WBC super flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada rejects the narrative he is old and will lose his title to the younger Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez this Saturday night, June 29, in their headliner on DAZN at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
(Credit: Amanda Westcott/Matchroom)
Estrada’s Age and Recent Performances
Fans feel that 34-year-old Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) is too old because of his performance in his last two fights, his long career, many wars, and his two years out of the ring.
It’s not that Estrada’s age is too advanced for him to be seen as the winner on Saturday. It’s all the other stuff combined, and he’s facing the 24-year-old phenom, ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs), who is in the zenith of his career right now.
Estrada says he wants to continue fighting for a while and is interested in fighting a fourth contest against his nemesis, Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, if he successfully captures a world title at bantamweight (118 lbs).
Estrada’s Determination and Future Plans
“People sometimes disrespect fighters like me when they say, ‘Gallo Estrada is too old now,’” said Juan Francisco Estrada. “But I’m going to show on Saturday that it isn’t true, and my career will keep progressing for a good while yet.”
Estrada didn’t say his plans if he loses to ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and is knocked out. That’s the real question: Will he still want to continue his career if he’s beaten badly and made to look old? Estrada didn’t look good in his last fight against ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez and Argi Cortes two years ago.
Estrada’s performances in both of those fights were nowhere near the level to where he’ll win on Saturday against Bam, and he can’t count on the judges giving him a questionable decision like in his last two fights against Chocolatito and Argi.
Those guys both beat Estrada in the eyes of many fans but were on the receiving end of controversial decisions. Bam is too popular to be given the short end of the stick by the judges.
Rodriguez’s Rising Star
“You’re already establishing yourself as a pound-for-pound great in the sport. Some would say a victory on Saturday will put you right up there with the likes of Inoue, Usyk Crawford, and all those guys,” said Eddie Hearn during Thursday’s final press conference, talking about Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, who faces WBC super flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada this Saturday night.
“These are the fights you want, and these are the challenges you want. You’re ready for a wild night in Phoenix,” said Hearn.
“I might not show it, but this is the most I’ve been excited for a fight my whole career.
