Hearn Has Eyes on a Rodriguez – Juan Francisco Estrada Unification Showdown
On February 5, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (15-0, 10 KOs) ascended from hot prospect to world champion when he defeated Carlos Cuadras to capture the vacant WBC junior bantamweight title. A late replacement for former WBC champ Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Rodriguez jumped up from the junior flyweight division to win the title. Only 22, the product of San Antonio, Texas is now the youngest world champion in boxing.
“Bam” is suddenly being talked of as a future star. His options are bountiful at 115. A possible match is against WBA champ Juan Francisco Estrada. Another one is with multiple-time world champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, who is scheduled to face WBC flyweight champ Julio Cesar Martinez on March 5. But, following the win over Cuadras, Rodriguez was unsure about his future. He’s contemplating going back down to 108 or 112 pounds.
WHY WAIT?
His new promoter, Eddie Hearn, may have other ideas. Speaking to boxing media afterward, the Matchroom Chairman suggested he’s ready to put his young charge up against the elite in the division right now.
“He can beat everybody […] Him against Estrada is a brilliant fight. Him against the winner of “Chocolatito” against Martinez is a brilliant fight. Rungvisai may get called as mandatory; that’s another brilliant fight.
There’s so many great fights out there for him and other champions. He could move down to flyweight. He could go and win a title at light flyweight, but I think the glamour fights for him are at 115.”
Signing Rodriguez to a multi-fight deal days prior to the fight with Cuadras, Hearn said he will meet with the kid and his team to discuss their options moving forward. However, he fancied about the possibility of a potential Estrada – Rodriguez unification match in San Antonio, a fight that Hearn believes is a big-time fight.
TOO MUCH TOO SOON?
It’s understandable why he’s so quick to foreshadow. Ranked eighth in the 3Kings Boxing Top Ten fighter rankings, Estrada has established himself as elite. Based on his performance against Cuadras, Rodriguez has that kind of potential to be a pound-for-pound fighter himself. A fight between the two has the potential to be a major one, something that could draw attention beyond followers of the lower-weight divisions.
However, is Hearn jumping the gun here? Some pundits said it was risky of Rodriguez to face Cuadras. He proved the doubters wrong. Is he ready for the likes of the talented and experienced Estrada right now? If talent alone counts for anything, the answer could be yes.
The seeds are being planted by Hearn. Once he’s set on something, more times than not it becomes a reality. For sure, boxing fans would welcome this potential showdown with open arms.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
