause and will now go for revenge in the Lone Star state against the Chicagoan – but the champion was succinct in her belief that the belts will remain hers.

“I interrupted her career in the first fight,” said McCaskill. “I will end her career in the rematch.”

“I’m very focused on regaining all of my undisputed belts on March 13 in the rematch against Jessica,” said Brækhus. “It will be a very special night in Dallas for my supporters and for all of my worldwide fans who can watch the fight on the DAZN.”

On a huge triple-header of World title action, new Matchroom signing Hiroto Kyoguchi will defend his WBA and Ring Magazine World Light-Flyweight titles against Axel Vega.

Kyoguchi (14-0 9 KOs) makes his third defense of the WBA crown having stopped Heikke Budler for the strap in December 2018 to become a two-weight World ruler and then seeing off the challenges of Tanawat Nakoon and Tetsuya Hisada in June and October of 2019. In December, Matchroom announced a multi-fight promotional deal with the Japanese star, working with Clase Y Talento and manager Eddy Reynoso, and that relationship kicks off with his clash with Vega.

Kyoguchi fights for the first time in the States against the 20 year old Mexican (14-3-1 8 KOs) who gunning for a World title in his second attempt having challenged for the WBO Minimumweight strap in October 2019.

“I’m very happy to make my debut in the US under the guidance and management of Eddy Reynoso and with my promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom,” said Kyoguchi. “I want to thank them for the chance to prove that Japanese boxing is the best in the world. I am very grateful to them and we will put everything into becoming a star in the boxing world.”

“I’m very happy to receive this world title shot,” said Vega. “Kyoguchi is a great champion but I’m a hungry young contender and will conquer the championship on March 13. I want to thank my promoter Tuto Zabala Jr (All Star Boxing) for turning around so quickly, one week after signing and here is my chance, also to my manager Joe Gonzalez and to Eddie Hearn.”

“This is a huge night of boxing in Dallas,” said Hearn. “Cecilia and Jessica will put it all on the line in their rematch for the undisputed Welterweight title and Hirotu is a fighter that I am excited to see explode onto the big stage under the guidance of his manager Eddy Reynoso and Matchroom.

“With a brilliant main event in the rematch between Estrada and Chocolatito and plenty of young talents to be added to the card, this is an unmissable feast of fights for the fans in Dallas and on DAZN.”

Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez will clash in a unification rematch for the WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine World Super-Flyweight titles on Saturday March 13, live on DAZN in over 200+ countries and territories and presented in association with Zanfer Promotions, Teiken Promotions and Latin Sports.
 
Estrada and Chocolatito first clashed in November 2012 in Los Angeles, with Chocolatito successfully defending his WBA Light-Flyweight title via unanimous decision, and now over eight years later, they will meet again
 
Mexican star Estrada (41-3 28 KOs) has established himself as the #1 fighter at 115lbs and underlined his status with a thrilling 11^th round KO win over Carlos Cuadras in October in Mexico City, climbing off the canvas in the third round to beat his fellow countryman for the second time in his career.
 
Former pound for pound #1 Chocolatito (50-2 41 KOs) recorded his own impressive win on the same night by outpointing hungry young Mexican Israel Gonzalez in the first defense of the WBA title that he ripped from Kal Yafai with a clinical KO win in February in Texas.
 
Estrada and Chocolatito will both have ambitions of becoming undisputed Super-Flyweight champion by the end of 2021, and promoter Eddie Hearn believes that this will be a fight of the year contender that will be staged at a venue to be confirmed soon.
 
“This is going to be a special fight,” said Hearn. “It’s been a long time coming but both men are in their prime now, with Juan Francisco serving up a dramatic stoppage win in his fight of the year contender with Cuadras and Chocolatito rolling back the years with his clinical KO win over Yafai and looking razor sharp against Gonzalez.
 
“Estrada is the number one in the division but Chocolatito will be looking to repeat his win – the winner will take a massive step to becoming undisputed and I hope that we’re able to have fans in attendance when we chose the venue to host this must-see fight.
 
“Estrada vs. Chocolatito is an all-action rematch many years in the making,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP. “After closing 2020 strong on DAZN, we can’t wait for subscribers to enjoy the terrific schedule we’re building for early 2021 as well.”

By Bart Barry-

Friday in Mexico City in the co-main and main event of a DAZN card Nicaraguan Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez defended his WBA super flyweight title by lopsided decision over Mexican Israel “Jiga” Gonzalez, and Mexican “El Gallo” Juan Francisco Estrada defended his Ring super flyweight championship by stopping Mexican Carlos “Principe” Cuadras.  Rumor is, Chocolatito-Gallo 2 is next.  How blessed are we!

What a thrill it is to watch Chocolatito and to see other aficionados on Twitter, men whose opinion one respects, watching Chocolatito and their love for this brutal thing of ours and our love for the way Chocolatito does what he does.  May he continue to do so long as he wishes.

Three years since his brutal loss to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, three years and a title match and title defense in a division Rat King made him look far too small to compete in, Chocolatito forces us to consider it was a styles mismatch more than an illadvised curtain call that put him bellyup in Carson, Calif.  His matchmaking has been far carefuller since 2017, yes, but still he is beating larger and younger men in world-title matches, which a fraction of prizefighters in history can say.

Friday in the opening rounds of his match with Jiga, Chocolatito did what Papachenko wishes his son had done with a larger, younger man: jab with him, step inside his power, let years of mastery dictate the flow of his attack.  Chocolatito is a greater prizefighter and man than Vasyl Lomachenko because of the choices he makes, because he cannot abide not-knowing the way Lomachenko can.  It can never be said of Chocolatito “if only he’d started to attack earlier” because he attacks from every opening bell.  If that means he loses a vicious KO-by rather than what Mexicans call a “polemical decision” then he suffers that fate ungladly but surely.

It’s why he inspires a disproportionate love in his American admirers, men who have very little in common with a 115-pound Nicaraguan but stalk him nevertheless on YouTube and Tokyo broadcasts at various hours of the night and early morning, knowing there’s a purity in who Chocolatito is – respectful of every opponent’s humanity before and after every fight as he is disrespectful of their volition during – that is so different from what swindles American prizefighting and its swindler promoters and swindler networks and, yes, swindler fighters, too, give them.

What doesn’t stop being surprising is how little malice Chocolatito brings to the act of striking other men about their heads and bodies.  Maybe there’s viciousness in his heart masked adeptly by layers of professionalism and mastery.  That is doubtful.  Contempt, hatred, malice, viciousness – these things exact a tariff and a half on their bearers, sapping them, and does Chocolatito ever look tired? 

