BOXING excitedly awaits one of its most eagerly anticipated trilogies of the modern era this weekend when a future Hall of Famer collides with an all too familiar foe.
Yes, 5,265 miles away from Tottenham Hotspur FC’s home stadium in London – where Tyson Fury will beat up Derreck Chisora for a third and frankly thankless time, the real action goes down in Phoenix, Arizona.
Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez and Juan Franco Estrada convene for a rubber match that aims to set the record straight once and for all who is the better practitioner of the noble art.
Despite sharing a ring for 24 rounds previously and boasting one win a piece, debate still rages amongst fight fans and rival camp’s regarding who is the superior champion.
Back in 2012, Chocolatito successfully defended his world light-flyweight title against Estrada in Los Angeles in the Mexican’s first ever world title contest.
But the result was controversial, with many ringside observers believing the challenger had done enough to earn victory and inflict the champ’s first ever loss in 34 contests
It took almost a decade and dozens of world title fights across many weight classes for the rematch to finally happen. But when it did, boy was it worth the wait.
Last year’s thrilling return, this time up at super-fly (115lb), was one of the best fights of the year. Yet Estrada’s split decision victory also courted controversy with most observers believing this time he was the beaten man.
Regardless, the current score reads one win apiece whichever way you present it, elevating Saturday night’s main event to even greater heights.
Chocolatito, 35, has a 51-3 pro record that includes 41 knockouts and world titles across four weight classes. The former pound-for-pound number one is an icon in South America, with his three defeats coming against just two men: Estrada and Thai fighter Srisaket Sor Rungvasi.
Similarly, Rungavsi is also the only other fighter to have beaten Estrada in championship class.
The 32-year-old from Puerto Penasco has a 46-3 pro slate with 28 KO’s of his own. A two-weight world champion, unlike his great rival he boasts a win over Rungvasi – Chocolatito lost twice – from 2019, which elevated him to super-flyweight champ status.
The scoring of their second fight, in March 2021, highlights both how closely matched this pairing are and how the lack of a universal scoring system continues to shackle boxing.
Two judges had Estrada winning by scores of 117-111 and 115-113, whilst the third gave it to Chocolatito by 113-115. Meaning whilst two officials were separated by just one round, the third saw it as a landslide in favour of the Mexican (9 rounds to 3).
Over 2,500 punches were thrown in the fight too, the highest ever recorded in the history of that weight class. And I’m expecting more of the same this weekend.
Estrada is arguably the form fighter, the younger man and the guy with less miles on the clock. But when you analyse those same fight stats, it’s Chocolatito with the greater output last year.
Firstly, let’s hope its third time lucky with the judges scoring the fight right. And whilst I’m expecting yet another incredibly tight contest, I’m going for the icon to rubber stamp his halcyon career with one final stint as world champion.
