Los Angeles, CA (November 29, 2018) Following a knee injury sustained in training by Four-Division Pound-for-Pound Champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, former Unified World Champion and #1 ranked Juan Francisco “El Gallo” Estrada, (37-3-0, 25 KO’s), of Sonora, Mexico will now face cross-town Mexican rival Victor ‘Spock’ Mendez, (28-3-2, 20 KOs), also of Sonora, Mexico in a ten-round super-flyweight clash at UNDISPUTED on Saturday, December 8 emanating from the StubHub Center in Carson, CA. The tripleheader will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:20 p.m. ET/PT.

Estrada vs. Mendez is presented by Zanfer Promotions and Tom Loeffler’s 360 Boxing Promotions. Advance tickets for UNDISPUTED priced at $25, $50, $100 and $150 can be purchased through AXS HERE .The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Boulevard, Carson, CA 90746. For more information please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com. Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. on the day of the event.

“It’s unfortunate that Roman suffered this knee injury in training, he was in great shape and very excited to fight again after his ‘Knockout of the Year’ victory on September 15 in Las Vegas,” said Loeffler. “However, Juan Francisco Estrada and Victor Mendez have both been in training for upcoming fights and each eagerly jumped at the opportunity to fight each other.”

“This will be Juan Francisco’s fourth consecutive fight on HBO, the first coming at the StubHub Center at SUPERFLY 1 in his outstanding battle and victory over Carlos Cuadras. He’s fought on every SUPERFLY show and is always in exciting fights which has made him very popular with boxing fans who will be thrilled to see him fight again on December 8.”

Said Estrada, “Everything happens for a reason, my fight fell scheduled in Mexico fell through but now I have a bigger opportunity on HBO. I’ve had a great training camp and can’t wait to fight Victor Mendez. We’ve known each other for years and now get to settle who is the best super flyweight from Mexico.”

“Juan Francisco Estrada is a great champion and I’ve wanted to fight him for a long time,” said the 25-year-old Mendez. “I’ve heard many great things about the outstanding battles and great fans at the StubHub Center and look forward to fighting there on December 8 and on HBO.”

Estrada is currently world ranked #1 by Ring Magazine and #2 by ESPN. He is also world ranked #1 by the World Boxing Council.

The 28-year-old Estrada is coming off a dominant 12-round decision over Felipe Orucuta on September 8 at SUPERFLY 3. Prior to that, the 28-year-old Estrada challenged WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on February 24 at SUPERFLY 2, losing a hotly contested 12-round majority decision in a sure-fire ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate that had the huge crowd at the Forum in Inglewood, CA on their feet cheering throughout. Both fights were featured as the main event on HBO’s Boxing After Dark.

Mendez has won nine of his last ten bouts including his last four in a row. Most recently he knocked out Alberto Ascanio in the third round on June 1, 2018. In 2014, he battled current world champion Luis Nery in an eight-round clash losing by very close majority decision.

UNDISPUTED is headlined by the Consensus #1 Ranked Women’s Pound-for-Pound Fighter and Undisputed Women’s Welterweight World Champion ‘The First Lady’ Cecilia Braekhus (34-0, 9 KOs),

defending her titles (WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO) against two-time world title challenger, Aleksandra Magdziak-Lopes, (18-4-3, 1 KO), a native of Gilwice, Poland, now based in Marshfield, MA in the televised ten-round main event. Magdziak-Lopes also holds a victory over Braekhus’ recent opponent Kali Reis.

Opening the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast, two-time United States Olympic Gold Medalist and WBC/IBF/WBA Women’s Middleweight World Champion Claressa Shields, (7-0, 2 KOs), of Flint, MI faces WBO Women’s Super-Middleweight World Champion Femke Hermans, (9-1, 3 KOs), of Londerzeel, Belgium in a ten-round middleweight world title clash.

Headlining the undercard, Southern California fan favorite Louisa ‘Bang Bang Lulu’ Hawton, (8-2-0, 4 KOs), of Perth, Australia will face Lorraine Villalobos, (2-1-0) of Los Angeles in a ten-round WBC Atomweight World Title bout. In her last fight Hawton clashed with Brenda Flores at SUPERFLY 3 on September 8, 2018 at the Forum in Los Angeles losing a very close and controversially scored decision in the world title fight for which the WBC ordered an immediate rematch. The previously announced rematch for December 8 has been postponed due to a recent illness suffered by Flores.

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Los Angeles, CA (September 2, 2018) SUPERFLY 3 fight week events kicked off in grand style on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles as boxing fans and media flooded into the legendary Azteca Boxing Gym to watch the final preparations of Mexican rivals Juan Francisco ‘El Gallo’ Estrada and Felipe ‘Gallito’ Orucuta just six days prior to their main event showdown on Saturday, September 8 at the ‘Fabulous Forum’ and televised on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

The fight week workouts at the gym for the fans and media are a historical tradition favored by ‘El Grand Campeon Mexicano’ Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. Joining Estrada and Orucuta was promoter of the acclaimed SUPERFLY series, Tom Loeffler of 360 Promotions.

Juan Francisco Estrada

“I’m very happy to be back in Los Ángeles for another SUPERFLY card. I am very proud to headline a big card like this and I hope to give the fans a great fight just like my other two SUPERFLY appearances. Most of all I want to win to keep on track to fight for a world championship in my next fight.”

“I know Orucuta very well, he a tall, strong fighter that will make this fight very hard for me. I expect a war between two Mexican fighters who will bring their best on Saturday night.”

“The SUPERFLY weight division is full of talent but I am out to prove that I am the best super flyweight in the world. I had a great training camp and this week is about staying on weight and keeping sharp for Saturday night.”

Felipe Orucuta

“This was a terrific welcome to Los Ángeles. The fans and the media are all great and I look forward to giving them a fantastic fight full of action, excitement and drama on Saturday night.”

“This is like a dream come true for me. I am on a fantastic card against one of the best fighters in the world in a legendary venue. It’s the opportunity I have been seeking for a long time. I am very grateful to HBO and Tom Loeffler for making this happen.”

“I trained very hard and I am ready to go to war and get this win. It should be a great fight and I intend to win it at all costs.

———————————————————————————-

Emanating from the “Fabulous” Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 8 and televised on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT, SUPERFLY 3 is headlined by a 12-round WBC Super Flyweight Final Elimination Bout between former world champion JUAN FRANCISCO ‘El Gallo’ ESTRADA, (36-3-0, 25 KO’s), of Sonora, Mexico and two-time world title challenger FELIPE ‘Gallito’ ORUCUTA, (36-4-0, 30 KO’s), of Nicolas Romero, Mexico. Estrada vs. Orucuta is promoted in association with Zanfer Promotions.

Co-featured over 12-rounds for the vacant WBO Super Flyweight World Title, three-division world champion DONNIE ‘The Snake’ NIETES, (41-1-4, 23 KO’s), of Bacolod City, Philippines, moves up one division to face rival countryman and #2 world ranked challenger ‘Mighty’ ASTON PALICTE, (24-2-0, 20 KO’s) of Bago City, Philippines.

