by Keith Idec
JESSE “BAM” RODRIGUEZ stays stunned that neither Sunny Edwards nor Juan Francisco Estrada examined him greater than they did.
The unbeaten WBC tremendous flyweight champion, who will defend his title towards Mexican contender Pedro Guevara on Saturday night time in Philadelphia, didn’t intend for that to return throughout as conceited. Rodriguez simply anticipated extra sophisticated technical challenges from Edwards and Estrada throughout back-to-back bouts he gained by technical knockout and knockout final December 16 and June 29, respectively.
San Antonio’s Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) believes his persistent stress prevented England’s Edwards (21-1, 4 KOs) and Mexico’s Estrada (44-4, 28 KOs) from using their methods in what devolved into harmful firefights they couldn’t win towards a younger, robust southpaw who has established himself as one in all boxing’s finest, pound-for-pound.
“I believe my performances have spoke loads in regards to the sort of fighter I’m,” Estrada instructed Boxing Information. “So, these two victories, coming off of these, these are career-defining. These actually took my profession to the following stage.”
Even after he dominated the normally elusive Edwards, Rodriguez anticipated the clever, skilled Estrada to check his boxing skill and take their 115-pound championship match on the very least into the later rounds.
Estrada successfully fended off an aggressive Rodriguez by touchdown a number of straight rights within the second spherical. Rodriguez rocked Estrada early within the third spherical, nevertheless, with a half proper uppercut/half hook that wobbled the previous champion and enabled Rodriguez to take management.
A resilient Estrada tried to go toe to toe with Rodriguez, which was confirmed to be a mistake with lower than 30 seconds to go within the fourth spherical. That’s when a left by Rodriguez despatched Estrada to the canvas close to a nook.
Estrada acquired up and made it to the fifth spherical, but his legs nonetheless weren’t beneath him when it began. Rodriguez battered Estrada for a lot of the fifth spherical, solely to have Estrada remind him early within the sixth spherical that the cagey champion remained harmful.
Estrada’s straight proper dropped Rodriguez simply 15 seconds into the sixth spherical. Rodriguez was extra stunned than harm, although, recovered shortly and landed an array of flush punches of his personal in that spherical.
Within the following spherical, Rodriguez landed a left to Estrada’s physique that left him rolling round on the canvas, unable to beat referee Chris Flores’ rely.
“Truthfully, I actually anticipated it to be a harder combat, skill-wise,” Rodriguez mentioned. “Estrada, he was a champion at 115 for a few years, Ring champion for a few years as nicely. So, I used to be anticipating a really technical combat, however it become a firefight after about just like the third spherical. So, I actually anticipated a harder combat, however I simply went on the market and did what I needed to do.”
Although Rodriguez gave the impression to be in management, just one decide, Wyoming’s Steve Morrow, had Rodriguez forward coming into the seventh spherical (58-54). Canadian decide Robert Tapper had Estrada-Rodriguez a draw via six rounds (56-56), whereas Mexican decide Javier Camacho had Estrada in entrance, 57-56.
Rodriguez rendered the official scores irrelevant quickly thereafter.
“I really feel like possibly my stress simply acquired to him,” Rodriguez recalled. “Possibly his followers, as nicely, acquired to him. However I’m undecided – possibly that was his recreation plan. Possibly I did one thing to him to make him combat like that. However, I imply, that’s actually one thing that you would need to ask him. I’m undecided why he fought that means.”
Edwards, in the meantime, weirdly went blow for blow with Rodriguez, too. He was a extra stationary goal than common, was usually beat to the punch and trailed by scores of 89-81, 87-83 and 87-83 when their 12-rounder ended on the conclusion of the ninth spherical.
An overhand left by Rodriguez dropped Edwards for the primary time in his professional profession a couple of seconds earlier than the ninth spherical ended. His handlers instructed Flores to finish that bout earlier than Edwards sat on his stool for his break between rounds.
“With that combat as nicely, I actually anticipated it to be loads harder, skill-wise,” Rodriguez mentioned. “Sunny, he was a grasp boxer coming into that combat. So, I actually anticipated him to bounce round much more. However I really feel like my stress acquired to him as nicely and made him combat on the within extra. So, I really feel just like the previous two fights my fashion is what made the fights flip into what they did.”
The 24-year-old Rodriguez, ranked No. 1 among the many sport’s 115-pound performers in Boxing Information’ most up-to-date rankings, is at the very least an 18-1 favourite to beat the 35-year-old Guevara (42-4-1, 22 KOs) of their 12-round combat for Rodriguez’s WBC belt. DAZN will stream Rodriguez-Guevara as its co-feature from Wells Fargo Heart, the place hometown hero Jaron “Boots” Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs, 1 NC) will defend his IBF welterweight title towards necessary challenger Karen Chukhadzhian (24-2, 13 KOs) within the 12-round principal occasion.
DAZN’s Ennis-Chukhadzhian undercard protection is about to start at midnight GMT within the UK and seven p.m. ET in america.