Friday he went out, removed his much longer opponent’s advantages of length and speed in three rounds then began to strike Jiga with nigh every punch in boxing’s lexicon, breathing metronomically as he did, looking at all times unperturbed.  When Chocolatito found he could no longer miss with his cross, after measuring Jiga for it early (inching his lead foot behind a blinding jab), he began to miss with it intentionally to cock his hips and shoulders for the lefthook to Jiga’s body.  At super flyweight Chocolatito no longer carries the concusiveness he did at lower weights, but he still has more than enough to break opponents’ wills.  Jiga looked little better than discouraged in his final 20 minutes with Chocolatito.

Soon after Chocolatito defended his title Gallo Estrada made a defense of his own against a considerably better opponent, countryman Carlos Cuadras, getting himself felled early, and finishing Cuadras, who’d never before been finished by anyone, not even semi-prime Chocolatito four years ago, in the 11th round of a fantastic scrap. 

Estrada is special.  Super flyweight would belong to him alone were it not for Chocolatito’s return in 2020.

After their matches Estrada, face badly swollen, and Chocolatito embraced, sat beside one another and conspired to have a rematch of their 2012 fight.  Estrada’s strongest words were for neither Chocolatito nor Cuadras but for his promoter, and his desire to get paid well for a rematch with Chocolatito.  Estrada got decisioned seven pounds and eight years ago by an ascendent master.  Estrada would immediately rise to 112 pounds and not lose again in 10 fights until an extremely close decision with Sor Rungvisai, three months after Rat King sent Chocolatito to a California hospital.  Estrada’s first fight with Sor Rungvisai was so good they had a rematch 14 months later.  Estrada won that, close but unanimous.

Which brings us to Chocolatito-Gallo 2, a rematch that almost certainly will happen and just as certainly will be fabulous.  Had they never fought before, odds should favor Estrada heavily; he has had better success against better fighters at super flyweight, he is the slightly larger man, he is today the quicker man of both foot and fist, and he is a masterful boxer.  They did fight before, though, and Estrada is fully cognizant of just how great Chocolatito is.  Too, Chocolatito’s style, volume-puncher, tends to unwind boxers like Estrada, no matter how good they be.

Chocolatito-Estrada 2 will be like only Chocolatito-Estrada 2.  Both men are originals.  No comparisons are needed.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Juan Francisco Estrada retained the WBC Super Flyweight title with an 11th round stoppage over Carlos Cuadras in a sensational fight that took place in Mexico City, Mexico.

The fight was a rematch of a contest that saw Estrada win a unanimous decision over Cuadras in 2017.

In round three, Cuadras landed a huge left hook that put Estrada down.

In round 10, Cuadras started to bleed over his right eye. In round 11, Estrada dropped Cuadras with a left hook. Later in the round, Cuadras was absorbing massive body shots, and then hit the deck from another flurry of punches. The two continued to bomb away at close quarters until the referee determined that Cuadras took too many blows at 2:22.

Estrada, 114.5 lbs of Sonora, MX will now most likely rematch Roman Gonzalez as his record is now 41-3 with 28 knockouts. Cuadras, 114.5 lbs of Sinaloa, MX is 39-4-1.

Chocolatito Decisions Israel Gonzalez; Retains Super Flyweight Title

Roman Gonzalez defended the WBA Super Flyweight title by pounding out a 12-round unanimous decision over Israel Gonzalez.

Roman Gonzalez was dominant as he got going in the 3rd round and never let up as he Israel had no answers to the volume punching of Chocolatito.

Roman Gonzalez, 114 lbs of Managua, NIC won by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 117-111 to raise his Hall of Fame mark to 50-2. Israel Gonzalez, 114 lbs of Los Cabos, MEX is 25-4.

Martinez stops Calleros in 2 To Retain Flyweight Title

Julio Cesar Martinez retained the WBC Flyweight title with a 2nd round beatdown of Moises Calleros.

In round one, Martinez dropped Calleros with a left hook. In round two, Martinez landed a barrage of punches that included several crushing shots to the jaw, and Calleros was stopped on the ropes at 2:42.

Martinez, 111 lbs of Mexico City is 17-1-1 with 13 knockouts. Calleros, who was a late replacement came in over the 112 lbs weight-limit at 117.4 lbs, and the Monterrey, Mexico native is 34-10-1.

Diego Pacheco remained undefeated by knocking out Juan Antonio Mendez in round two of a scheduled six-round super middleweight.

In round two, Pacheco dropped Mendez with a sweet uppercut and the fight was stopped immediately at 2:02,

Pacheco, 167.2 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is 10-0 with eight knockouts. Mendez, 164.9 lbs of Mexico City is 12-3-2.

Austin Williams stopped Esau Herrera in round five of a scheduled six-round middleweight bout.

Williams was in tough until he landed a hard left that rocked Herrera, and the fight was stopped at 1:36.

Williams, 160 lbs of Houston is now 6-0 with five knockouts. Herrera, 157.6 lbs of Mexico City is 19-12-1.

Otha Jones III and Kevin Montiel fought to a six-round split-draw in a super featherweight contest featuring undefeated fighters.

Scores were 58-56 each way an 57-57.

Jones, 130 lbs of Toledo, OH is 5-0-1. Montiel, 130 lbs of Mexico is 6-0-1.

Juan Francisco Estrada insists he is fully focused on his WBC World Super-Flyweight title defense against Carlos Cuadras tonight at TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City, Mexico, live on DAZN. 

Estrada (40-3 27 KOs) meets Cuadras in a rematch of their closely fought first battle in September 2017, and should Estrada retain his title and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez prevail in his WBA World Super-Flyweight title defense against Israel Gonzalez this evening, the pair will clash in a hotly-anticipated rematch in early 2021.

Cuadras (39-3-1 27 KOs) says he has learned lessons from the first fight and has promised a war, but ‘El Gallo’ is ready to meet fire with fire, and revealed injuries had him underprepared for their first battle.

“It was a great fight without a doubt, it was very close,” said Estrada. “Carlos was a World champion, he’s not just any opponent, thank God we came out with the victory. I learned that in those title fights, in those World title elimination fights, you have to give your all, no matter who the opponent is. I think that in this second fight against him, we’ll show things with more clarity. 

“It’s been nearly three years since that fight, I’ve had other fights and you never stop learning. We’ve been studying and we’ve watched my first fight with him. More than anything I learned that I have to train at 100 per cent. I only trained at 50 or 60 per cent for that fight, but I wasn’t fully healthy, I had some injuries and now, thank God, I don’t have any injuries and I’m at 100 per cent. So, if he wins, he’s better than me, but I really doubt it. I think we’re well prepared both mentally and physically. 