Opening the telecast, three-division world champion KAZUTO IOKA, (22-1-0, 13 KO’s), of Osaka, Japan, battles WBC Super Flyweight Silver Champion MCWILLIAMS ARROYO, (17-3-0, 14 KO’s), of Fajardo, Puerto Rico in a 10-round title bout.

Featured on the outstanding live-streamed undercard, ‘Bang Bang Lulu’ Louisa Hawton, (8-1-0, 4 KO’s) of Perth, Australia will face Brenda Flores, (12-4-1, 2KO’s) of Tijuana, Mexico for the Interim World Boxing Council Women’s Atomweight World Title.

Advance tickets for SUPERFLY 3, priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $25 can be purchased HERE. The Forum is located at 3900 W. Manchester Blvd, Inglewood CA 90305. Doors on the night of the event will open at 4:00 p.m.

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Los Angeles, CA (July 26, 2018) Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions has announced details of the highly anticipated return of the widely acclaimed SUPERFLY series set for Saturday, September 8 at the ‘Fabulous’ Forum in Los Angeles, CA. The triple-header will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

#SUPERFLY3 will be headlined by a 12 -round super flyweight clash between former world champion JUAN FRANCISCO ‘El Gallo’ ESTRADA, (36-3-0, 25 KO’s), of Sonora, Mexico and two-time world title challenger FELIPE ‘Galito’ ORUCUTA, (36-4-0, 30 KO’s), of Nicolas Romero, Mexico.

Co-featured over 12-rounds for the vacant WBO Super Flyweight World Title, four-time world champion DONNIE ‘The Snake’ NIETES, (41-1-4, 23 KO’s), of Bacolod City, Philippines, moves up one division to challenge countryman ‘Mighty’ ASTON PALICTE, (24-2-0, 20 KO’s) of Bago City, Philippines.

Opening the telecast, three-division world champion KAZUTO IOKA, (22-1-0, 13 KO’s), of Osaka, Japan, battles two-time world title challenger MCWILLIAMS ARROYO, (17-3-0, 14 KO’s), of Fajardo, Puerto Rico in a ten-round super flyweight bout.

Advance tickets for SUPERFLY 3, priced at $150, $100, $75, $50 and $25 will go On-Sale This Friday at 10:00 a.m. PT and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000) and the Forum Box Office. The Forum is located at 3900 W. Manchester Blvd, Inglewood CA 90305. Doors on the night of the event will open at 4:00 p.m. PT.

“We’re very excited to make this announcement today for SUPERFLY 3”, said Loeffler. “Our first two Superfly cards were among the most well received international boxing events over the last year.”

“Since our last SUPERFLY card in February, boxing fans and media have continuously asked me when the next card is taking place. The fights that have been presented in this series have provided non-stop action and an unparalleled in-arena atmosphere for boxing.”

“Juan Francisco Estrada and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai battled in one of the best fights this year in February with both fighters proving to be two of the most valiant warriors in boxing. Against the hard-hitting Orucuata, Estrada will be facing a determined challenger seeking his own path to a world title.”

“Fans were also treated to a sensational performance in February by Donnie Nietes winning his third world title and facing his rival countryman Aston Palicte at SUPERFLY 3 will provide fireworks from the opening bell.”

“Having three-division world champion Kazuto Ioka of Japan come out of retirement to face Puerto Rico’s McWilliams Arroyo further validates how important the SUPERFLY brand is to these outstanding fighters.”

“The stylistic matchups of these three announced fights will provide the type of non-stop action the SUPERFLY events have become known for and the ‘gold standard’ which fans have become accustomed to.”

“I am very excited to return for a third SUPERFLY event card and look forward to giving the fans another thrilling fight,” said Estrada. “I need to win so I can get a second shot at the WBC Super Flyweight World Title and a rematch against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. I am training in the mountains of Mexico City to be ready for the fight on September 8.”

“Juan Francisco Estrada is a great boxer and one of the best fighters from Mexico. It’s an honor to fight him and I will be well prepared for victory at SUPERFLY 3 on September 8,” said Orucuta.

Long a favorite among Mexican boxing fans, the 28-year-old Juan Francisco Estrada has built a reputation for facing the very best in the flyweight and super flyweight divisions. Fighting on February 24, 2018 at SUPERFLY 2, Estrada battled over 12-rounds in a fearless clash against defending WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai that had the huge crowd at the Forum on their feet cheering loudly for each fighter.

This will be Estrada’s third straight fight at a SUPERFLY event, having defeated former world champion Carlos Cuadras on September 9, 2017 in an epic battle at the series debut in Carson, CA.

Over the course of his illustrious 10-year career, Estrada has fought many other world champions and top contenders including Roman Gonzalez, Hernan Marquez, Giovanni Segura, Richie Mepranum and Milan Melindo.

Estrada won the WBO and WBA Flyweight World Titles on April 6, 2013 by defeating then world champion Brian Viloria, making five defenses before moving up to the super flyweight division.

The 32-year-old Felipe Orucuta has twice challenged for the WBO Super Flyweight World Title, losing in very close decisions to Omar Narvaez in Argentina. On May 25, 2013 in Buenos Aires, Orucuta was on the short end of a 12-round split decision. Fourteen months later, Orucuta returned to Argentina, this time losing a 12-round majority decision to Narvaez in Villa Maria, Argentina.

Currently the heavy handed Orucuta is on a five-bout winning streak; all by knockout including the fourth-round stoppage of Ricardo Roman on May 26, 2018 in Mexico City.

Among the other notable names on Orucuta’s winning side of the ledger are Roberto Castaneda, Fernando Lumacad, Julio David Roque Ler and Enrique Bernache.

The fight against Estrada will be Orucuta’s first in the United States since July 2008.

Fighting in the Los Angeles for the third time in recent years, Donnie Nietes thrilled the local Filipino fans with a seventh-round knockout over Juan Carlos Reveco at SUPERFLY 2 to earn the IBF Flyweight World Title, his tenth straight victory. Incredibly, Nietes has not suffered a loss since September 2004.

One of the Philippines most popular fighters over the last fifteen years, among the victories on Nietes’ ledger are wins over Edgar Sosa, Raul Garcia, Ramon Garcia Hirales, Manuel Vargas, Juan Alejo and Gilberto Parra.

The 27-year-old Aston Palicte will be fighting for the third time in the United States. In his U.S. debut, he won a 10-round decision over then undefeated Oscar Cantu on December 17, 2016 in Las Vegas. Following that up on December 8, 2017, the all-action Palicte knocked out Jose Alfredo Rodriguez in the fifth stanza in Round Rock, Texas.

The boxing pride of Osaka, Japan, Kazuto Ioka retired in November 2017 after making five defenses of his WBA Flyweight World Title earned by defeating then champion Juan Carlos Reveco on April 22, 2015.

Over the course of his nine-year multiple title reign, Ioka defeated world champions and top-rated contenders including Amnat Ruenroeng, Akira Yaegashi, Felix Alvarado, Ekkawit Songnui, Yutthana Kaensa and Nare Yianleang.

