WBC Super Flyweight Champion Juan Francisco Estrada is rejecting the narrative that he is antique and will lose his title to younger Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez this Saturday night, June 29th, during their headliner on DAZN at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

(Source: Amanda Westcott/Matchroom)

Estrada’s age and recent performances

Fans believe that the 34-year-old Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) is too antique due to his performances in his last two fights, long career, many wars and a two-year break from the ring.

It’s not like Estrada’s age is too advanced to be considered a winner on Saturday. All that else put together, and he comes face to face with 24-year-old phenom “Bam” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KO), who is currently in the prime of his career.

Estrada says he wants to continue fighting for some time and is interested in a fourth fight with his nemesis, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, if he can capture the 118-pound bantamweight world title.

Estrada’s determination and plans for the future

“People sometimes disrespect fighters like me when they say, ‘Gallo Estrada is too antique,’” Juan Francisco Estrada said. “But on Saturday I’ll show that’s not true, and my career will continue to grow for a while.”

Estrada didn’t say what his plans would be if he lost to “Bam” Rodriguez and got knocked out. That’s the real question: Will he still want to continue his career if he gets beaten up badly and made to look antique? Estrada didn’t look good in his last fight against “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Argi Cortes two years ago.

Estrada’s performances in both of those fights were far from the level that would have allowed him to win Saturday against Bam. He also cannot count on the judges to give him a questionable decision, as they did in his last two fights against Chocolatito and Argi.

Both of these guys beat Estrada in the eyes of many fans, but fell victim to controversial decisions. Bam is too popular for the judges to give him the compact end of the stick.

Rodriguez’s rising star

“You have already established yourself as a great competitor in this sport regardless of weight. Some would say that a win on Saturday would put you over the top with Inoue, Usyk Crawford and all the rest,” Eddie Hearn said during Thursday’s match last press conferencetalking about Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, who will face WBC super flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada on Saturday night.

“These are the fights you want and these are the challenges you want. You’re ready for a wild night in Phoenix,” Hearn said.

“I may not show it, but this was the fight I was looking forward to the most in my entire career.

There is a moment in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction where Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to explain his aversion to eating pork – aka “pig kicking” – by describing pigs as “soiled animals” in a conversation with John Travolta’s Vincent Vega.

This leads Vincent Vega to ask if his fellow hitman also considers dogs to be soiled animals, to which Jules Winnfield replies, “I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog soiled, but it’s definitely soiled. But the dog has personality. Personality matters a lot.”

This is never more true, I have often thought, than in boxing. Show some semblance of personality and you have a good chance of getting the job, especially if you can promote yourself and show off. Moreover, and more importantly, if you can show personality as a boxer, you are already halfway to breaking it; I mean, you’re making money that most boxers will never see in their professional careers.

After all, personality is what makes a boxer stand out from the crowd. Good or bad, it gives him an identity and a reason for fans to watch him. Some will watch and follow a boxer because his personality is charming, while other fans will hate him because his personality doesn’t appeal to them. Regardless of the incentive, as long as a boxer is watched, he is prepared to make a living from this sport that has a habit of taking from boxers as much as it gives.

In the case of Johnny Fisher and Alen Babic, personality has admittedly come a long way. In the case of both heavyweights, it has done most of the ponderous lifting in their careers so far, but that doesn’t mean these men can’t fight or that being popular is somehow a negative thing.

On the contrary, the kind of following that both Fisher and Babic have cultivated will undoubtedly be the envy of many of their peers. It will be the envy of peers because their sheer popularity has created opportunities for both; which in turn has resulted in the pair already raking in decent paydays.

Their next fight will take place on July 6 at the Copper Box Arena, where they will meet for 10 rounds. It goes without saying that this is a fight that many will laugh at and see as an example of two asses in a derby, and yet to view this fight solely in these terms is to completely miss the point. To view fighting in these terms is to place too much emphasis on style and aesthetics and ignore the fact that fighters like Johnny Fisher in particular are a dying breed in British boxing.

“Johnny Fisher has long been the biggest individual ticket seller in the country,” said Eddie Hearn, who will promote next month’s Fisher-Babic match. “More than 3,000 tickets have already been sold through Massive John’s (Fisher’s father) showroom. Thanks for all your efforts. We’re expecting about 7,000 people at the Copper Box on July 6 and what an incredible atmosphere it will be.”

While the exact numbers being advertised can be disputed, nothing Hearn said is untrue. Like it or not, Fisher, with the support of his dad and the entire “Bosh” brand (sorry), has built a fan base that both he and his promoter can count on every time he steps foot in the ring. It’s uncomplicated to make fun of it, and often is, but Fisher’s current crowd-pulling game represents something of a throwback. In other words, he’s doing things the old-fashioned way.

