Two mighty body shots from Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez sent Juan Francisco Estrada crumpling to the mat apron, and the fight was stopped in the seventh round at Footprint Center in Phoenix Saturday night.
Rodriguez takes over the WBC World super flyweight title and the Ring Magazine title with the win to improve to 20-0. Estrada has 44 wins, but now four losses.
"It was a tough fight. To be in the ring with 'Gallo,' a legend, and to take his belts makes it that much more special," Rodriguez said after the fight. "I know he's a tough fighter. It's an honor to share the ring with Gallo."
Rodriguez was knocked down in the fourth round, and said he always wanted to know what it felt like to be lying on the canvas. But when he connected with the winning punches, he knew he'd won.
"I saw the way he was rolling on the floor, I knew that was it," Rodriguez said. He now eyes the undisputed title at his current weight class.
Rodriguez felt this was his best career victory. In the post-fight press conference, he was asked about the atmosphere in Phoenix, where he's won twice now in his career plus another win in Glendale.
"I want to say thank you to Phoenix Arizona, because that was exactly what we dreamed of," Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn said, acknowledging the passion of the crowd.
Estrada said he wants a rematch as soon as possible.
Rodriguez moved up to super flyweight after winning the IBF and WBO world flyweight championship belts from his last fight, which was last December in Glendale, Arizona, at Desert Diamond Arena.
More information on the fights, with live updates of all the action from Phoenix:
Juan Francisco Estrada scores knockdown of Jesse Rodriguez
Juan Francisco Estrada is back in the fight, with a knockdown of Jesse Rodriguez in the sixth round. The crowd was on its feet for the final two minutes of the round in anticipation.
Rodriguez seemed to laugh it off and is still winning the fight. But things got more interesting.
Jesse Rodriguez with the 'Bam' on Juan Francisco Estrada
What a third round for Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, who rocked Juan Francisco Estrada with an uppercut and a hook that got the crowd on its feet. Rodriguez looks like the better man in the ring at the moment, and there are chants of "Jesse! Jesse!" from the crowd getting louder.
In the fourth round, Rodriguez planted Estrada on the canvas with a left uppercut and left jab combination, and this fight could soon end.
Ring entrance for Juan Francisco Estrada
After two stirring national anthem performances (Mexico's and the USA's), main event fighters Juan Francisco Estrada and Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez have entered the ring. Lots of cheers and a few boos for Bam, but all cheers from the packed lower bowl at Footprint Center for the pride of Sonora, Mexico, Estrada.
Estrada-Rodriguez boxing main card: Sunny Edwards survives bad cut to defeat Adrian Curiel
In an ugly, bloody fight that saw a horrible gash opened up on Sunny Edwards' forehead in the sixth round, referee Mark Nelson called a halt to the fight after eight rounds and the decision went to the scorecards.
Edwards did enough boxing to win the fight unanimously, 90-82, 88-84, 87-85. His antics in the ring didn't go over well with the pro-Mexican crowd that preferred fellow flyweight contender Adrian Curiel.
The fans booed Edwards as he was interviewed in the ring after the fight.
"I'm more upset than any of the 10,000 fans in here," he said. "I managed to leave Arizona uglier than I came twice in a row."
Edwards lost to Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez last December in Arizona.
He apologized to the fans but said he felt he was winning the fight.
Edwards did spend a lot of time clowning around in the ring, which didn't go over well with the fans. When the cut happened and the referee stopped the fight momentarily to check on Edwards, Curiel's outstretched arms seemed to say "this is what he gets messing around."
Estrada-Rodriguez boxing main card: Yamileth Mercado retains women's title
Yamileth Mercado of Mexico had the crowd and the judges on her side in her title defense, and after her fight with Ramla Ali of London went all 10 rounds, Mercado kept her WBC World super bantamweight belt with judges' scorecards of 98-92, 98-93 and 97-93. It was a unanimous decision in Mercado's favor.
Ali's corner was furious with the decision, shouting at anyone who would listen after the decision was announced. Mercado improved to 24-3 and Ali fell to 9-2.
Estrada-Rodriguez main card: Glendale's Danny Barrios takes first career loss in 16 fights
Danny Barrios got his moment in the ring inside of Footprint Center just a few miles from his home base of Glendale, Arizona, leading off Matchroom Boxing's Juan Francisco Estrada-Jesse Rodriguez main card Saturday night.