With all of his previous bouts coming in Japan, Ioka will be making his long-awaited United States debut at SUPERFLY 3.

A representative of his native Puerto Rico in the 2008 Olympics, the 32-year-old McWIlliams Arroyo made his Los Angeles debut at the Forum and on HBO by challenging then WBC Flyweight World Champion Roman Gonzalez on April 23, 2016. Although losing a 12-round decision, Arroyo would fight valiantly against the #1 Pound-for-Pound legend, earning the respect from the sold-out crowd.

Most recently Arroyo challenged former super flyweight world champion Carlos Cuadras at SUPERFLY 2, defeating the popular Mexican over ten rounds in an outstanding battle at the Forum that had the huge crowd cheering throughout.

Additional information on this tremendous night of world class professional boxing will be announced shortly.

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Juan Francisco Estrasa, Donnie Nietes and Kazuto Ioka will appear on the Superfly 3 card on Saturday, September 8th at The Forum in Inglewood, California, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Ioka is a legend in Japan, a three-division world champion, so he would be a great addition to the show,” 360 Promotions Tom Loeffler said.

Another bout headed for the card is the Donnie Nietes’ opportunity to win a world title in a fourth weight division when he fights Filipino countryman Aston Palicte for a vacant 115-pound belt.

“That’s definitely one of the fights we want to have on Superfly 3,” Loeffler said. “Donnie had a great win on Superfly 2 so it makes sense to bring him back.”

“We have started negotiations for Donnie to be part of Superfly 3,” Aldeguer told ESPN. “We are hoping to finalize the deal with Tom and HBO for Sept 8 soonest.”

By Jimmy Tobin-

Saturday night, at the Forum in Inglewood, California, super flyweights Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Juan Francisco Estrada gave HBO subscribers still forking over premium dollars for a mostly derelict product reason to temper their buyer’s remorse. Sor Rungvisai won a majority decision, proving once more that, however loose his grip on it, the division is his; Estrada, incredulous at the result, should ready himself for a rematch as daunting and winnable as its predecessor. HBO should encourage that rematch be scheduled immediately lest its promise be forgotten—taking a reason to maintain an HBO subscription along with it.

There is little need to revisit the action, assuming first, that anyone reading this column will have already seen the fight, and second, that their observations and analysis are equal or superior to those you will find here. Suffice to say that of the two it is Estrada who better instantiates the ideal: his craft, technique, ring intelligence, all superior and all on display Saturday night. He made a fool of Sor Rungvisai on a number of occasions, crashing an uppercut and left hook into his charging opponent before pivoting to safety, burying his cross and pulling back as a timed and measured counter hook whistled harmlessly (and to his noticeable relief) past his nose. And unlike Roman Gonzalez, who was visibly unnerved by Sor Rungivsai’s incorrigible belligerence, Estrada seemed barely to register what dirty work came his way.

And yet he lost, somehow outlanded by an opponent without a jab, one who rarely threw more than two punches at a time. How Sor Rungvisai managed that feat speaks to the craft complementing his presence and proclivities. You do not, after all, go (debatably or otherwise) 3-0 against Gonzalez and Estrada merely by taking better than you give and giving more than most can take (though he never accomplishes that feat without this ability). Sor Rungvisai has an uncanny ability to land punishing shots, but that is not where his charm lies. No, what is so endearing about Sor Rungvisai is that which is so often off-putting: the way he enjoys and exploits advantages in size and strength. There is little agency with such advantages—and scant credit typically attended to their use. Yet Sor Rungvisai wields them with undeniable appeal.

Like fellow southpaw Errol Spence, Sor Rungivisai is a hard puncher who throws hard punches; there is a harmony here between power and disposition, and the tax of so simple, so committed an attack compounds its effect. He could meet painfully the ceiling of his ability should he move up in weight, where his punch and chin may not follow. But at 115lbs, Sor Rungvisai is confined to attrition—and embraces that inevitability with a cool and unsettling arrogance. He can look clumsy, almost novice in his preoccupation with landing his power, yet this version of him, a giant gassed up on his success, has an orbit even world class fighters struggle to exit. It bears repeating that Estrada, and especially Gonzalez in their first fight, abused Sor Rungvisai. But a fight with the Thai is both too long (you cannot tame him for 36 minutes) and too short (you need more than twelve rounds to grind him down). Still, Estrada could very well defeat Sor Rungvisai with a second chance; even short on spite he is fighter enough to overcome both Sor Rungvisai and the bias toward aggression the latter seems to instill in judges.

There is no reason for that rematch to not happen, which means Sor Rungvisai could hang consecutive defeats on both Gonzalez, a generational fighter even past his prime, and Estrada, Gonzalez’ former nemesis. Such matchmaking places this diminutive fighter at a distance far enough from his peers to cast them in his shadow.

True, a fighter can only fight opponents who are available, and some divisions are wanting for talent. But that is hardly what is keeping fights from happening. Intrigue results from two evenly matched and complementary styled fighters meeting, so if your division is bereft of talent, or if you are peerless even in a good division, the solution is to find your challenges at higher weights. Promotional acrimony and pigheadedness scuttle some fights, like the Vasyl Lomachenko-Jorge Linares chimera, and even in-house fights can be difficult when you pay your stable discouragingly well. The fighters in HBO’s informal Superfly tournament suffer from neither a dearth of intriguing challenges nor promotional sabotage, and are, in a sense, paid according to weight—not even two 115lb Sor Rungvisai’s cost anything near what one 250lb Anthony Joshua does. (And there is nothing wrong with paying fighters in accordance with what dollars they generate. Doing otherwise has repeatedly proven a mistake.)

Sor Rungvisai was and is well-positioned then, for an impressive run, but he still has to deliver in the ring. He has, and in doing so has put both fighters and many of boxing’s business practices to shame. And while explanations (those brash and brawny excuses) for why others do not follow in his path may have some legitimacy, asterisks and apologies do not a memorable career make, and hypothetical victories have only hypothetical value—which is to say little if any.

Whatever reasons conspire to prevent other fighters from following his lead, they dull Sor Rungvisai’s shine not at all. In doing what others have not or will not do he enjoys something like a charity of imperilment: he could be 2-2 in his last four fights and his story would still be remarkable. And in a sport where each fighter is a protagonist and careers are stylized in the arc of fiction, such stories are not soon forgotten.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in Los Angeles, Thai super flyweight world champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai majority-decisioned Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada in a fantastic prizefight HBO deserves much credit for enabling. It was the second installment of a SuperFly series that resides alongside the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament as the best things to happen to our beloved sport in some years.

Once again it was Sor Rungvisai’s composure that fascinated. Volume punchers are men of a composure begotten by great self-awareness; volume guys know their limitations much better than cocky defensive specialists or fragile psyche-ed powerpunchers. But Sor Rungvisai is no longer much of a volume puncher; he no longer wastes much motion with shifting his opponent’s footing or considering his opponent’s timing. He no longer wastes hardly a motion at all. He stands placidly at ringcenter and attacks when whim dictates and throws nearly no setup shots. Everything Sor Rungvisai throws intends, now, to devastate.

