Is 'Bam' vs. 'Chocolatito' in play with Estrada exiting rematch?
Sep 13, 2024 • 1:40 PM ET
LAS VEGAS – Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez will huddle with his advisors to target a new opponent upon learning that his defeated rival and former super-flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada will not exercise his rematch clause.
Rodriguez trainer Robert Garcia confirmed to BoxingScene a report by ESPN.com’s Salvador Rodriguez that Mexico’s Estrada (44-4, 28 KOs) will move up to bantamweight rather than return to fight “Bam” Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs).
On June 29 in Phoenix, Rodriguez, 24, knocked out Estrada, 34, with a vicious body shot in the seventh round after previously dropping the two-division champion in the fourth round, capturing the WBC super-flyweight belt.
Garcia said he’s expected to meet Friday with Rodriguez promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom’s Frank Smith to discuss possible opponents.
One of the intriguing options whom Hearn has previously expressed interest in is former four-division champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (52-4, 42 KOs), the top-ranked WBC contender who sparred multiple times with “Bam” Rodriguez as he prepared for Estrada.
Hearn has said Gonzalez’s Japan-based promoter, Teiken, does not want Gonzalez and Estrada to fight because it promotes both fighters.
The WBC interim champion is Pedro Guevara (42-4-1, 22 KOs), who defeated Andrew Moloney by split decision in May.
Rodriguez previously trekked to Japan a week after his victory over Estrada to scout the WBA/IBF unification bout won by Fernando Martinez over Kazuto Ioka, which Martinez won by unanimous decision.
Martinez and Ioka will stage a New Year’s Eve rematch in Japan.
WBO 115-pound champion Kosei Tanaka (20-1, 11 KOs) defends his belt Oct. 14 against Phumelele Cafu (10-0-3, 8 KOs) during a two-day festival of seven world title fights in Tokyo.
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
