All roads lead to Japan for Estrada and Bam

By Oscar Choose

BLOCKBUSTER reveals in Japan await the winner of this Saturday’s WBC and Ring Journal super-flyweight conflict between Juan Francisco Estrada and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.

Estrada returns to the ring in December 2022 following an epic trilogy decider in opposition to Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, placing his belts on the road in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Stepping as much as the plate can be one other pound-for-pound star, who shares the 34-year-old’s need to reign supreme over the remaining champions at 115 lbs.

Lately, boxing’s decrease divisions have, for probably the most half, been dominated by Mexican and Japanese fighters. 

These fighters – or killers, as they’re maybe extra aptly identified – have, on account of their plain expertise, thrown the highlight onto the game’s historically much less well-liked weight courses. 

Formidable puncher and future corridor of famer Naoya Inoue, who’s now the undisputed champion at super-bantamweight, has, by his electrical performances, garnered extra curiosity for fights such because the one going down this weekend. 

The 31-year-old has made a mockery of the misunderstanding that these campaigning in lighter divisions are “feather fisted”, pulverising champions who, in their very own proper, are amongst boxing’s most elite.

It isn’t simply Inoue who ought to be praised for bringing new eyeballs to bouts which might be fought under 135 lbs, although.

His marketability in Japan has, certainly, exponentially elevated the incomes potential for fighters in and round his weight however, equally, there’s something to be stated for Kazuto Ioka and Kosei Tanaka, two sensational belt holders at super-flyweight who, together with Estrada and Rodriguez, purpose to put their declare on the division’s primary spot.

Kazuto Ioka (Naoki Fukuda)

Ioka emerged victorious when the pair locked horns again in 2020, stopping Tanaka with a ferocious onslaught within the eighth spherical.

Since then, the 35-year-old has additional prolonged his unbeaten run, whereas his former opponent has rebuilt himself impressively, capturing the WBO strap in his final contest.

Ioka now appears to be like to unify the titles, taking over IBF champion Fernando Daniel Martinez on July 7. Lower than two weeks later, Tanaka will defend his belt in Japan as effectively.

With Japan quickly establishing itself as a hotbed for expertise within the decrease divisions, there’s little doubt that Estrada or Bam will quickly land a career-defining dustup – probably for the undisputed crown – staged in one of many world’s most embellished boxing territories. 

For Estrada, the motivation is obvious. On Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel – in a current behind-the-scenes episode of “Make the Days Rely” – the Mexican proclaimed that he intends to stay within the sport for an additional 4 years.

Having already consolidated his legacy after three scintillating wars with Chocolatito, Estrada is about to not solely rubber stamp his greatness but in addition show his longevity by finishing a near-20-year profession. 

Regardless of being ten years his subsequent opponent’s junior, Rodriguez finds himself in an analogous hurry to safe accolades.

First, the American hopes to regain his previous WBC title, returning to the Footprint Heart the place he received the trinket after defeating super-flyweight veteran Carlos Cuadras in 2022.

Just some months later, in what many have branded a coming-of-age efficiency, Bam retained his belt with an eighth-round stoppage win over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, one of many division’s most fearsome operators, earlier than he vacated and moved all the way down to flyweight in pursuit of extra silverware.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 16: Jesse Rodriguez (R) of the USA throws a proper on Sunny Edwards of Nice Britain throughout their IBF and WBO world flyweight title struggle at Desert Diamond Enviornment on December 16, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Picture by Christian Petersen/Getty Pictures)

It was then in the direction of the tip of final 12 months when, in a unification with Briton Sunny Edwards, Rodriguez confirmed that he can provide extra than simply flashy footwork and sharp mixtures. He stood within the pocket, held his toes, and placed on a punishing, spiteful show, forcing a ninth-round nook stoppage.

With Bam now expressing a need to face Inoue down the road, there is no such thing as a incentive to pump the breaks on his development. 

Reasonably, he has, in preparation for his subsequent project, been compelled to lift his stage as soon as extra; sharing rounds with Chocolatito in sparring – a spectacle that the majority of boxing’s fraternity can solely dream of being a fly on the wall for.

So, whereas Estrada and Bam – two consummate professionals – will, in fact, stay targeted on the duty at hand, they might discover it troublesome to maintain their consideration away from the thriving boxing market in Japan, the place the game’s decrease divisions proceed to flourish.