He wears the same obliviousness mask today with which he greeted the world’s best fighter about a year ago. His countenance betrays no emotion whatever. Not even his eyes seem to grow or slighten. He got angry a few times at Estrada, Saturday, and his body showed deep fatigue by the fight’s 35th minute, but his face remained wonderfully expressionless throughout.

One hesitates to project too much on a man who is determined to be unknowable, but watching Sor Rungvisai’s face in combat while considering his ledger brings to the imagination a man who achieved unattachment by first attaching himself to prizefighting and its myriad of cruelties then letting disgust with it all detach him from prizefighting and its systemic irregularities until he was sufficiently unattached to career or outcome to match himself with prizefighting debutants in his 44th and 45th and 46th career matches. That bears repetition: Sor Rungvisai passed the entire second half of 2016 feasting on three men who’d nary a prizefight between them.

That was how he prepared to swap fists with his profession’s master, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. That evinces some combination of otherworldly arrogance, noteworthy misfortune and perfect unattachment. Sor Rungvisai then brought the arrogance and unattachment to Chocolatito and delivered him noteworthy misfortune, breaking the master body and spirit – Chocolatito was resigned unto tranquility at the brutal end of his September match with Sor Rungvisai.

Until the final round little that happened Saturday surprised Sor Rungvisai, which was itself surprising because Juan Francisco Estrada is one hell of a creative counterpuncher. Estrada made Sor Rungvisai miss often, too. But Estrada appeared so relieved each time one of Sor Rungvisai’s weighty fists flew harmlessly past he took few retaliatory acts till he was certain the worst of Sor Rungvisai’s power was spent.

Notice how infrequently Estrada pursued Sor Rungvisai even when the Thai allowed aggression to imbalance himself. Compare that to the savagery with which Estrada’s inspiration, Juan Manuel Marquez, pursued Manny Pacquiao each time the Filipino’s aggression circuitbroke his footwork. Some of that was a difference of conscious choosing but much of it wasn’t; Estrada needed a lot of rounds to override what panicked signals his body disseminated across the nervous system each time Sor Rungvisai’s knuckles made definitive contact.

You cannot problemsolve in a panicked state or think creatively while your mind madly scrambles for refuge. Whatever plans Estrada and handlers made for Sor Rungvisai’s attack went largely ignored for rounds 2-9 while Estrada searched frantically for a means of avoiding Sor Rungvisai’s punches.

Sometime after that, though, Estrada’s experience and training and gradual adaptation to the pain wrought by Sor Rungvisai’s punches led the Mexican to throw a right uppercut, the one punch to which Sor Rungvisai’s aggression made him singularly vulnerable. That got both men’s attention, converting Sor Rungvisai from a machine to a man, emboldening Estrada for the championship rounds no matter how little import Sor Rungvisai initially showed Estrada’s emboldened spirit.

By the match’s penultimate minute it was Sor Rungvisai whose consciousness got overwhelmed by what panic fatigue visits on every fighter. Sor Rungvisai was the unthinking man in the fight’s final 90 seconds, not Estrada, but Estrada had only so much remaining impetus. Estrada absolutely did not win Saturday’s fight, whatever the Forum’s partisan-Latino crowd opined, but he verily did win the fight’s final round, which should make the Mexican hopeful for his chances in a rematch.

Now some words about the telecast.

HBO’s combination of Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman no longer works at all – they haven’t chemistry, and they step all over each other’s lines, either by embroidering them needlessly or negating them with dead air whose effect is most pronounced by a telecast featuring so little of it. This is mostly Kellerman’s fault, yes, but Lampley no longer helps things. Kellerman believes himself an extraordinary improviser, which would work better if he didn’t believe his audience too ordinary to hear his brilliance on first or second recital.

So much exhausting noise of every telecast now goes to Kellerman reiterating decent points till dullness, ostensibly for the audience’s benefit – for if not the audience’s benefit, whose? Occasionally Jim and Max must discipline Harold for a scorecard that deviates from the consensus narrative, and they do, but Kellerman cannot possibly believe Roy Jones or Andre Ward needs his help to understand the combat happening a yard or two from their eyes.

Kellerman and Lampley now disrupt one another’s rhythm in a way that is five parts irksome for every one part entertaining, and they talk far far too much. They don’t need to be fired, but they do need to be separated; either man might work just fine by himself with Ward, who’s much better than Jones, and nowhere is it written a four-man team needs to explain a two-man combat.

In its first two years the Peter Nelson era at HBO Sports has been marked by its marklessness, Top Rank’s departure and a gray detente with the PBC. HBO has become the official network of the super flyweight division, which is noble, while Showtime has cornered the exponentially more consequential heavyweight division (unless you count Andre the Giant). Nothing about HBO Sports today portends boldness. Separating Lampley and Kellerman is a subtle move, then, that might at least bring aficionados more enjoyment.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

HBO Sports returns to the vibrant flyweight ranks with an action-packed tripleheader when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI VS. JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA AND CARLOS CUADRAS VS. MCWILLIAMS ARROYO AND DONNIE NIETES VS. JUAN CARLOS REVECO is seen SATURDAY, FEB. 24 at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT) from the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

The fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

Last Sept. 9, HBO BOXING AFTER DARK presented a tripleheader lineup that featured four of the top-ranked super flyweights in an event that became known as “Superfly.” Now, “Superfly 2” spotlights three of that night’s combatants, plus a red-hot flyweight title bout.

The main event showcases two winners from September, as Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (44-4-1, 30 KOs) of Si Sa Ket, Thailand defends his super flyweight title against former flyweight titlist Juan Francisco Estrada (36-2, 25 KOs) of Hermosillo Sonora, Mexico in a scheduled 12-round bout. Sor Rungvisai is coming off a remarkable 2017 in which he soared to the top of the 115-pound division with stunning back-to-back victories over pound-for-pound ace Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. Estrada, who won a unanimous decision over Carlos Cuadras in September, is on a ten-bout win streak since his 2012 championship loss to Gonzalez and is the top-ranked mandatory challenger.

In the co-main event, Mexico City’s Carlos Cuadras (36-2-1, 27 KOs) returns to take on McWilliams Arroyo (16-3, 14 KOs) from Fajardo, Puerto Rico in a scheduled ten-round super flyweight bout. Looking to get back on a winning streak, Cuadras has never avoided a challenge, having turned in memorable, explosive performances against “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in 2016 and Juan Francisco Estrada in 2017. Arroyo, a 2008 Olympian, is moving up from flyweight to compete in one of boxing’s most competitive divisions. He established himself by going toe-to-toe with Gonzalez in 2016.