“First and foremost, I am focused on getting past Carlos which is the priority. If we both win it looks like there’s a 90 per cent chance, we’re going into a fight with Chocolatito. It’s already been eight years since the first fight and a lot of people are calling for the rematch, I’m excited for it and I really hope it happens next year. 

“I have two other losses and I avenged them both, that’s the only one left to avenge and I hope it happens soon. The truth is we’ve both changed a lot, it’s been eight years and I think we’re both really experienced. Now we’re both World champions too, it would be a great unification fight. It was at Light-Flyweight and I was at Flyweight at the time I went down for the opportunity for a World title. 

“I was 21 years old; I was inexperienced fighting against the best Flyweight and pound-for-pound fighter. Now, with the World titles I’ve won, I’ve gained experience and strength. I’m at Super-Flyweight, two weight classes higher, I think we’ve both adapted to this weight class, we’ve both won World titles, it would be a better fight than the first. It’s a fight that the people would really enjoy. 

“I’m really happy to finally be able to fight after one year and two months. It’s been sad more than anything, because there has been a lot of inactivity, not necessarily for me but for everyone in general. It’s been pretty hard. Thanks God things are slowly getting back to normal. But there are still people coming out with positive COVID test and we have to take care of ourselves.”

Estrada’s clash with Cuadras is part of a huge night of action in Mexico City, topped by a triple header of mouthwatering World title action.

Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (49-2 41 KOs) defends his WBA World Super-Flyweight title against Israel Gonzalez  (25-3 11 KOs) – with Estrada and Chocolatito on a collision course for a rematch should they both emerge victorious – and Julio Cesar Martinez (16-1 12 KOs) will now defend his WBC World Flyweight title against Moises Calleros (33-9-1 17 KOs).

Three of Eddie Hearn’s young tyros make their return to action on the bill, with Diego Pacheco (9-0 7 KOs) boxing for the tenth time in the paid ranks, Austin Williams (5-0 4 KOs) making a second foray outside the States in his sixth pro fight and Otha Jones III (5-0 2 KOs) also boxing for the sixth time as a pro.

Carlos Cuadras has been waiting patiently to get his revenge on Juan Francisco Estrada and now his moment has arrived as they clash for Estrada’s WBC World Super-Flyweight title on Friday night at TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City, Mexico, live on DAZN.
 
Cuadras (39-3-1 27 KOs) and Estrada first met in September 2019 in Los Angeles, with Estrada edging Cuadras out by a point on the cards, with a knockdown in the tenth round proving decisive. 
 
For Estrada, a successful defense of his belt will lead to a long-awaited rematch with Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez in 2021, but Cuadras is eyeing a rematch with the former pound for pound king himself after they boxed in September 2016, and says he’s got his gameplan right this time to level the score with ‘El Gallo’.
 
“This is the fight I have been waiting for,” said Cuadras. “I am better prepared this time. I’m throwing a lot of punches in training. I’m throwing 12 rounds of sparring with three different guys. I’m doing a lot of mitt sessions.
 
“I think I’m going to arrive very fast and invincible and I’m going to give the Rooster his medicine. So, let the Rooster take care because I’m going to tear his head off. It’s going to be an honor to win The Ring magazine and WBC belt as well. 
 
“He can be a slow starter, but once he is in a rhythm, he is harder to fight. He’s good to the body and he has a good right hand, that’s the punch he put me down with in our first fight. I gave it my all in the first rounds, so I lost my energy for the second half, I went too hard from the start.
 
“He’s not going to get the rematch with Chocolatito – I am going to get my rematch with him, because people saw that I won that fight.”
 
Cuadras’ clash with Estrada is part of a huge night of action in Mexico City, topped by a triple header of mouthwatering World title action.
 
Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (49-2 41 KOs) defends his WBA World Super-Flyweight title against Israel Gonzalez  (25-3 11 KOs) – with Estrada and Chocolatito on a collision course for a rematch should they both emerge victorious – and Julio Cesar Martinez (16-1 12 KOs) will now defend his WBC World Flyweight title against Moises Calleros (33-9-1 17 KOs).
 
Three of Eddie Hearn’s young tyros make their return to action on the bill, with Diego Pacheco (9-0 7 KOs) boxing for the tenth time in the paid ranks, Austin Williams (5-0 4 KOs) making a second foray outside the States in his sixth pro fight and Otha Jones III (5-0 2 KOs) also boxing for the sixth time as a pro. 

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in Hermosillo’s practically named Centro
de Usos Multiples, Sonora’s Juan Francisco “El Gallo” Estrada made a
harder-than-planned first defense of his Ring super flyweight championship
against North Carolina’s Dewayne “Mr. Stop Running” Beamon, on DAZN.  Estrada dropped Beamon twice in round 2 and
punched him till no vim remained in round 9, and Panamanian referee Abdiel
Barragan interceded at the right moment. 
Between rounds 2 and 9, though, Beamon gave Estrada a proper fitness
test.

Estrada is sensational in this way: If you might
employ a hybrid rating system, a blind sampling, that removes size and
ethnicity and purse and broadcaster hyperbole – raw raw, in lieu of rah rah –
he’d be top 5 on any list composed by an honest hand.  He is distinguished by his losses, oldschool
style, much as his wins.

Since 2011 Estrada has lost twice.  His first loss came to Chocolatito Gonzalez
in a fight that helped burnish Gonzalez’s ranking as the world’s best
prizefighter in any weight.  Estrada’s
second loss came to the man who violently stamped the end of Chocolatito’s reign,
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.  The second loss
narrower than the first, and the first narrower
indeed than scorers had it.  Estrada is
the only Mexican heir in his generation to the master Juan Manuel Marquez;
Estrada somehow fulfilled coach Nacho Beristain’s vision in Sonora, some 2,000
km north of Mexico City, whilst Beristain played celebrity slapntickle with Son
of the Legend and (ghost of) The Golden Boy.

Canelo Alvarez is, of course, Mexico prizefighting’s
greatest financial draw, but despite his admirable pursuit of able competition,
Canelo hasn’t Estrada’s class or mettle. 
After losing to Chocolatito in a world title match at 108 pounds Estrada
fought Brian Viloria for a world title at 112 pounds, five months later, and
won a title Estrada defended five times. 
Then Estrada got outworked by Sor Rungvisai, the man who put Chocolatito
in shavasana pose like a chocolate yogi – not outpunched or stiffened, mind
you, only outworked.  And in April when
the rematch happened with Sor Rungvisai, Estrada went directly at one of our
sport’s hardest punchers and snatched his title.