He lasted all 10 rounds as the underdog but lost a 95-95, 97-93, 96-94 majority decision to WBC Continental Americas super bantamweight champion Arturo Cardenas, Barrios' first career loss.
Barrios got off to a good start but got hit too many times with big punches from Cardenas of Mexico, an up-and-coming boxer at 122 pounds. Barrios never quit, and his heart and willingness to trade shots brought the crowd to its feet after the eighth round.
Then the crowd turned against him, at least some of the fans.
In the ninth round, Barrios started dancing away from Cardenas, who shouted at him to get closer and engage. That drew some boos from the crowd as Barrios stuck his tongue out in defiance.
The 10th and final round saw Barrios in need of a knockdown, and Cardenas continued to chase him around the ring. Barrios landed some shots but chose not to go toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring. The fight ended with Barrios getting booed by many in the crowd and Cardenas being cheered.
Juan Francisco Estrada vs Jesse Rodriguez undercard: Gabriel Muratalla wins unanimous decision over Carlos Fontes
By judges' scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75, Gabriel Muratalla of Fontana, California, scored a win to improve to 12-0, despite a slow-paced, action-less fight as the crowd filled Footprint Center in Phoenix for the main card.
Fontes is a native of Mexico but was announced as fighting out of Phoenix.
Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez is in the building as a broadcaster and looks happy and healthy.
The main card goes live on DAZN soon, with Phoenix's Danny Barrios getting the biggest fight of his young life for a WBC regional title.
Phoenix's Fabian Rojo shines in front of home
With Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn sitting in the front row in full view of the action, Phoenix's Fabian Rojo put on a show in the second fight of the night at Footprint Center. Rojo, a welterweight, used big left hooks to finish Daniel Gonzalez of New Mexico in the second round.
Rojo (9-0) knocked down Gonzalez three times before the fight was stopped. Another left hand staggered Gonzalez in the first round, and Gonzalez was impressed enough to lift Rojo with both arms after the fight had ended.
Rojo, 22, had fought just one other boxer with a winning record before Saturday.
Rising prospect Leonardo Rubalcava wins decision over William Flenoy
Leonardo Rubalcava, a 21-year-old prospect who signed a promotional contract with Matchroom Boxing just two weeks ago, won a unanimous decision over William Flenoy by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 59-55 to open Saturday's Juan Francisco Estrada-Jesse Rodriguez undercard at Phoenix's Footprint Center.
The fight went the full six-round distance but Rubalcava (8-0) was clearly the better fighter. He's trained by one of boxing's top developers of talent, Robert Garcia.
When does the Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez fight start?
There are four bouts on the main card starting at 6:30 p.m. in Phoenix, which conclude with the title fight between Estrada and Rodriguez.
How to watch Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez main event
When:Saturday, June 29. Main card fights start at 6:30 p.m. Phoenix (Pacific time).
Where:Footprint Center, Phoenix
Streaming:DAZN
Cost: Subscription to DAZN required, $19.99 per month for 12 months, one-month pass for $29.99, full-year subscription for $224. 99.
Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Jesse Rodriguez undercard
- Main event: Juan Francisco "El Gallo" Estrada vs. Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, WBC World and Ring Magazine super flyweight titles
- Sunny Edwards (20-1) vs. Adrian Curiel (24-5-1), flyweight contenders
- Yamileth Mercado (23-3) vs. Ramla Ali (9-1), WBC World super bantamweight women's title
- Arturo Cardenas (13-0-1) vs. Danny Barrios (15-0, fighting out of Glendale, Arizona), WBC Continental Americas super bantamweight title.
'Before the Bell' fights
Gabriel Muratalla (11-0) vs. Carlos Fontes (23-3-1), bantamweight
Fabian Rojo (8-0, fighting out of Phoenix) vs. Daniel Gonzalez (5-1), welterweight
Leonardo Rubalcava (7-0) vs. William Flenoy (3-3-1), super lightweight
Juan Francisco Estrada vs Jesse Rodriguez prediction
Experience is squarely on Estrada's side in this fight, but he hasn't fought since December of 2022, an epic war with Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. A year and a half later, he's finally defending his WBC title, but the long layoff could prove to be costly. Rodriguez sure looks like the future in this weight class, and the future could arrive on Saturday in Phoenix. This fight feels like it will go the full 12-round distance, with the edge to the younger Rodriguez who is the odds-on favorite to win.