The evening opens with a flyweight showdown as Donnie Nietes (40-1-4, 22 KOs) from Bacolod City, Philippines takes on Juan Carlos Reveco (39-3, 19 KOs) of Las Heras, Argentina in a scheduled 12-round title contest. Making his first title defense, Nietes is undefeated since 2004; including three draws, he hasn’t lost in 32 fights. A former three-time champion making his first U.S. appearance, Reveco has faced stiff challenges before, including his 2015 bout with Kazuto Ioka.

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Los Angeles, CA (February 16, 2018) Former world champion and #1 ranked mandatory challenger JUAN FRANCISCO ‘El Gallo” ESTRADA, (36-2-0, 25 KO’s), closed his Hermosillo, Mexico training camp in style on Friday afternoon with a final sparring session in front of a huge crowd of local media and supporters. Estrada will challenge WBC Super Flyweight World Champion SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (43-4-1, 39 KO’s), in the 12-round headliner at the highly anticipated SUPERFLY 2 event set for Saturday, February 24, 2018 at the ‘Fabulous’ Forum and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

“I’m ready for The Champ, this has been a tremendous camp with great sparring, “ said Estrada who was accompanied by his trainer ALFREDO CABALLERO. “It’s great to be here in front of the media and my supporters, many of whom are coming to the fight.”

“As soon as I was offered the fight I accepted, it’s a great opportunity to become a world champion again and to honor Mexico.”

“I know how good Sor Rungvisai is from his last two fights with Roman Gonzalez, he’s very strong but I have the skills to defeat him. “

“The whole country of Mexico and boxing fans all over the world will be watching SUPERFLY 2 and I look forward to putting on a spectacular performance for them.”

Photos/Team Estrada

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SUPERFLY 2 is headlined by WBC Super Flyweight World Champion SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (43-4-1, 39 KO’s), of Si Sa Ket, Thailand, defending his title over 12-rounds for the second time against former world champion and #1 ranked mandatory challenger JUAN FRANCISCO “El Gallo” ESTRADA, (36-2, 25 KO’s), of Sonora, Mexico. The event will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. The bout is also being contested for the vacant RING Magazine title.

Co-featured on the HBO Boxing After Dark telecast, former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion, CARLOS ‘Principe’ CUADRAS, (36-2-1, 27 KO’s), of Mexico City, MX faces hard-hitting, two-time world title challenger MC WILLIAMS ARROYO, (16-3, 14 KO’s), of Fajardo, Puerto Rico in an outstanding ten round super flyweight clash.

Opening the telecast, the Fighting Pride of the Philippines and three-time world champion DONNIE NIETES, (40-1-4, 22 KO’s) will make the first defense of his IBF Flyweight World Title over 12-rounds against two-time world champion and mandatory challenger JUAN CARLOS REVECO, (39-3-0, 19 KO’s) from Las Heras, Argentina.

Headlining the non-televised portion of the event, four-time world champion in two divisions and #2 ranked BRIAN “The Hawaiian Punch” VILORIA, (38-5, 22 KO’s) of Los Angeles, CA via Waipahu, Hawaii will challenge undefeated and #1 ranked ARTEM DALAKIAN, (15-0, 11 KO’s), of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine in a scheduled 12-round bout for the vacant WBA Flyweight World Title.

Tickets for SUPERFLY 2, priced at $250, $150, $100, $60 and $30 are now on sale and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000) and the Forum Box Office. The Forum is located at 3900 W. Manchester Blvd, Inglewood CA 90305. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. on the night of the event.

SUPERFLY 2 is presented by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions in association with Nakornluong Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. Cuadras vs. Arroyo is presented in association with Promociones del Pueblo and PR Best Boxing. Nietes vs. Reveco is presented in association with ALA Promotions. Viloria vs. Dalakian is presented in association with Teiken Promotions.

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Los Angeles, CA (December 7, 2017) Following the overwhelming success from the first SUPERFLY event this past September, Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions in association with Nakornluong Promotions and Zanfer Promotions is proud to announce the highly anticipated second installment, SUPERFLY 2, set for Saturday, February 24 at the Forum in Los Angeles, CA televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.

SUPERFLY 2 will be headlined by WBC Super Flyweight World Champion SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (43-4-1, 39 KO’s), of Si Sa Ket, Thailand, defending his title over 12-rounds for the second time against former world champion and #1 ranked mandatory challenger JUAN FRANCISCO “El Gallo” ESTRADA, (36-2, 25 KO’s), of Sonora, Mexico.

Advance tickets for SUPERFLY 2, priced at $250, $150, $100, $60 and $30 will go On-Sale Tuesday, December 12 at 12:00 p.m. PT and can be purchased through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000) and the Forum Box Office. The Forum is located at 3900 W. Manchester Blvd, Inglewood CA 90305.

“It’s very exciting to announce the main event for the second installment of our SUPERFLY series. With the tremendous response from fans and media from our first event and overwhelming anticipation to our second, we join boxing fans in saying that we ‘can’t wait’ until February 24 at the Forum,” said Loeffler.

“Srisaket Sor Rungvisai had a remarkable year in 2017 upsetting ‘Chocolatito’ by controversial decision on March 18, 2017 at Madison Square Garden for the WBC Super Flyweight Title and decisively defeating him again in his first defense on September 9 at the Stubhub Center at our first SUPERFLY event.”

“Juan Francisco Estrada won a terrific fight against Carlos Cuadras on September 9 at the Stubhub Center and is very anxious to challenge for a world title in the super flyweight division against Sor Rungvisai.”

“The Forum has played host to many nights of memorable battles for more than 40 years and we expect this event to be another chapter in the annals of this iconic venue.”

Said Fernando Beltran, President of Zanfer Promotions, “On February 24 our talented and pride of Mexico, Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada will show that he is the best flyweight in the world by beating the WBC Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in another great night at SUPERFLY 2.”

“HBO has given us a great opportunity to showcase the smaller divisions and the fans will be very happy to see it. If SUPERFLY 1 was a great night of quality boxing and action, I am sure that SUPERFLY 2 will surpass it.”

Mauricio Sulaiman of the World Boxing Council stated, “SUPERFLY 2 must be celebrated as it will bring excitement to boxing fans and it marks the return of real boxing promotion as this concept has found great interest around the world. It is great to see that the smaller weight divisions receive this type of opportunities to shine on the biggest stage of the world for boxing. The WBC fully supports SUPERFLY 2 and looks forward to this spectacular night of boxing.”

Said Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, “The super flyweight division is the deepest division in the world at the moment. I have great respect to Tom Loeffler and HBO for making SUPERFLY so successful, and SUPERFLY 2 will continue to deliver. We have so many great fighters in the super flyweight division, and it is exciting for me because there are many world class opponents that can make terrific fights.”

“Juan Francisco Estrada is definitely among the top-class fighters in our division. When someone is a former unified champion that moved up without losing his titles, you know he is a world class fighter in his prime. However, I am confident that I will be successful in this fight because I will be at my best on fight night again. We will give the fans an incredible fight and I plan on another impressive win.”

“I would like to invite all Thais in the United States, especially those in Los Angeles to attend my fight at the Forum on February 24. Together our Thai hearts will beat and our Thai blood will be pumped with pride and excitement. Let’s show the world our Thai power together on that day!”