All of that is a hell of a throatclearing preamble
to writing this: Estrada didn’t look great Saturday against an otherwise-anonymous,
34-year-old Carolinian named Dewayne Beamon (whom the Spanish-language
broadcast assured us gave up promising careers in both basketball [5-foot-5]
and football [114 1/2 pounds] to pursue boxing).  Some of that was Estrada, but more of it was
Beamon. 

Here’s the part that was Estrada.  Making a first world-title defense in his
home state of Sonora since 2015 Estrada found himself subjected to all the
distracting ills of a homecoming – ticket requests, camp visits, interviews
with the local daily.  Those distractions
told in Estrada’s conditioning.  Estrada
would daze Beamon with a counter then unload on him with leads then spend a
bemused next round with his mouth open. 
The oftener that pattern happened, the infrequenter Estrada soldout the
attack.  Often as not after round 4
Estrada didn’t put it on Beamon until or unless Beamon pissed him off.

Beamon, frankly, was too savvy to do that very
often.  If Estrada’s conditioning was
suspect Beamon’s was not.  The Carolinian
trained for a world title challenge in the champ’s hometown and acted like
it.  He absorbed very fine punches from a
very fine prizefighter and didn’t wilt till well offschedule.  Class told eventually, but that eventuality
arrived later than aficionados expected and way way later than Estrada penciled
it in camp.

That tardiness was, in some part, a matter of
class.  Estrada is a masterful
counterpuncher accustomed to landing apex predators on his fists.  Which is to write the force of Beamon’s
attack wasn’t great enough to turn concussively against him – the same way a
hitter might drive an 80 mph fastball to the warning track with the same swing
he’d land a 100 mph fastball in the bleachers. 

Beamon never really got the angle calculated for
his righthand.  While we’re playing with
baseball metaphors, let’s go here: Beamon, accustomed to much lesser hitters,
didn’t hide the ball coming out of his windup. 
However it looked on flatscreen, something Beamon did gave away his
righthand, and Estrada perceived it early every time.  Sometimes Estrada went Mexican with that
perception and ate Beamon’s right glove to emasculate discourage the challenger
a bit.  Most of the time Estrada let the
punch flash over him by the narrowest possible margin.

The two or three times Beamon threw the
telegraphed righthand and neither of the above scenarios played out, the two or
three times Beamon put a sting on Estrada, the champ retaliated swiftly and
disproportionately.

But here’s the thing about Beamon.  He acquitted himself very well in his role of
designated homecoming opponent, giving Estrada far more than his paycheck
anticipated.  Beamon was not going to
decision Estrada in Sonora and he wasn’t going to knock him stiff either, and
if the rest of us knew that during the ringwalk, Beamon surely knew it a
quarterhour before he succumbed.  That
Beamon’s shoulders didn’t sag till round 9 speaks to Beamon’s character and
speaks of it well.  “Mr. Stop Running” –
no, that nickname doesn’t work any more elegantly in Spanish – went in on the
champion, one of the world’s best prizefighters, and got his money’s worth.  A good thing for Beamon, Estrada and the rest
of us.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

By Bart Barry-

After two weeks of exhibitionist fare boxing returned Friday and Saturday to competitive and excellent matches, excellent for being competitive. Or maybe the passive voice delivers better here: Boxing got returned to competitiveness by DAZN. The aficionado’s platform delivered simple, striking excellence Friday, with its broadcast of Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada’s super flyweight rematch with Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Then the next round of the World Boxing Super Series happened Saturday with two of its semifinal matches, Regis Prograis versus Kiryl Relikh and Nonito Donaire versus Stephon Young.

They were all three of a piece and beautiful for the same reason: They participated in a genuine pursuit of the best available competition by identifying that competition and then going to it.

Friday’s participants had the benefit of having already identified, through their own perseverance and courage, the very best opposition they might face, and then, bless their exceptional spirits, chosen to face each other once more. Saturday’s participants, two of the four anyway, did their level best to identify what men would challenge them properly – with one of the other two a latenotice replacement and the fourth, Donaire, having previously identified such men and done his best against them.

More about that in a bit if space and endurance allow, but back to the main event among main events, back to a fight unlikely to be surpassed the rest of this year. No, Estrada-Sor Rungvisai 2 was not what mindless madness we bestow yearend honorifics upon but rather two of the world’s very best prizefighters in their primes and fighting one another best they were able. More clearly written, even had Errol Spence and Mikey Garcia been the exact same size, they’d not have been able to match Estrada and Sor Rungvisai for quality; Spence lacks Sor Rungvisai’s experience like Garcia lacks Estrada’s complexity.

There is, as a matter of fact, no current prizefighter who has on his resume a man better than the man whom Sor Rungvisai took from prime to pursuing-other-career-opportunities. If you take the best win on the resumes of each of prizefighting’s five best practitioners currently and add all those men all together, they just about equal the Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez whom Sor Rungvisai decisioned then slept in a halfyear’s time.

Eight pounds and 6 1/2 years ago Chocolatito put it on Estrada thoroughly, and it made Estrada better – and that makes Estrada exceptional. Friday was about Estrada more than Sor Rungvisai. The man aficionados who know what’s what affectionately call The Rat King showed up and made the sort of fight he makes every time, and if DAZN’s mediocre broadcasting crew didn’t realize how close the fight was it was because their headsets precluded them from hearing punches well as the judges did – as, below a din of babbling groupthink, Sor Rungvisai’s body punches, to which he committed from the very start, made audible confirmations of what tariffs they exacted from Estrada’s awesome initiative. And it was indeed awesome.

Estrada showed Sor Rungvisai the same lack of respect that canvassed Chocolatito in March 2017 then savasana-d him in September that year. After 12 rounds of tasting power from a man who’s much of it as anyone fighting, Estrada went after Sor Rungvisai like he’d no inkling who Sor Rungvisai was. This column is proof you can write about our beloved sport 14 years and think about it in your spare time, too, and still not be very close to explaining how a man does what Estrada did – delusion himself into believing a man who beat a man who beat him, and who also punched him hard and often 14 months ago, is so much less than the sum of those accomplishments he might go after him directly if given another chance.

