Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Roman Gonzalez II: The Highly-Anticipated Rematch Finally Happens
WHEN: Saturday, March 13
WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
NETWORK: DAZN
TIME: 10:00 PM EST
March 13 brings the much-anticipated rematch between Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. What adds extra spice to this showdown is that it is also a unification fight. Estrada is WBC World Junior Bantamweight champion while Gonzalez is the WBA ‘Super’ World Junior Bantamweight champ.
The two warriors previously fought on November 17, 2012. Gonzalez won by unanimous decision to retain his then-WBA World Junior Flyweight title. An action-packed battle, it was one of the best fights of that year. Both men have gone on to achieve great success at higher weights.
Gonzalez became the WBC World Champion at both flyweight and junior bantamweight. He even reached the distinction of being called the number one pound-4-pound fighter in the world.
Then came the disastrous year of 2017. March of that year, he lost the WBC 115-pound world title to the hard-hitting Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. In their rematch in September, Sor Rungvisai took him out in four rounds.
However, he dusted himself off and rebounded. 2020 saw the resurrection of “Chocolatito”. In January 2020, he defeated Kal Yafai to win the WBA Junior Bantamweight title. A title defense followed against Israel Gonzalez in October of 2020. The 33-year-old was named 3KingsBoxing’s Comeback Fighter of the Year.
Estrada also won world titles in the flyweight and junior bantamweight division. In April of 2013, he defeated Brian Viloria to win the WBA/WBO World Flyweight titles. He defended those titles successfully five times before vacating and moving up to the 115-pound division.
In February of 2018, he lost by unanimous decision champion to then-WBC Junior Bantamweight champion Sor Rungvisai. They rematched in April of 2019. This time, Estrada soundly defeated Sor Rungvisai to capture the WBC World title. He has since defended the title twice.
ROMAN GONZALEZ
Offensively, the man is a machine. At his core, he is a pressure fighter who wears his opponents down with physical and mental pressure, plus punching power. What separates Gonzalez from other come-forward volume punchers is execution. Gonzalez throws combinations in a manner that is as impressive as any active fighter in the sport.
His shots are compact and accurate. He brilliantly varies his attack, never throwing the same combination twice. “Chocolatito” does not just punch in twos and threes. He often throws in 5, 6, 7-punch combos to the head and body. It is oppressive and usually too much for opponents to handle.
However, at 115-pounds. he has not shown the punching power that he did in his younger days. As a world champion at 105, 108, and 112-pounds, Gonzalez’s arsenal would intimidate and overwhelm his foes.
As a junior bantamweight, he must work harder to win. In his two losses to Sor Rungvisai, the Thai gobbled up the power-punches like Pac-Man and returned fire with thunder. Gonzalez was conquered by someone who was simply too big, too strong, and powerful.
The Yafai fight saw a rejuvenated Gonzalez. Thought to have possibly seen his best days, the Nicaraguan proved the experts wrong. Inspired to win a world title, he dominated Yafai before knocking him out in the ninth round.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Cut off the ring and put some hurt on Estrada early and often. Gonzalez’s left hook to the head and body is lethal. Get that punch cranking!
Estrada is a sharp counterpuncher who can move. The WBA champ must maintain good head movement and effectively cut off the ring. He needs to fight at a fast pace. It would behoove him to also invest in some bodywork to weaken and take Estrada’s legs away.
JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA
If you are a young fighter looking for someone to study, “Gallo” is your guy. He’s a beautifully constructed boxer, someone able to do a bit of everything in the ring.
Estrada can box on the outside when needed. He can fight on the front foot and apply pressure. Like Gonzalez, he throws terrific combinations to the head and the body. This is someone who can do whatever is needed to get the job done.
If there is a weakness to his game, it is on the mental side. At times, he can get a bit too overconfident and lackadaisical defensively. It can lead to getting hit with unnecessary shots. An example of this is in his last fight, a rematch against Carlos Cuadras in October 2020. He was knocked down in round three by a right uppercut. Estrada got hit due to bad hand discipline. He left himself open to a shot up the middle.
RELATED: Estrada on Gonzalez: “I Can Beat A Fighter Who Has Been KO’d!”
KEYS TO VICTORY
Set the pace early. Juan Francisco lost the first fight because he got outworked. That must not be the case in the rematch.
In their 2012 encounter when Estrada was able to box mid-range, turn, create angles, and push Gonzalez back, he was very effective. When he was able to force Gonzalez on the back foot, he thwarted his attack. The 30-year-old from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico must do that with consistency.
The WBC champ has the better legs and the faster hands on the outside. Keep things mid-range. Use your feet and your skill to keep your foe off balance. If you happen to hurt Gonzalez, it makes the task that much easier.
PREDICTION
On paper, this is an even matchup of elite fighters. Unless something unforeseen happens, this should produce another fantastic battle.
In the second fight with Rungvisai, Estrada was motivated to the moon. It showed in his performance. For much of the bout, he put on a masterclass and won by decision. That will be the case again for Estrada in this rematch with Gonzalez. The Mexican has wanted this fight ever since losing in 2012.
Gonzalez is still a force. The problem is 115-pounds is more suited for his opponent. Estrada is younger, bigger, and will learn from the mistakes of their first fight. In what will be another terrific fight, “Gallo” Estrada gets his vengeance and will win by decision.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