Said Estrada, “I am very excited about facing Sor Rungvisai for the WBC Super Flyweight World Title on February 24 at the Forum. He will be a difficult challenge as he defeated Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez twice in a row with a vicious KO in their last fight. Sor Rungvisai is a very tough and skilled boxer so I will have to prepare very well to be ready to challenge him for his belt.”

The 30-year-old Sor Rungvisai made his United States debut on March 18 shocking the boxing world with a 12-round majority decision over then undefeated and consensus #1 pound-for-pound fighter Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez at Madison Square Garden. Dropping Gonzalez in the first stanza, Sor Rungvisai would capture the WBC Super Flyweight World Title in a hotly contested battle that had the massive crowd on their feet throughout.

Rematching Gonzalez on September 9 at The Stubhub Center, Sor Rungvisai would drop the four-division world champion twice in the fourth round, the second resulting in Sor Rungvisai being awarded the knockout stoppage erasing any controversy from the first fight.

Sor Rungvisai also previously held the WBC Super Flyweight World Title defending it once before losing the title to Carlos Cuadras on a technical decision on May 31, 2014. Sor Rungvisai had won the title in his hometown of Si Sa Ket, Thailand on May 3, 2013 by knocking out champion Yota Sato in the eighth round.

Known for his true ‘Mexican Style’ of fighting, Juan Francisco Estrada has remained one of the most popular fighters in the flyweight and super flyweight divisions throughout his nine-year professional career.

The 27-year-old Estrada won the WBC and WBA Flyweight World Titles on April 6, 2013 with a 12-round decision victory over Brian Viloria in Macau, China. Estrada defended both titles six times before moving up to the super flyweight division.

At the inaugural Superfly event on September 9, Estrada fought brilliantly in winning a 12-round unanimous decision over former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Carlos Cuadras at the Stubhub Center.

Estrada has not lost a fight in over six years. On November 17, 2012, he challenged then WBC Flyweight World Champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, losing a very close, 12-round decision at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Additional information on this tremendous night of world class professional boxing will be announced shortly.

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After the success of last September’s Superfly card, a squeal card is being planned for February 24th in Los Angeles that will feature Srisaket Sor Rungvisai taking on Juan Francisco Estrada for the WBC belt, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It’s very exciting to announce the main event for the second installment of our ‘Superfly’ series,” promoter Tom Loeffler said, adding that the HBO telecast also will include two other bouts in the loaded 115-pound weight class. “With the tremendous response from fans and media from our first event and overwhelming anticipation to our second, we join boxing fans in saying that we can’t wait until Feb. 24 at The Fabulous Forum.”

“The super flyweight division is the deepest division in the world at the moment,” Sor Rungvisai said. “I have great respect to Tom Loeffler and HBO for making ‘Superfly’ so successful, and ‘Superfly 2’ will continue to deliver. We have so many great fighters in the super flyweight division, and it is exciting for me because there are many world-class opponents that can make terrific fights.

“Juan Francisco Estrada is definitely among the top-class fighters in our division. When someone is a former unified champion that moved up without losing his titles, you know he is a world-class fighter in his prime. However, I am confident that I will be successful in this fight because I will be at my best on fight night again. We will give the fans an incredible fight and I plan on another impressive win. I would like to invite all Thais in the United States, especially those in Los Angeles, to attend my fight. Together our Thai hearts will beat and our Thai blood will be pumped with pride and excitement.”

“Srisaket Sor Rungvisai had a remarkable year in 2017, upsetting ‘Chocolatito’ and defeating him again in his first defense at our first ‘Superfly’ event,” Loeffler said. “Juan Francisco Estrada won a terrific fight against Carlos Cuadras on Sept. 9 at the StubHub Center and is very anxious to challenge for a world title against Sor Rungvisai.”

“I am very excited about facing Sor Rungvisai,” Estrada said. “He will be a difficult challenge, as he defeated Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez twice in a row with a vicious KO in their last fight. Sor Rungvisai is a very tough and skilled boxer, so I will have to prepare very well to be ready to challenge him for his belt.”

The other bouts on the card have not been finalized, but Loeffler said Gonzalez will not be part of the show. However, Japanese star Naoya “Monster” Inoue (14-0, 12 KOs), 24, who made an impressive debut in the United States by knocking out Antonio Nieves in the sixth round to retain his 115-pound belt on the “Superfly” card, will be back to face an opponent to be determined, as long as he comes through a title defense against France’s Yoan Boyeaux (41-4, 26 KOs) on Dec. 30 in Yokohama, Japan.

Loeffler said other fighters who could appear on “Superfly 2” include Mexico’s Cuadras (36-2-1, 27 KOs) and world titleholder Khalid Yafai (23-0, 14 KOs) of England.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai retained the WBC Super Flyweight title with a 4th round knockout over Roman Gonzalez at The StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Rungvisai consistently beat Gonzalez to the punch when the two stood toe-to-toe in the center of the ring.  Gonzalez looked a bit slower then in recent fights, where he was considered pound for pound the best fighter in the world.

In round four, Rungvisai landed a right hook that sent Gonzalez to the deck.  Gonzalez seemed to steady himself only to eat another right hook that sent him plummeting to  the canvas, and the fight was immediately stopped at 1:18.

Runvisai, 115 lbs of Si Sa Ket, THA is now 44-4-1 with 40 knockouts.  Gonzalez, 114.8 lbs of Managua, NIC is

Nayoya Inoue made an impressive American debut by stopping Antonio Nieves after round six to retain the WBO Super Flyweight title.46-2-1.

Inoue was dominant, and in round five, he landed a vicious left hook to the body that sent Nieves to the canvas.  Inoue continued to pound Nieves, and after round six, Nieves’ corner mercifully stopped the bout.

Inoue, 115 lbs of Yokohama, JAP is now 14-0 with 12 knockouts.  Nives, 113.8 lbs of Cleveland, OH is 17-2-2.

Juan Francisco Estrada won a 12-round unanimous decision over Carlos Cuadras in a battle of former world champions.

Cuadras came out boxing and controlled the early rounds.  the fight started to turn in round six, as he started to land hard power shots that rocked Cuadras.

In round two, Estrada landed a perfect straight right that sent Cuadras to the canvas.  Estrada came on late to take the late rounds and come from behind to win on all cards by 114-113 scores.

Estrada, 114.8 lbs of Puerto Penasco, Mexico is now 36-2.  Cuadras, 114.6 lbs of Mexico City is 36-2-1.

Follow all the action as Srisaket Sor Rungvisai defends the WBC Super Flyweight title in a highly anticipated rematch with 4-division champion Roman Gonzalez.  The action kicks off at 10:15 ET / 7:15 PT / 9:15 am Sunday in Thailand and 8:15 PM in Managua with a two fight undercard as Naoua Inoue defends the WBO Super Flyweight title against Antonio Nieves and Carlos Cuadras takes on Juan Francisco Estrada in an All-Mexican Super Flyweight showdown.

