Boxing Challenge

  The boxing weekend will have the best of its lower weight classes and a defense of the championship of its largest but there is no doubt which of the two has excited boxing fans the most.

On DAZN from Glendale, Arizona, Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez will hook it up for the third time in a series that has more than a title at stake, it's about which man will earn the bragging rights as the best of a generation and perhaps even the best ever of their division.

Gonzalez won a close unanimous decision in their first fight in November 2012 with Estrada returning the favor in March 2021 with a split decision win that many believe Gonzalez deserved.

The fight will also be for the WBC junior bantamweight title that Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez recently vacated, although Estrada still holds the WBC's silly franchise championship and Estrada gave up his WBA title to face Rodriguez rather than defend against their minor beltholder Joshua Franco, who was then promoted to full WBA kingpin.

The third fight has been postponed previously with each fighter canceling due to Covid and while Gonzalez did look far more impressive in his win over WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez than Estrada did in his victory over Argi Cortes but as always in rivalries, the best is brought out of each other when facing their rival.

The co-feature will have Julio Cesar Martinez defending his WBC flyweight title against a late replacement in undefeated Samuel Carmona.

A former Olympian, Carmona steps in for McWilliams Arroyo, who dropped out from a rematch with Martinez from their November 2021 no-contest.

Martinez is fighting for the first time since his decision loss to Roman Gonzalez in March.

The flashier bout for casual fans is on ESPN Plus from London as Tyson Fury defends his WBC heavyweight title against Derek Chisora.

Fury and Chisora have fought twice in the past with Fury winning by a decision in 2011 and stopping Chisora in ten rounds in 2014 with many slamming Chisora as a title challenger at this stage of his career.

I wouldn't go that far.

Champions have the right to an occasional optional defense and Chisora did win over a solid opponent in Kubrat Pulev in his last fight, so he's qualified for that type of defense.

It was okay for Muhammad Ali to defend against Richard Dunn or Jean-Pierre Coopman because he was fighting four times a year and no one expects four defenses a year against the best in the world in all four fights.

The problem is in today's boxing world when fighters fight once or twice a year and an optional defense against a lesser foe are one of those fights.

This is Fury's second fight of the year and had he fought another time previously, I'm not sure that the reaction to his defense against Chisora would have been as harsh as it has been.

The co-feature will pit Daniel DuBois defending his minor title against Kevin Lerena, in his first test since moving up from cruiserweight, where he was considered to be among the division's top fighters.

DuBois crushed Trevor Bryan in four rounds in June while Lerena decisioned heavyweight trialhorse Mariusz Wach in September.

Boxing Challenge

Vacant WBC Junior Bantamweight Title. 12 Rds

Juan Francisco Estrada vs Roman Gonzalez

Ramon Malpica: Gonzalez Split Decision

TRS: Estrada Split Decision

Vince Samano:

WBC Flyweight Title. 12 Rds

Julio Cesar Martinez vs Samuel Carmona

R.L & TRS: Martinez Unanimous Decision

V.S:

WBC Heavyweight Title. 12 Rds

Tyson Fury vs Derek Chisora

R.L: Fury Unanimous Decision

TRS: Fury KO 8

V.S:

Heavyweights 12 Rds

Daniel DuBois vs Kevin Lerena

R.L: DuBois KO 9

TRS: DuBois KO 6

V.S: