Juan Francisco Estrada v Jesse Rodriguez Predictions

5am ​​Sunday SA time

Juan Francisco Estrada (4.45) vs. Jesse Rodriguez (1.20) (WBC World and Ring Magazine Super Flyweight Championships)

It’s king versus regicide. The past and present versus the future in a twelve-round duel that has all the hallmarks of a classic.

Estrada is the personification of excellence. The Mexican powerhouse has been a mainstay on the pound-for-pound list for almost a decade and is a two-weight world champion about to go to battle in his 15th title fight. A cerebral ring general, “El Gallo” is 44-3 with 28 knockouts, whose technical skill and experience make him one of boxing’s kings.

The importance of his vast experience cannot be overstated in this highly anticipated showdown with a prodigious young gun. The 34-year-old has more than double Rodriguez’s professional fights and has seen and conquered virtually every style and challenge imaginable, including aggressive fighters like Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is a revelation. With a perfect 19-0 record with 12 knockouts, he is boxing’s youngest world champion and a two-division titleholder with unlimited potential.

A fearless pursuer of greatness with all the talent and discipline in the world, the 24-year-old is determined to reclaim the WBC title he won in February 2022 when he outclassed Carlos Cuadras to become world champion for the first time are crowned. .

Proving he’s the real deal, he retained the crown in style four months later, holding off Srisaket Sor Rungvisai to victory over two of the division’s ‘Four Kings’. Now he gets the chance to get a third, but as the saying goes, when you’re coming for the king, it’s best not to miss.

So far, Rodriguez hasn’t put a foot wrong. In his two fights last year, he defeated Cristian Gonzalez to capture the vacant WBO flyweight title in April and stopped Sunny Edwards in a masterful performance to secure the IBF flyweight title in December.

Aggressive without being reckless, “Bam” has scored seven of his last ten wins by stoppage, but Estrada is doubly strong and has never been knocked out, so this should be an all-out match.

Estrada is on an eight-fight win streak, with his last loss to Sor Rungvisai coming in 2018. He avenged the defeat by majority decision and regained the titles by unanimous decision in 2019.

From there he ended his rivalry with the fourth king at 115 pounds in Roman Gonzalez, tying the series at 1-1 in 2021 and defeating him more convincingly in December 2022 to win the trilogy and add the WBC super flyweight strap. his Ring Magazine belt.

Estrada is sharp, cunning and has remarkable range control. His ability to move in, fire off a flurry of shots and get out without taking any damage is one of his greatest strengths, while pace is another.

Rodriguez is more than a ruthless pressure fighter. He has strength, but he doesn’t rely on it too much. Instead, he is a hard-hitting strategist who sets traps for his opponents and breaks them with quick reflexes and pinpoint accuracy.

This promises to be an epic battle in which the real winners will be the fans. But to pick a real winner: Rodriguez is on a roll and is ten years younger than his legendary foe.

Estrada is also coming off a year and a half layoff, so I expect Rodriguez to be the sharper fighter and outwork and outlast the veteran to add more gold to his collection.

Prediction: Rodriguez by decision.

Best guess: Rodriguez by decision at 2.10.

Alternative bet: Fight to cover the distance at 1.54.

Quintin Van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. He was previously sports editor and winner of the Outstanding Journalist of the Year award at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com. He has more than 15 years of experience and is currently a freelance sports journalist. author.