By Miguel Rivera
Earlier this month, WBC super flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai requested a voluntary defense before meeting his mandatory obligation with Juan Francisco Estrada.
In March of this year, Sor Rungvisai (44-4-1, 40 KOs) shocked the world when he won a twelve round unanimous decision over heavily favored Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez to capture the WBC title at New York's Madison Square Garden.
The winner of that contest was initially ordered to fight Carlos Cuadras. But that didn't happen. Because there controversy with the scorecards, and an appeal was filed by members of Gonzalez's team, the WBC would instead order a rematch between Gonzalez and Sor Rungvisai. They also ordered a final eliminator, for the WBC interim-title, between Estrada and Cuadras.
The doubleheader was finalized and took place last month before a sell-out crowd at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
In the main event, Sor Rungvisai set the record straight with an unexpected destruction of Gonzalez, who was knocked out cold in the fourth round.
Also on the card, Estrada (36-2, 25 KOs) won a close, twelve round decision over Cuadras to secure the world title shot at Sor Rungvisai.
According to promoter Fernando Beltran of Zanfer Promotions, who handles Estrada, said the fight with Sor Rungvisai is very close for the HBO televised date of February 24, in California, as headline bout of Superfly 2.
He ruled out the possibility of Sor Rungvisai making a voluntary defense beforehand. Beltran states that the card could have Cuadras and Gonzalez in action as well.
"It's already locked in for February 24th in Los Angeles," Beltran said to ESPN Deportes. "It's a fight where we are sure that Estrada will rise again after the beating he gave to Cuadras. We will try to give him the position he deserves. Estrada will be ready for that fight, and I'm sure he has the quality to be able to impose his skills on Rungvisai."