Estrada fulfilled every definition of courage Friday. With both an outcome and his own health in doubt Estrada chose to go first. Compare that statement to the very best you might say or write about what Terence Crawford did a couple Saturdays ago or Vasiliy Lomachenko did the week before that. Among the world’s best prizefighters, and Estrada is exactly that, the nearest one comes to a man making Estrada’s choices is Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, and we’re not allowed to celebrate him too loudly because he’s both overcompensated and guilty of bodypunching the shine right off yesteryear’s embellishment, the former “most feared” champion now readying to make a June war on Canada’s fourth-best middleweight.

Saturday’s fights were excellent and suffer only if one happens to watch them immediately before or after Estrada-Sor Rungvisai 2. No matter how much they might suffer by comparison, anyway, they are redeemed by the tournament that made them happen, even if that tournament’s masterminds have yet to realize their fights do not belong in American venues or any venues unknown to boxing and farflung as Lafayette, La.

Nonito Donaire, a subject of sympathy through his opening 10 minutes with Ryan Burnett in November, now finds himself the WBSS’ unlikeliest finalist yet, after hooksawing poor Stephon Young in Saturday’s comain. Donaire did not belong in the semifinals but Young belonged there much less, and Donaire played him a 2007 Vic Darchinyan remix to prove it.

The evening’s mainevent and ostensible reason WBSS stubbornly returns to empty Louisiana arenas, Regis “Rougarou” Prograis, beat the joy out a very good Belarusian super lightweight named Kiryl Relikh, causing Relikh and his corner and referee Luis Pabon to conclude as one the match needed concluding at its midway point. On his shield Relikh did not retire, but the result’d’ve doubtfully changed had he tried to do so.

Were this another tired exhibition on premium cable or its cheaper counterparts there’d be plenty of reason to doubt Prograis is good as he looks. But that’s the blessed thing about this WBSS tournament (and the Super Six before it): If Prograis turns out to be peerless it will be from his lessening his every peer.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Juan Francisco Estrada won the WBC Super Flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in a rematch at The Forum in Ingleoowd, California.

Estrada dominated as he was sharp by landing hard shots with both hands. Rungvisai landed some shots, but it was few and far between action led by by Estrada.

Rungvisai made a late-go of it, but Estrada was too far ahead on the cards, and won by tallies of 116-112 and 115-113 twice.

Estrada, 114.6 lbs of Hermosillo, MEX is 39-3. Rungvisai, 114.2 lbs lbs of Si Sa Ket, THA is 47-5-1.

Danny Roman used two knockdowns to unify his WBA and the IBF Super Bantamweight title with a 12-round majority decision over TJ Doheny.

In round two, Roman dropped Doheny with a left hook. In round four, Doheny began to bleed from his nose. In the next round, he had swelling from around his left eye.

In round seven, Doheny landed a series of power punches that hurt Roman. In round nine, a big left hook buckled Doheny. In round 11, Roman sent Doheny t a knee with a hard left hook to the body.

Roman, 121.2 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won by scores of 116-110 twice 113-113 and is now 27-2-1. Doheny, 121.8 lbs of Bondi Junction, AUS is 21-1.

“This is what it’s all about,” said Roman, who is promoted by Thompson Boxing and Matchroom Boxing. “I love challenges like these. TJ put up a great fight, but I was too much for him. I knocked him down early, late and roughed him up in the middle. It’s crazy now that I think about it. This is what I wanted, to unify the division. I’m looking forward to celebrating with my team and enjoying this for a while.”

In a battle of former world champion, Jessie Vargas stopped Humberto Soto in round six of their scheduled six-round junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Vargas was cut over his left eye from an accidental headbutt. There were several furious exchanges throughout the fight.

In round six, Vargas landed a perfect right hand that sent Soto to the canvas. Vargas finished the fight by landing several flush shots that snapped the head back of Soto, and the fight was stopped at 1:48.

Vargas, 150.4 lbs of Las Vegas is 29-2-2 with 11 knockouts. Soto, 150.4 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 69-10-2.

Anthony Sims Jr. won a 10-round unanimous decision over Vaughn Alexander in a super middelweight bout.

Sims, 168 lbs of Plainfield, IN won by scores of 98-92 and 96-94 twice and is now 19-0. Alexander, 166.6 lbs of St. Louis, MO is now 14-3.

Diego Pacheo remained undefeated with a vicious 1st round stoppage over Guillermo Maldsonado in a middleweight bout.

After landing several hard right hands that rocked the head of Maldonado, Pacheco landed a thunderous left hook that dropped Maldonado hard to the canvas, and the bout was stopped at 1:46.

Pacheco, 161.8 lbs of Los Angeles is 3-0 with two knockouts. Maldonado, 159 lbs of Seattle, WA is 1-1.

Shakhram Giysaov won a 10-round unanimous decision over Emanuel Taylor in a junior welterweight bout

In round one, Taylor hurt Giysov badly with a hard left hook to the chin. Taylor hurt Giyasov again in round four, but the judges barley gave Taylor any credit as two cards read 99-91 twice and 98-92 for Giyasov.

Giyasov, 139.6 lbs of Bukhara, UZB is 8-0. Taylor, 138.6 lbs of Edgewood Arsenal, MD is 20-6.

Austin Williams made a successful pro debut with a 1st round stoppage over Joel Guevara in a scheduled four round middleweight bout.

Williams dropped Guevara once and finished him with a hard flurry at 2:06

Williams, 159 lbs of Houston is 1-0 with one knockout. Guevara, 158 lbs of West Virginia is 3-5-1.

With just two days to go until pound-for-pound star Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Juan Francisco Estrada meet in their highly-anticipated rematch at The Forum and live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK, the media gathered in downtown Los Angeles for the final press conference.

Rungvisai (47-4-1, 41KOs) will defend his WBC and Ring Magazine Super Flyweight World titles against Estrada (38-3, 26 KOs) in the main event of the evening. In the co-main event of the night, Daniel Roman (26-2-1, 10KOs) and TJ Doheny (21-0, 15KOs) will meet to unify the WBA and IBF Super Bantamweight World titles.

Kicking off the main card at 9:30 p.m. ET on DAZN, former two-division World Champion Jessie Vargas (28-2-2, 10KOs) will move up to 154 pounds to conquer a new weight class when he faces off against veteran Humberto Soto (69-9-2, 37KOs).

The televised undercard of the evening will commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on DAZN with three fights before the main card begins at 9:30 p.m. ET.

SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI

“I feel great. I feel confident. This is my fourth time fighting in the United States and I hope you all come to watch the show.”

JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA

“I am so happy to be here fighting in Los Angeles again. I am actually able to be 100% for this fight. Last time I was dealing with injuries but now I am healthy. My trainers did a great job getting me ready for the rematch and I feel ready to win this time. Only two more days, I am anxious. I can’t wait to step on the scale and get that challenge out of the way before Friday night.”

DANIEL ROMAN

“I am excited. It’s finally here. Thank you to TJ for accepting this challenge. Every champion wants to unify and we both have a chance to do it. So let’s steal the show, TJ. Let’s do it because this is what we all do it for.”

TJ DOHENY

“I am looking forward to Friday night. It is great to be back in Los Angeles and under great circumstances. I have fought in New York, Tokyo, Boston and now I am coming to Los Angeles to unify titles and I am thrilled. I think Danny and I have the same mindset, we want to prove who is the best in the division. Danny likes to come forward, I like to be a craftsman but make no mistake, I can bang too. We will see what happens on Friday night on DAZN and I hope everyone tunes in to watch two of the best face off.”

JESSIE VARGAS

“I am happy to be back in the ring. Soto is a two-division World Champion, too. He is a veteran. We are two Mexican warriors and we are going to go to war on Friday night on DAZN. Shout out to Soto for springing the upset against Brandon Rios to make this fight happen and I can’t wait. Matchroom and DAZN are changing boxing and I am excited to be a part of this. Eddie had promised me things and he continues to come through with each and every thing that he has said.

“I need to take care of business against Soto. I have trained properly but nothing is certain. I want to get a title in my third weight division. I left Vegas for camp for the first time in my career to train in Los Angeles. I had a great training camp with my amazing trainer Freddie Roach and I am ready for Friday night.”

HUMBERTO SOTO

“I am very grateful to Matchroom and DAZN for giving me another chance to accomplish my dreams in the ring. I think this Friday the fans will be the winners, not me or Jessie Vargas. We are going to put on a show. I will leave it all in the ring on Friday night.”

JOSEPH MARKOWSKI (EVP, DAZN NORTH AMERICA)

“We are delighted to be here in Los Angeles. A lot is being made of next week in Las Vegas between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs, which I think will end up being named Fight of the Year. And a lot is being made of Anthony Joshua’s United States debut and Golovkin’s deal with DAZN and his return this June. But the amazing stretch starts in earnest this Friday at The Forum when we get a repeat of the best fight of 2018.

“We are delivering the best value for our subscribers and this stretch shows you how much you get for one-low price. For just $99.99 a year and $19.99 a month, DAZN subscribers will get the chance to watch Rungvisai, Canelo, Jacobs, Usyk, Joshua, Golovkin and more. On DAZN you get more than 100 fight nights a year from boxing to Bellator. We also offer daily baseball content with our new show ChangeUp, which is particularly valuable here in Los Angeles. Eddie did a great job outlining the tremendous stretch that is upcoming and we are excited to kick off this Friday.”

EDDIE HEARN (MATCHROOM BOXING USA)

“It is an honor to be here in Los Angeles. I flew 11 hours to get here from London but honestly would have flown 1,100 hours to be here for this. Top to bottom, I think that this is the best card of the year.

“When you look at the next seven weeks in boxing, DAZN has the best schedule without question. It might be one of the best stretches in boxing history in a long, long while.

“When have you ever seen this before in terms of value for subscribers? Never. DAZN gives you all of this for less than a hundred bucks a year. Rungvisai vs. Estrada, Roman vs. Doheny this Friday. We have a stacked card at The Forum to kick things off properly. Then next weekend you have what might go down as one of the best middleweight fights in history between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs.

“There’s literally more great fight nights than I can think of. We have Usyk making his heavyweight debut in Maryland on Memorial Day, Anthony Joshua making his United States debut at the nation’s most legendary arena, Madison Square Garden, and then the return of Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. It is an incredible stretch and we are all excited to get going.”

ROBERT GASPARRI (COO, GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS)

“We are excited for this weekend’s fights as we get prepared for next weekend’s mega fight between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs at T-Mobile Arena on May 4, and only on DAZN.

DAZN have been great partners as we enter this new era of boxing. It is the Netflix of sports. Where else can you get Canelo Alvarez twice a year? Then you get Gennady Golovkin, Anthony Joshua and dozens of other amazing champions fighting more often.

“PPV is dead. If you are boxing fan, this is the future and DAZN is where you need to watch. You get great fights from Golden Boy, great fights from Matchroom Boxing, and it’s all available on DAZN.”

About DAZN:
DAZN is the largest global sports streaming platform in the world. Since launching in 2016, DAZN had expanded across four continents with the service available in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan, and soon to debut in Brazil. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just affordable access to all the service’s sports on connected devices including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The platform features more than 100 fight nights per year from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas. DAZN also features live MLB action each day of the season with its new daily show, ChangeUp.

For more information, fans can follow DAZN’s U.S. social channels: @DAZNUSA on Facebook, @DAZN_USA for Twitter, and DAZN_USA for Instagram.

Tickets are on sale now prices from just $31 – to charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and also at the Forum Box Office.

Juan Francisco Estrada says he will be 100 per cent fit for his rematch with Sor Srisaket Rungvisai – and that will make the fight twice as good as the first clash and see him become World champion at The Forum in Inglewood, LA on Friday April 26, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

**TICKETS START FROM JUST $25 AND ARE ON SALE NOW FROM TICKETMASTER**

Estrada and Rungvisai served up a fight of the year contender at the famous LA venue last February, with the Thai star edging out ‘Gallo’ to retain his WBC Super Flyweight title and land the Ring Magazine crown.

Former WBA and WBO king Estrada was hampered in the build up by a knee issue for the first clash, yet the Mexican ace delivered a fantastic performance. The 28 year old has recorded a pair of wins since the majority decision loss to Rungvisai, and crucially, has enjoyed a great camp in Los Mochis, Mexico to enter the showdown in great shape.

“I’ve always said there’s always a second chance and we need to take advantage of it,” said Estrada. “I was 50 per cent prepared last time, not because I didn’t want to train but because I had some injuries that affected my preparation and we had no choice but to keep facing the fight as it was a very important fight. This rematch is an opportunity and we will make the most out of it because we are well trained and the goal is to be a World Champion, doesn’t matter if it’s against Rungvisai or anyone else.

“After his hand was raised, I knew there will be a rematch because it was an interesting fight for the fans and for us, it had to be a rematch. I had to win my way back with two or three flights because I was ranked on the top 10 but needed to come up to the second rank to be able to get this fight and my team and I made it happen.

