Juan Francis Estrada has chosen to not use his rematch clause for a second combat in opposition to Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. As an alternative, the previous two-division world champion Juan Estrada (44-4, 28 KOs) will transfer as much as 118 [bantamweight] seeking new alternatives for his profession.
Salvador Rodriguez is reporting on X that the 34-year-old Estrada is shifting as much as bantamweight subsequent and received’t be taking the rematch to attempt to avenge his seventh-round knockout loss to Bam Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) from earlier this 12 months on June twenty ninth in Phoenix, Arizona.
It’s a smart transfer by Estrada as a result of he regarded overmatched in opposition to Bam Rodriguez, besides the knockdown he scored. If Estrada stayed at 115 for a rematch, it might possible finish the identical method, with Bam knocking him out once more and hurting his marketability. Juan Estrada has had a protracted 16-year profession, and the three fights in opposition to Roman Gonzalez have taken so much out of him.
Estrada misplaced his WBC tremendous flyweight title in his defeat in opposition to Bam, however it might have been pointless for him to train his rematch clause as a result of he doesn’t have the scale or the youth to win. You possibly can’t blame that loss for Estrada on his struggles to make the 115-lb weight. Age, inactivity, and ring put on had caught as much as him.
Going into that combat, Estrada had been out of the ring for practically two years and had fought poorly in his earlier fights in opposition to Roman ‘Choclatito’ Gonzalez and Argi Cortes.
With Estrada selecting to not use the rematch clause, this frees Bam Rodriguez as much as concentrate on preventing one of many different champions at 115, corresponding to IBF/WBA Fernando Rodriguez or WBO champion Kosei Tanaka.
Juan Estrada may make good cash preventing WBC 118-lb champion Junto Nakatani or WBA champion Takuma Inoue. Nonetheless, these two may face one another subsequent in a unification. Naoya Inoue just lately stated that Nakatani must combat his brother, Takuma, earlier than he’ll entertain the thought of preventing him at 122.
Final Up to date on 09/12/2024