The final title fight of 2022 will include Juan Francisco Estrada among the most interested observers.
Mexico’s Estrada has every intention of scouting the Kazuto Ioka-Joshua Franco WBA/WBO junior bantamweight unification bout, which takes place on December 31 on TBS-Japan from Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. The bout takes place four weeks after Estrada regained his WBC 115-pound title while successfully defending the division’s lineal championship following his repeat win over Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez on December 3 in Glendale, Arizona.
Estrada is torn on who will prevail but has a preference on who he’d like to next face, if given the chance to further unify the division.
“Ioka is a great fighter. He’s a four-division champion. Joshua Franco is a terrific fighter who is on the rise," Estrada told BoxingScene.com. “Honestly, I’d fight either one, so whoever wins is fine.”
“Ever since I was at flyweight, I’ve always wanted to fight Ioka. I would love to unify against him because that’s the fight I’ve wanted longer."
Ioka (29-2, 15KOs)—an Osaka-bred four division champion now based out of Tokyo—will attempt the sixth defense of the WBO junior bantamweight title he claimed in June 2019. It came two months after Estrada (44-3, 28KOs) become a two-division champ after a twelve-round win over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai to claim the lineal/WBC championship in their April 2019 rematch, avenging a narrow defeat to the Thai southpaw fourteen months prior.
It is the longest stretch where Estrada and Ioka enjoyed overlapping title reigns, though there was a missed opportunity one weight division lower.
Ioka claimed the WBA ‘Regular’ flyweight title in an April 2015 points over Juan Carlos Reveco, two years into Estrada’s unified WBA ‘Super’/WBO title reign. There never came a call for a title consolidation clash, with Estrada eventually moving up to 115 by year’s end. Ioka received an upgrade to full WBA titlist, retaining the title until his abrupt retirement in late 2017 before returning to the sport as a junior bantamweight less than a year later.
Estrada’s win over Gonzalez earlier this month saw the fighting pride of Hermosillo, Mexico lodge the fifth defense of his lineal champion while entering his second reign as a WBC titlist. It comes at a time where the sport has made great strides in meeting demand for more undisputed champions. Estrada is in a unique position to join that trend, as the WBC has granted a voluntary title defense for his next fight. Co-promoters Matchroom Boxing and Zanfer Boxing would love to make it count should the opportunity arise to add two more belts to his collection in one shot.
“There is already calls for a fourth fight between Juan Estrada and Chocolatito Gonzalez,” Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn told BoxingScene.com. “But it’s going to be important to become undisputed in the division as well.
“It’s very important to Estrada, so we will see what happens with Franco and Ioka.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