“I had a knee injury first time around and my reactions were not the same. I could not run the same, I was tired but I showed heart. The final round was one of the best rounds of the year, and if I was 100 per cent prepared with no injuries the whole fight would have been like that and maybe he wouldn’t handle that round.

“When a right-handed fighter faces a lefty, it could be a boring fight because of the stances, but when Rungvisai and I fight, our style of boxing is a great match and I think it wasn’t a dirty fight, I think it was a good fight for the fans and that they enjoyed it.

“If he is 100 per cent prepared like he was or more, I think it will be a more aggressive fight for both of us, a tougher fight but I will throw a lot more punches and that will make the difference. He is a fighter that doesn’t throw a lot of combinations, he is a fighter that is has trusts his punch, he has very strong punches and I progressively throw more combinations. I will look for the knockout thawing more punches and showing more intensity.

“Really being champion is the most important, doesn’t matter who is it against, and fighting Rungvisai, in my opinion he is the best of this division. If god gives me the chance to win the fight, I would like to fight against other World champions and defend my title with a few fights and then get to the next division.

“It will be like the first fight but now throwing a lot more punches, and like I said our styles are a great match. Our physical preparation will be crucial last time I was 50 per cent and now the key will be to get their 100 per cent.”

Estrada’s rematch with Rungvisai tops a huge card in Los Angeles with WBA World Super-Bantamweight champion Daniel Roman and IBF ruler TJ Doheny clashing in a unification battle.

Jessie Vargas (28-2-2 10 KOs) is on the hunt to become a three-weight World champion and he faces fellow two-weight World king Humberto Soto (69-9-2 37 KOs) in a crunch clash for their elite level aspirations. The Soto clash will be Vargas’ first fight with new trainer Freddie Roach, and it’s a busy evening for the Hall of Fame coach as Scott Quigg (35-2-2 26KOs) also looks to move to world honors in a new weight, targeting a Featherweight World title shot in the second half of the year.

Unbeaten Super-Middleweight talent Anthony Sims Jr is set for a breakout year and will fight for his first title on the bill. Sims (17-0 16 KOs), who is in action in Peterborough, England on Saturday night live on DAZN and Sky Sports, clocked three stoppage wins in the second half of 2018, and will look to convert that momentum in style in first the UK and then in LA.

Shakhram Giyasov (7-0 6KOs) and Diego Pacheco (2-0 1KO) landed wins in Tijuana, Mexico this weekend and will fight on the bill, while Eddie Hearn’s latest addition to his blossoming stable of young USA talents, Houston’s Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams, will make his pro debut on the card.

Tickets are on sale now prices from just $25 – to charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and also at the Forum Box Office.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Francisco Estrada rematch and Daniel Roman and TJ Doheny clash in a unification bout at The Forum in Los Angeles on Friday April 26 live on DAZN in the UK and on Sky Sports in the US – and tickets for the blockbuster fight night are on sale now!

**TICKETS START FROM JUST $25 AND ARE ON SALE NOW FROM TICKETMASTER**

Rungvisai (47-4-1 41KOs) and Estrada (38-3 26KOs) served up a fight of the year candidate in February in the same LA venue – with Rungsivai edging it over Estrada by majority decision.

The Thai star will defend his WBC and Ring Magazine titles against the Mexican ace, with both men pocketing a pair of wins apiece since their epic tussle in California. Rungvisai was unable to make this week’s launch press conference in LA, but the challenger and former Flyweight World ruler believes that he will settle the score in another epic showdown.

“I’m extremely excited for this rematch,” said Estrada. “I know a lot of fans were asking for it. I’m getting ready to bring the title back to Mexico.

“I’m confident that I’m going to win the fight, but I’m also very excited to watch some of the undercard fights. I think it’s a stacked card, I like a lot of these fighters, so it will be a good card for everybody.”

Roman’s clash with Doheny promises fireworks, and it’s rich reward for two men who enjoyed great years in 2018.

WBA champion Roman (26-2-1 10KOs) made the first defense of his WBA crown in Japan over Ryo Matsumoto in February and followed that with another authoritative points triumph over Moises Flores in Frisco, Dallas in June, and then put the cherry on top of a fine year by stopping Brit challenger Gavin McDonnell in the tenth round of their clash on the first American boxing bill live on DAZN in October.

Like Roman, Doheny (21-0 15KOs) also went to the Far East for a massive fight, ripping the IBF crown from Ryosuke Iwasa in August in Tokyo. The Irishman’s first defense saw another Japanese look to take the title back to Japan, but Ryohei Takahashi was stopped by the 32 year old champion at Madison Square Garden in January.

“I’m excited to be back home,” said Roman. “This is a fight you want to see. The best against the best, champion against champion. I’ve been asking for this fight since I won the World title, and finally it’s here. It’s going to be a great card, but I feel we’re going to steal the show that night.”

“This is the kind of fight I want to be involved in,” said Doheny. “It’s a dream of mine – as soon as I got my World title that’s all I’ve been pushing for is a unification. I want to thank Daniel Roman for taking the fight and wanting to unify the division. In my opinion this is probably the best two 122 fighters in the world going off right now.

“There’s a lot of respect between myself and Danny, a fight of this magnitude does not need that kind of stuff. Come April 26 when that first bell goes, the respect will be gone out the window, and the fans can expect fireworks.”

A stacked undercard in support of the two World title battles is led by former two-weight World champion Jessie Vargas (28-2-2 10KOs) taking his first steps at 154lbs in his attempts to become a three-weight World ruler.

That will be Vargas’ first fight under new trainer Freddie Roach, and it’s a busy night for the Hall of Fame coach as Scott Quigg (35-2-2 26KOs) continues his charge to becoming a two-weight World champ.

Unbeaten Super-Middleweight talent Anthony Sims Jr is set for a breakout year and will fight for his first title on the bill. Sims (17-0 16 KOs), who is in action in Peterborough, England on Saturday night live on DAZN and Sky Sports, clocked three stoppage wins in the second half of 2018, and will look to convert that momentum in style in first the UK and then in LA.

Shakhram Giyasov (7-0 6KOs) and Diego Pacheco (2-0 1KO) landed wins in Tijuana, Mexico this weekend and will fight on the bill, while Eddie Hearn’s latest addition to his blossoming stable of young USA talents, Houston’s Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams, will make his pro debut on the card.

Tickets are on sale now prices from just $25 – to charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and also at the Forum Box Office.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Juan Francisco Estrada will meet in a rematch for the WBC and Ring magazine Super-Flyweight titles and WBA and IBF Super-Bantamweight World Champions Daniel Roman and TJ Doheny clash in a unification battle on a blockbuster night of action at The Forum, Los Angeles on Friday April 26, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.