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Round 1: Accidental headbutt/no cuts…Straight left from Rungvisai

Round 2 Gonzalez being aggressive…combinatons..Good right…

Round 3  Tremendous toe to toe action..Hard right from Gonzalez…hard left from Rungvisai..

Round 4 Body work from Rungvisai…HARD RIGHT HOOK AND DOWN GOES GONZALEZ…HARD RIGHT AND DOWN GOES GONZALEZ AGAIN…HE IS KNOCKED OUT

Round 1: Jab-right hand from Inoue…1-2…Hard 3 punch combination..Hard left from Nieves..Body shot from Inoue..

Round 2 Right from Nieves to the body..right…Jab from Inoue..2 body shots..Body shots from Nieves..Body shot from Inoue..Right..left to body..combination

Round 3 Uppercut from Inoue..Body shots..3 punch combination

Round 4  Inoue lands a left to the body..another one..

Round 5:  LEFT TO THE BODY AND DOWN GOES NIEVES..Hard left hooks

Round 6:  good right from Inoue..Left hooks to the body..Right and left to the head..Vicious right...FIGHT STOPPED AFTER THE ROUND

Round 1: Body work from Cuadras

Round 2 Combination from Cuadras…Counter right from Estrada

Round 3 Left hook from Cuadras…Jab..Combination..1-2…Left hook from Estrada..Left hook

Round 4 2 left hook from Cuadras…

Round 5 Hard uppercut from Estrada..Counter right from Cuadras…Left hook..Good left hook from Estrada..Right..Body shots and left hook from Cuadras..

Round 6 Hard jab from Estrada..Hard 1-2..Right..left hook..Big right from Cuadras..Big right from Estrada..

Round 7 Hard right from Estrada..Hard flush right..Uppercut from Cuadras..Good right

Round 8 Straight right and jab..left hook to body from Estrada..Right from Cuadras..Good body shots…Good right from Estrada..

Round 9 Uppercut from Cudras..Good right…combination and right hand…

Round 10 Hard right from Estrada..HARD RIGHT AND DOWN GOES CUADRAS..2 Hard right hands…Right…Cuadras lands a lopping right

Round 11 Good left hook from Estrada..Body shot from Cuadras..Good left from Estrada..Left hook from Cuadras..Left hook inside for Estrada..Big left hook..

Round 12: Good right from Estrada..Big left hook..Combination from Cuadras…Hard right over the ropes from Estrada..Left hook from Cuadras…

114-113 on ALL CARDS FOR  JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA

HBO BOXING AFTER DARK presents a must-see tripleheader featuring the four top-ranked super flyweights in the world when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI VS. ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ AND NAOYA INOUE VS. ANTONIO NIEVES AND CARLOS CUADRAS VS. JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA is seen SATURDAY, SEPT. 9 at 10:15 p.m. (ET/PT) from StubHub Center in Carson, Cal. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

The fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

The main event features the sport’s most anticipated rematch when Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (43-4-1, 39 KOs) defends his super flyweight title against Nicaragua’s Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (46-1, 38 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round bout. The two 30-year-old ring warriors are set to wage war again just six months after their thrilling back-and-forth fight at Madison Square Garden, which resulted in the title changing hands and Gonzalez losing his undefeated record via a controversial majority decision. Sor Rungvisai used his unconventional southpaw style to capture his first world title and now hopes to defend it successfully in just his second U.S. fight, while former four-division champion Gonzalez seeks to avenge his first pro defeat in his sixth HBO appearance.

In the co-main event, Naoya Inoue (13-0, 11 KOs) of Yokohama, Japan, defends his share of the super flyweight title against Cleveland’s Antonio Nieves (17-1-2, 9 KOs) in scheduled 12-round bout. Inoue, 24, makes his U.S. debut following a fast start to his pro career, having captured a world title in just his sixth professional fight and successfully defended his super flyweight title five times. Nieves, 30, is making his first bid for a world title and looks to disrupt Inoue’s campaign in the 115-pound division.

In the opening bout, former world champions from Mexico square off when Carlos Cuadras (36-1-1, 27 KOs) of Mexico City takes on Juan Francisco Estrada (35-2, 25 KOs) of Sonora in a scheduled 12-round super flyweight contest. Cuadras, 28, and Estrada, 27, have both lost to Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, and are seeking a shot at a piece of the super flyweight title.

Immediately following the live boxing action, HBO Sports presents the second episode of 24/7 Canelo-Golovkin, which previews the September 16 pay-per-view mega fight matchup. (Click here to Watch Episode 1)

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Thomas Odelfelt; director, Johnathan Evans.

® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

By Bart Barry-

Nicaraguan super flyweight Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez seeks to avenge his career’s first loss against Thailand’s Wisaksil “Srisaket Sor Rungvisai” Wangek in the main event of this Saturday’s extraordinary “Superfly” card in Carson, Calif., a card HBO will broadcast and in so doing stake an unlikely and indisputable claim to 2017’s best boxing broadcast. The comain will have Japan’s Naoya “The Monster” Inoue making his first match in the U.S. And the co-comain will have yet another 115-pound man, Mexican Carlos “Principe” Cuadras, whose claim as the world’s best super flyweight is not an unreasonable one, making combat with countryman Juan Francisco Estrada.

Frankly it’s an honor to cover a card of this quality. A quick query to the memory brings back a nullset of a better constructed threematch finale to a card I’ve attended – though Barrera-Juarez II in 2006 comes tumbling forward on the virtue of what Israel Vazquez did to Jhonny Gonzalez in the co-comain (while Marco Antonio Barrera bemused Rocky Juarez too thoroughly in the main to make the card actually historic, despite its fine construction).

Most importantly it could be the last chance to see a historic prizefighter like Chocolatito in the mainevent of a consequential card. Whatever happens Saturday Chocolatito is unlikely to retire and stay retired, a more likely occurrence is that long past the viable economics of the act Chocolatito’ll continue to work for backwages in a futile bid to do things the Money way, and he’s too good and decent for that to be a thing worth traveling to Los Angeles or Managua to witness.

The march upwards in weightclass and age is too much for any man to endure flawlessly much past his 40th fight or 30th year if he weighs less than 120 pounds, and in March Sor Rungvisai played reminder of this much as its cause. Chocolatito did more to accomplish less against Sor Rungvisai than any Sor Rungvisai predecessor and being reminded of it exhausted Gonzalez till the ratio trebled but still Chocolatito spun and whacked and resisted what disbelief surely came thumping. If there were special preparations Sor Rungvisai made for Chocolatito he did not betray them; perhaps his fruitfullest tactic was treating a legend like a shortnotice swingbout replacement to be butted and beaten as whim bade.

Whatever the weighting supposedly be, a good metric for ring generalship, that squirrely criterion with which we justify our biases when scoring rounds that’re close, is: Who files first appeal to the referee? who petitions an official’s intervention in lieu of making justice with his proper fists?