A arduous road. He goes out, sells tickets in person, and is now reaping the benefits of all that effort. Even if his personality outweighs his talent, which it can be argued is the case, no one can deny the importance of boxers like Fisher to both the promotion company and the sport as a whole.

It is uncomplicated to believe that British boxing is blossoming when you see so many British boxers appearing on the cards in the Middle East these days, but that view is ultimately naive, short-sighted. In order to thrive, thrive, British boxing needs more fighters like Fisher, who can still deliver real asses in a world of apps and broadcasting.

We should never lose sight of this importance, no matter how many British boxers go to Saudi Arabia and find all their dreams have come true. Because at the end of the day, being able to reach real people and sell tickets is something much safer and somewhat immaculate than the alternative ways of generating revenue that are currently being explored and used in British boxing.

Sometimes, and this is natural, we shoot at the wrong targets. For example, just three weeks after Fisher and Babic collided in “Copper Bosh” (sorry, again), there is another heavyweight fight that of the two is certainly more deserving of close analysis and criticism. The one taking place at the O2 Arena and featuring Joe Joyce and Derek Chisora ​​is not only a fight that came years too delayed, but one could argue that it is a fight that sells personalities at the expense of health.

While Johnny Fisher and Alen Babic are still relatively modern to the scene, Joyce, at 38, and Chisora, at 40, have countless miles on the clock and considerable wear and tear. Worse, “War” Chisora ​​(34-13, 23 KOs) has made his ability to take punches and stay upright his entire persona in recent years, the result – the money, the opportunity – pales into insignificance when you think about its long-term consequences.

Joe Joyce and Derek Chisora ​​(Stephen Dunkley/Queensberry)

Maliek Montgomery is looking to prove that his skills extend beyond being a striker or sparring partner for some of boxing’s best fighters.

He will have to face a former contender for the world title.

Montgomery will face slow replacement Cesar Juarez on Friday night at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The eight-round junior lightweight bout will precede the main event between once-beaten super middleweight Lorenzo Simpson and Raiko Santana.

Both fights will be the main events of an event that will air live on DAZN (8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT).

The 28-year-old (17-0, 16 knockouts), who lives and trains in Las Vegas, Nevada, was scheduled to fight on May 3, but his fight with Eridson Garcia fell through. Manager Trifon Petrov could put Montgomery on Friday’s card and believes he’s ready to make a statement at Juarez’s expense.

“Maliek was supposed to fight Ramiro Cesena, who unfortunately withdrew (from the fight),” Petrov told The Ring on Tuesday night. “I want to thank Overtime (Boxing) for doing everything possible to find us a replacement opponent at miniature notice.

“Now we face Cesar Juarez, who is a world title contender and is always ready to fight. Maliek wants to prove that he is ready to fight the biggest names in the division, so I expect him to dominate Juarez on Friday night and get another knockout victory.”

Montgomery’s last fight was on June 3 last year in La Vega, Dominican Republic, defeating Kenin Betancourt in the third round. Montgomery’s last three fights were in the Dominican Republic.

His most notable win came at Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) in September 2021, when he defeated Aleem Jumakhonov via unanimous decision. Despite knocking out his last six opponents, Montgomery is looking to prove he can outbox his opponents as well.

“I want to give it my all, whether it’s outboxing my opponents or knocking them out,” Montgomery said in a recent interview with The Ring. “I’m not afraid to mix things up. If you’re going to pressure me from the inside, I can fight intelligently and box you from the inside. I can push you down with a straight punch. I can apply different angles, my command in the ring is mighty. I can be very knowledgeable in the ring.”

Montgomery moved from his hometown of Macon, Georgia, to Las Vegas, considered one of the best boxing cities for the best sparring. Over the past few years, Montgomery has been able to pair Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Devin Haney, to name a few.

After several sparring sessions, Montgomery gained more confidence and realized his value as a fighter and what he was capable of.

“I sparred with Tank before his fight with Isaac Cruz and Devin before his rematch with (George) Kambosos,” said Montgomery, who is trained by his father, Maliek Sr. “Being in the same ring with them and fighting for myself made me realize that I should go further in this sport. I want to fight on those bigger stages. I want to show the world on Friday who I am and what I’m capable of, to fight on those bigger stages.”

Even though he only fought one 10-round fight and had narrow opponents, Montgomery believes a victory over Juarez could get him closer to a title shot.

Even though Juarez is at the end of his career, he can be a decent gauge of where Montgomery is at this point. Montgomery is confident that not only can he win impressively, but he is among the best fighters at 130 pounds.

“I feel like a contender now,” Montgomery said. “After two or three wins, I believe I can fight for one of these titles.

“This is not a part-time job for me. I am fully committed and dedicated to this sport. I want to fight the best in the division. No one in particular. I can adapt or fight any style that is presented to me.

“I have made changes and I am on the right track.”

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