Rungvisai (47-4-1 41KOs) and Estrada (38-3 26KOs) clashed at the LA venue in February 2018 and delivered a memorable all-action affair that saw Rungvisai defeat Estrada by Majority Decision to retain his WBC Super-Flyweight title.

Pound for pound Thai star Rungvisai, who recently penned a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA, successfully defended his title for the third time in October on home turf against Iran Diaz, while Mexican ace Estrada enters the bout on the back of wins over Felipe Orucata at The Forum in September and Victor Mendez in Carson, California in December.

“I am extremely excited and honored to be back fighting in the US again,” said Rungvisai. “Estrada is a great fighter, and we had an amazing fight last year. Our round 12 was awarded Round of the Year by WBC. That is an evidence of how entertaining the previous fight was.

“I believe that this fight on April 26 will be even more entertaining. I am training extremely hard in Thailand. And I am confident I will be the winner on April 26th.

“Thank you to Matchroom Boxing and DAZN for this amazing opportunity, it’s such a great honor to be fighting for them. I also would like to thank WBC, NKL Team, and 360 Promotions for making this possible. I can’t wait to give a great fight to all the fans on April 26th!”

Roman (26-2-1 10KOs) and Doheny (21-0 15KOs) clash in a unification bout that is certain to entertain. Roman was one of the standout fighters of 2018, winning a wide points decision in the first defense of his WBA crown in Japan over Ryo Matsumoto in February and followed that with another authoritative points triumph over Moises Flores in Frisco, Dallas in June.

The LA man then punctuated his year’s work by stopping Brit challenger Gavin McDonnell in the tenth round of their clash on the first American boxing bill live on DAZN in October, and now looks to make a flying start to 2019 against IBF king Doheny.

Doheny’s path has echoes of his opponents as like Roman, the Australian-based Irishman travelled to Japan to land his first World title when he took the strap from Ryosuke Iwasa in Tokyo in August.

The unbeaten 32 year old signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA in January and swiftly made his first defense in New York against Ryohei Takahashi, stopping the Japanese in the 11th round at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, with Roman watching in the crowd.

“This is the biggest and most important fight of my career,” Roman said. “I haven’t been shy about wanting to unifying the division. This is the fight that I’ve been asking for since I became a World Champion. I need to deliver on my goal of becoming the best and a win against another World Champion puts me in that conversation.

“It will be a new experience for me because I’m not fighting a challenger, I’m fighting another belt holder. It’s exciting in a lot of ways. I’ll be at my best because I’m planning to add another title on April 26.

“It feels pretty damn good to fight in front of my hometown fans. My last five fights have been away from home, but I don’t feel any added pressure in this homecoming of sorts. I know I have a job to do. Nothing is easy at this point. It’s going to be a heck of a fight. Two World Champions fighting for control of the division. What more could you want?”

“Danny is one of those rare boxers that is motivated and committed to fighting the very best,” said Ken Thompson, President, Thompson Boxing Promotions. “He understands the risks that he is taking, but that’s what drives him. Against Doheny, he gets to show the world what he’s made of. It will be a tough fight, but one that Danny is more than capable of winning. We expect him to fight his fight and come out with another win and another World title.”

“This was my ideal scenario,” said Doheny. “Get the voluntary defence out of the way, then go straight into the unification, so great work from my team, and Eddie Hearn with Matchroom Boxing USA for getting this fight on. It’s unbelievable, it would mean the World to me. It’s just another boxed ticked, after I won the World title, the next goal was to become a unified Champion. I’m looking forward to achieving that.

“We met in the ring after the fight in New York, and there was a lot of respect for each other. That’s the way it should be. We’re two World class fighters, two World Champions in the division. A fight like this doesn’t need any false hype, I think that when you’ve got two World class fighters like this that’s enough of a selling point for a high-calibre fight like this

“Danny’s a great fighter, he adds a lot of pressure, he’s a great puncher, great punch selection, he’s got it all really. It’s going to be a great fight between us, and I won’t be surprised if the fans get to see a bit of a war. Fighting Danny in his home city, that doesn’t bother me. I’ve been fighting on the road my whole career, so it will be no different to me. It’s me and him in the ring, and it’s going to be all action.”

A stacked card in support of the huge World title double-header is led by Jessie Vargas’ move to 154lbs. The Las Vegas-based LA man (28-2-2 10KOs) headlined the aforementioned Chicago show in an entertaining clash with Thomas Dulorme, a draw the outcome after 12 pulsating rounds for the WBC Silver Welterweight title, where a last round knockdown cost Vargas the win.

The 29 year old will start the journey on becoming a three-weight World Champion on April 26 and will have a new but familiar face in his corner with the bout marking his first fight under hall of fame trainer Freddie Roach.

Roach will be a busy man on the night, with former Super-Bantamweight World Champion Scott Quigg returning to action. The English star (35-2-2 26KOs) returned to winning ways in Boston in October with a spiteful second round stoppage of Mario Briones, and will be on familiar ground in LA where he trains with Roach and shared a bruising fast-paced battle with WBO Featherweight ruler Oscar Valdez last March.

Unbeaten Super-Middleweight talent Anthony Sims Jr is set for a breakout year and will fight for his first title on the bill. Sims (17-0 16 KOs), who is in action in Peterborough, England on Saturday night live on DAZN and Sky Sports, clocked three stoppage wins in the second half of 2018, and will look to convert that momentum in style in first the UK and then in LA.

Shakhram Giyasov (7-0 6KOs) and Diego Pacheco (2-0 1KO) landed wins in Tijuana, Mexico this weekend and will fight on the bill, while Eddie Hearn’s latest addition to his blossoming stable of young USA talents, Houston’s Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams, will make his pro debut on the card.

“I’m proud to announce this huge card for our first show in LA,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Rungvisai vs. Estrada was one of the fights of the year in 2018 and fans can expect another war on April 26 for the WBC and Ring Magazine World titles.

“LA’s Danny Roman attempts to unify the division against IBF champ TJ Doheny and two division World Champion Jessie Vargas returns under his new trainer Freddie Roach as he begins his quest to win World titles in three different weight classes.

“Former World champ Scott Quigg returns to LA after his war with Oscar Valdez and unbeaten Super Middleweight star Anthony Sims Jr challenges for his first title. This is one of the cards of 2019 to date and fight fans can expect a wonderful show at the Forum and live on DAZN and Sky Sports.”

An announcement on ticket details will be made at the launch press conference in LA next Tuesday.