By Norm Frauenheim –
PHOENIX – Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez once looked at Juan Francisco Estrada and saw an idol
Now, he sees a rival.
“The first time I saw him, I wanted to be like him,’’ Rodriguez said.
Now, he wants to beat him.
Rodriguez will get that chance on June 29 at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.
It’s an intriguing fight, junior-bantamweight according to some of the acronyms. But there’s nothing junior about it. It’s Super Fly, 115 pounds loaded with a chance to be as compelling as any fight up and down boxing’s scale.
“It’s what I think will be Fight of the Year,’’ Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn said at a news conference Wednesday on a stage located just off the Phoenix Suns home floor.
Hearn is expected to say those kinds of things, of course. He’s a promoter, after all. Hyperbole is part of the job. But he’s right-on this time. It’s hard to overstate this fight’s potential.
It matches tested experience against a younger man’s bold confidence.
Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs), the defending champion, is a 34-year-old tactician from a Mexican fishing village, Puerto Penasco, about a five-hour drive south of Phoenix. He’s got some scars and lots wisdom to go with his proven ring IQ.
Then, there’s Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs), a 24-year-old from San Antonio with a cartoon-like nickname. Bam, it’s a word straight out of a comic book. But that power is no joke.
Just ask Sunny Edwards, who suffered from it in losing a violent beatdown — a ninth-round stoppage — in Bam’s last visit to the Phoenix area in December at Desert Diamond Arena in nearby Glendale.
“I’m a different breed,’’ said Rodriguez, who will be fighting for the third time in Arizona. “I’m a different animal. Come June 29, expect fireworks.’’
Rodriguez might need fireworks and more against Estrada, whose skillset was enough to score a majority decision over the accomplished Roman Gonzalez in a second rematch about 19 months ago, also at Desert Diamond.
It’s not clear how the long stretch between bouts will affect Estrada. An idle champion is a vulnerable one. At least, that’s the theory.
In his long career, however, he’s encountered some of the best, including three fights against Roman Gonzalez, the lightest fighter to ever be voted No. 1 in the various pound-for-pound ratings.
It’s no wonder, perhaps that he and his management look at Rodriguez and question his experience, if not his maturity.
“We’ll see if Bam is still in diapers or is potty-trained,’’ Estrada promoter/manager Juan Hernandez said Wednesday. “…Perhaps, he’s being fed leftovers.’’
That made Bam trainer Robert Garcia smile. It also prompted a counter from Bam, who mostly is known for letting his punches do the talking.
“People didn’t think I could stop (Srisaket Sor) Rungvisai,’’ Rodriguez said. “They probably didn’t think I could stop Sunny Edwards. They probably don’t think I can stop Estrada.
“But I’m here to shock the world.’’
