Saturday, March 13, 2021

Boxing Challenge

     As I settle back in from time away (that I will be writing about sometime next week), the boxing challenge renews with a match that ranks with the best that can be made considering the styles and skills of both combatants.

The unification of the WBA and WBC junior bantamweight titles is just a sidebar to a rematch from 2012 between Juan Francisco Estrada (WBC) and Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez (WBA) to be seen on DAZN Saturday evening.

At the time, Gonzalez held a flyweight title and Estrada was a promising, but mostly unknown fighter and with Gonzalez known as the best smaller fighter in the world, stopping every fighter he faced, Estrada's effort in making a close fight and going the distance was noted as an admirable effort and someone to watch.

Over eight years later, it is Estrada that is the slight favorite against a revitalized Gonzalez, Saturday night in Dallas should feature two of the elite fighters in the game exchanging punches that could belie their skills.

With the duo and mandatory contender Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (who has wins over both fighters and will face the victor), a troika has been created with exciting fights and the winner of this one has a chance to tab themselves as the best of the three- It should be a great one in Dallas that I am very excited about.

An exciting fighter makes his American debut as WBA junior flyweight champion Hiroto Kyoguchi of Japan will defend his title against Mexico's Axel Vega in a showcase affair on the undercard.

Vega appears overmatched against Kyoguchi, who could likely make huge money back in Japan for a unification match against WBC champion Ken Shiro but could return to the United States for future fights.

Showtime has their card on Saturday night and while it lacks the intrigue of the Estrada-Gonzalez, it does feature the potential star power of boxing's only two-time holder of the same title that never lost the title in the ring on either occasion in David Benavidez.

Benavidez, who of all the fighters at 168 pounds, is the fighter that most would like to see face Canelo Alvarez in the super middleweight division and he has a chance to make his case in the main event against Ronald Ellis.

Benavidez dominated Roamer Alexis Angulo, stopping him in ten in his last fight, but lost his WBC title on the scales before the fight in the last of problems for the talented younger fighter.

Benavidez may get his fight against Canelo Alvarez if he delivers a dazzling performance against Ronald Ellis.

Ellis has won three in a row since suffering his only loss to DeAndre Ware, but he lost the first four rounds (on my card) last time out against Matt Korobov, who had to retire after badly injuring his ankle in round four.

Ellis is a solid fighter, Benavidez could be an elite one and this is set for Benavidez to shine bright.

The co-feature could be an action matchup with lightweights Isaac Cruz and Jose Matias Romero.

Cruz brutally knocked out Diego Magdaleno in under one minute in his last fight and looks to move up the ladder against Argentina's undefeated Romero.

Romero will be facing his toughest test in Cruz and with only eight knockouts in his twenty-four wins, he'll have to outbox the onrushing Cruz and hope for the best in keeping Cruz off of him.

The opener is one of those fights that would be better suited as the main event on FS1 rather than on Showtime as junior middleweights Terrell Gausha and Jamonta Clark are paired in a crossroads fight.

Gausha lost his last fight to Erickson Lubin, drew with Austin Trout before that and his other career loss was to Erislandy Lara, so Gausha has failed on each occasion that he has tried to advance to the championship level.

Jamontay Clark's loss to former WBA and IBF champion Jeison Rosario (before Rosario's upset of Julian Williams) and his draw against undefeated Sebastian Fundora are also against the best fighters that he has faced, but he does have wins over the "ShoBox" level fighters Domonique Dolton and Ivan Golub, so Clark has ability, but doesn't have a win over a Gausha-level boxer.

In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 20-19.

Unification WBA and WBC Jr. Bantamweight Titles. 12 Rds 
Roman Gonzalez vs Juan Francisco Estrada
R.L; Estrada KO 9
TRS: Estrada Unanimous Decision

WBA Junior Flyweight Title. 12 Rds
Hiroto Kyoguchi vs Axel Vega
R.L: Kyoguchi KO 8
TRS: Kyoguchi KO 4

Super Middleweights. 12 Rds
David Benavidez vs Ronald Ellis
R.L: Benavidez KO 7
TRS: Benavidez KO 10

Lightweights 12 Rds
Isaac Cruz vs Jose Matias Romero
R.L: Montero Unanimous Decision
TRS: Cruz Unanimous Decision

Junior Middleweights 12 Rds
Terrell Gausha vs JaMontay Clark
Both: Gausha Unanimous Decision


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