‘El Gallo’ meets ‘Principe’ in a rematch LIVE on DAZN – with World title and second clash with Chocolatito on the line: Juan Francisco Estrada insists he is fully focused on his WBC World Super-Flyweight title defense against Carlos Cuadras tonight at TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City, Mexico, live on DAZN.
Estrada (40-3 27 KOs) meets Cuadras in a rematch of their closely fought first battle in September 2017, and should Estrada retain his title and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez prevail in his WBA World Super-Flyweight title defense against Israel Gonzalez this evening, the pair will clash in a hotly-anticipated rematch in early 2021.
Cuadras (39-3-1 27 KOs) says he has learned lessons from the first fight and has promised a war, but ‘El Gallo’ is ready to meet fire with fire, and revealed injuries had him underprepared for their first battle.
“It was a great fight without a doubt, it was very close,” said Estrada. “Carlos was a World champion, he’s not just any opponent, thank God we came out with the victory. I learned that in those title fights, in those World title elimination fights, you have to give your all, no matter who the opponent is. I think that in this second fight against him, we’ll show things with more clarity.
“It’s been nearly three years since that fight, I’ve had other fights and you never stop learning. We’ve been studying and we’ve watched my first fight with him. More than anything I learned that I have to train at 100 per cent. I only trained at 50 or 60 per cent for that fight, but I wasn’t fully healthy, I had some injuries and now, thank God, I don’t have any injuries and I’m at 100 per cent. So, if he wins, he’s better than me, but I really doubt it. I think we’re well prepared both mentally and physically.
“First and foremost, I am focused on getting past Carlos which is the priority. If we both win it looks like there’s a 90 per cent chance, we’re going into a fight with Chocolatito. It’s already been eight years since the first fight and a lot of people are calling for the rematch, I’m excited for it and I really hope it happens next year.
“I have two other losses and I avenged them both, that’s the only one left to avenge and I hope it happens soon. The truth is we’ve both changed a lot, it’s been eight years and I think we’re both really experienced. Now we’re both World champions too, it would be a great unification fight. It was at Light-Flyweight and I was at Flyweight at the time I went down for the opportunity for a World title.
“I was 21 years old; I was inexperienced fighting against the best Flyweight and pound-for-pound fighter. Now, with the World titles I’ve won, I’ve gained experience and strength. I’m at Super-Flyweight, two weight classes higher, I think we’ve both adapted to this weight class, we’ve both won World titles, it would be a better fight than the first. It’s a fight that the people would really enjoy.
“I’m really happy to finally be able to fight after one year and two months. It’s been sad more than anything, because there has been a lot of inactivity, not necessarily for me but for everyone in general. It’s been pretty hard. Thanks God things are slowly getting back to normal. But there are still people coming out with positive COVID test and we have to take care of ourselves.”
Estrada’s clash with Cuadras is part of a huge night of action in Mexico City, topped by a triple header of mouthwatering World title action.
Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (49-2 41 KOs) defends his WBA World Super-Flyweight title against Israel Gonzalez (25-3 11 KOs) – with Estrada and Chocolatito on a collision course for a rematch should they both emerge victorious – and Julio Cesar Martinez (16-1 12 KOs) will now defend his WBC World Flyweight title against Moises Calleros (33-9-1 17 KOs).
Three of Eddie Hearn’s young tyros make their return to action on the bill, with Diego Pacheco (9-0 7 KOs) boxing for the tenth time in the paid ranks, Austin Williams (5-0 4 KOs) making a second foray outside the States in his sixth pro fight and Otha Jones III (5-0 2 KOs) also boxing for the sixth time as a pro.
Diego Pacheco steps up on DAZN on October 23
Diego Pacheco is ready to take the next step in his exciting career as he prepares for his tenth pro fight in Mexico City on Friday night, live on DAZN.
Pacheco (9-0 7 KOs) turned over in December 2018, and the rangy Mexican-American has blasted seven of his opponents away inside the distance and boxed in Mexico, America, and Saudi Arabia.
The 19-year-old hits double figures on Friday night over six rounds against Juan Antonio Mendez (12-2-2 10 KOs) and the South Central LA talent is ready to move up a gear in 2021.
“I am in a great place right now in my career; I’m just where I want to be; I’m 9-0, soon to be 10-0, and now talking about becoming a contender,” said Pacheco. “I feel like this is a really critical time in my career but that we’re on the right path to where we want to go.
“I’m a lot taller than most of the fighters in my division, which makes me longer than them, and I can control the distance, but when I do get in there with people that are my high and have my reach, I think my boxing skill just higher than my opponents and rivals in the division.
“I feel like I am ready. People would tell me that they thought I was being rushed because I was fighting every month, I was 9-0 in my first year, but they were doing that for a reason; they could see that I was ready for these fights.
“When the pandemic happened and gave me time off from the ring, I feel like it’s helped me to mature and learn even more, so going into my tenth fight, I am ready. I trust in the process, and I’m going along with it. Every night, I am getting better, there’s something new each time I have been working on, and whoever they put in front of me, I figure them out and do what works.
“The path I am on right now is taking me to a great place. All the guys I talk to that have more experience than me and have been in the sport longer than me; they tell me to keep going and doing what I am doing, the sky is the limit.”
Pacheco’s tenth pro outing is part of a huge night of action in Mexico City, topped by a triple header of mouthwatering World title action.
Juan Francisco Estrada (40-3 27 KOs) will defend his WBC and Ring Magazine World Super-Flyweight titles in a rematch with Carlos Cuadras (39-3-1 27 KOs) and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (49-2 41 KOs) defends his WBA World Super-Flyweight title against Israel Gonzalez (25-3 11 KOs) – with Estrada and Chocolatito on a collision course for a rematch should they both emerge victorious – and Julio Cesar Martinez (16-1 12 KOs) will now defend his WBC World Flyweight title against Moises Calleros (33-9-1 17 KOs).
Two of Pacheco’s fellow young guns appear on the card as Austin Williams (5-0 4 KOs) making a second foray outside the States in his sixth pro fight and Otha Jones III (5-0 2 KOs) boxes for the sixth time as a pro.
