Gonzalez defeated Estrada in their first meeting. Photo Credit: RingTV.com
It’s a cracker of a card at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas this Saturday night, as Matchroom USA hosts a night of some quality on DAZN.
Topping this bill is a rematch over eight years in the making of a 2012 classic.
The WBC and WBA (Super) Super Flyweight titles are up for grabs as WBC boss, and three-weight world champion, Juan Francisco Estrada (41-3, KO28) locks horns once again with four-weight world champion, and current WBA (Super) king, Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (50-2, KO41).
It should be an absolute cracker, and the pair need little introduction. They originally met in November 2012 at Light Flyweight in what was Estrada’s first world title challenge.
Raymond Savage Ford looks to go nine unbeaten. Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing
“I posted a screenshot that he was following me, I tagged his name [in the post] and he DM’ed [direct messaged] me. That’s how we started talking, he asked me if I was turning pro soon and I told him I was going to wait.”
Raymond Ford turned professional with Matchroom USA but his initial approach was quite unusual. Since linking up with Eddie Hearn via Instagram it has been a match made in heaven for ‘Savage’.
Ford is currently eight fights into his professional career holding a perfect undefeated record as he heads into his ninth bout on the undercard to Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez vs Juan Fransisco Estrada.
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Aaron Angel Perez, shown in March 2018 before his pro boxing debut, prepares for his biggest pro fight coming up next month. (Jim Thompson/Journal)
Getting a New Mexico boxer to the top rungs of the sport, however talented the fighter, has never been easy.
Bob Foster, Johnny Tapia, Danny Romero, Austin Trout and Angelo Leo, who all would become world champions, had to pay their dues in the hinterlands before getting their big break.
Had Albuquerque promoter Lenny Fresquez not signed Holly Holm to a contract in 2004, Holm’s ride to the top of women’s boxing might have taken far longer and been far bumpier.
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Albuquerque native Angelo Leo, right, lands a right hand to the head of Tramaine Williams during a WBO super bantamweight fight in Connecticut in August. Leo won by unanimous decision. (Amanda Wescott/Showtime)
Dana White is arrogant and obnoxious, and he works at it. No, labors at it. White, the president and the face of the UFC, the most powerful entity in the world of combat sports, probably wouldn’t even disagree with that assessment.
But White definitely would agree with this: he’s a visionary who makes things happen and refuses to be told he can’t.
The above might strike you as a curious way to begin a New Mexico combat-sports year-end column. To link the names of White and Angelo Leo in that regard might seem even more curious.