In March it was Chocolatito and an unfailingly bad sign. If Sor Rungvisai’s heady comportment was less than purely sporting Chocolatito’s conduct was more worrisome. Great fighters are dirty fighters and Chocolatito is a great fighter by this measure and every other but in March Chocolatito was a statesman, and offended too. He knew what Sor Rungvisai did was not accidental but once referee Steve Willis refused to be more officious than a point’s deduction from the Thai’s tally Chocolatito needed to remedy fouls with fouls, as craft told him he should, but Chocolatito did not and did something oh so much worse: He let selfindulgence touch him a touch.

Such indulgence begets brutalization and it surely did in March. Chocolatito’s face and head was an ugly mess by the concluding bell. What stung worse than his first career loss coming at the hands and head of an unclassed brute like Sor Rungvisai was Chocolatito’s realizing he’d have to face the man again and immediately if he chose not to retire – something like what the late Vernon Forrest felt the day after losing to Ricardo Mayorga. If Sor Rungvisai did not inflict the same mental cruelty on Chocolatito as Mayorga did Forrest he distributed a commensurate physical cruelty that would render a lesser man cautious in rematch.

Fortunately for Chocolatito there is only one strategy in the ring and a startling array of tactics for employing it – endeavor to attrition any man toeing the line before you. He expected Sor Rungvisai to fold of his own discouragement and got surprised when Sor Rungvisai did not. Class did not tell ultimately in March because it got thwarted by Sor Rungvisai’s fouling and obliviousness of his opponent’s class, which may be a roundabout way of writing class, of a certain sort, did indeed tell.

Expect Chocolatito to be the offender Saturday; if Sor Rungvisai did not pack a cup packed with reinforced beltline padding for his trip from Thailand he will regret it; Chocolatito will be targeting that beltline and a few inches above and below it from the opening bell until he is told to stop and after he is told to stop until a point gets deducted and maybe after that, too. Accustomed to enjoying benefits of all scoring doubts in his career’s 27 or so championship matches Chocolatito did not expect to lose March’s decision and now says in a convincing tone he intends to strip Sor Rungvisai of his fitness to continue, and if so, what difference will a point deduction in round 3 and another in round 8 matter?

There’s a genuine possibility, though, Chocolatito’s belting Sor Rungvisai early and often will not avenge his first loss. Sor Rungvisai well may have Chocolatito’s number; he well may have too much physicality and chin and derringdo for this 30-year-old, 115-pound iteration of Nicaragua’s second alltime great, remanding Gonzalez to retirement but leaving HBO with enough pieces – in Sor Rungvisai and Cuadras and Inoue, at least – to make an historic unification of the super flyweight division.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

LOS ANGELES, CA (September 2, 2017) WBC Super Flyweight World Champion SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (42-4-1, 38 KO’s), of Si Sa Ket, Thailand and former WBC Super Flyweight Champion ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ, (46-1-0, 38 KO’s), both weighed in within the required WBC 7-day weight limit ahead of their highly anticipated rematch set for Saturday, September 9 from the legendary StubHub Center in Carson, California and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

From his training camp in Thailand, Rungvisai weighed in at 119lbs. while Gonzalez tipped the scales in Japan at 119.8lbs. Both fighters were required to weigh-in at 121lbs. or under per the World Boxing Council.

Opening the telecast, former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion CARLOS “PRINCIPE” CUADRAS, (36-1-1, 27 KO’s)) of Mexico City will battle fellow rival countrymen and former flyweight world champion JUAN FRANCISCO “EL GALLO” ESTRADA, (35-2-0, 25 KO’s) of Sonora, Mexico in a 12-round WBC Super Flyweight Title Eliminator.

Both warriors were also within the WBC 7-day weight limit from their respective training camps in Mexico with Cuadras tipping the scales at 119.9lbs. and Estrada at 121lbs.

Co-featured on the outstanding “SUPERFLY” card is the United States debut of NAOYA “THE MONSTER” INOUE, (13-0-0, 11 KO’s) of Yokohama, Japan defending his WBO Super Flyweight Title against top contender ANTONIO “CARITA” NIEVES, (17-1-2, 9 KO’s) of Cleveland, Ohio.

Remaining tickets for “SUPERFLY” are now on sale priced at $250 and $150, both of which have very limited availability, in addition to $100 and $60. The $30 price range is sold out. All ticket prices are plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425. Doors will open on the night of the event at 3:30 p.m. PT with the first bell at 4:00 p.m. PT.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson CA, 90746 on the campus of California State University – Dominguez Hills. For directions and further information please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Hashtag: #SuperFly

TWITTER:
@ChocolatitoBox
@CuadrasOficial
@GalloEstradaOficial
@BrianViloria
@TomLoeffler1
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@HBOBoxing
@StubHubCenter

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 9, 2017) Former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion CARLOS “PRINCIPE” CUADRAS, (36-1-1, 27 KO’s), of Mexico City and fellow rival countryman and former Flyweight World Champion JUAN FRANCISCO “EL GALLO” ESTRADA, (35-2-0, 25 KO’s), of Sonora, Mexico both weighed in within the required 30-day weight limit ahead of their 12-round WBC Super Flyweight Title Eliminator clash set for Saturday, September 9 from the legendary StubHub Center in Carson, California and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

From his training camp in Mexico, Cuadras weighed in at 124.4lbs. while Estrada tipped the scales also in Mexico at 125.4lbs. Both fighters were required to weigh-in at 127lbs or under per the World Boxing Council.

The Cuadras/Estrada battle is part of the historic “SUPERFLY” card, one of the most anticipated shows of the year featuring six of the top super flyweights in the world.

Headlining “SUPERFLY” is the highly anticipated rematch between WBC Super Flyweight World Champion SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (42-4-1, 38 KO’s), of Si Sa Ket, Thailand and former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ, (46-1-0, 38 KO’s). The fight follows their epic 2017 ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate this past March 18 at Madison Square Garden won by Rungvisai.

Co-featured on the outstanding “SUPERFLY” card is the United States debut of NAOYA “THE MONSTER” INOUE, (13-0-0, 11 KO’s) of Yokohama, Japan defending his WBO Super Flyweight Title against top contender ANTONIO “CARITA” NIEVES, (17-1-2, 9 KO’s) of Cleveland, Ohio.

Also featured on the off-TV undercard is four-time world champion in two weight divisions, “THE HAWAIIAN PUNCH”, BRIAN VILORIA (37-5-0, 22 KO’s) who will compete in an eight round super flyweight battle against an opponent to be announced shortly.

Remaining tickets for “SUPERFLY” are now on sale priced at $250 and $150, both of which have very limited availability, in addition to $100 and $60. The $30 price range is sold out. All ticket prices are plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425. Doors will open on the night of the event at 3:30 p.m. PT with the first bell at 4:00 p.m. PT.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson CA, 90746 on the campus of California State University – Dominguez Hills. For directions and further information please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 6, 2017) Southern California’s iconic outdoor boxing venue, The StubHub Center in Carson, California, home to numerous legendary nights of action over the last decade, will play host to the highly anticipated “SUPERFLY” triple header set for Saturday, September 9, it was announced today by TOM LOEFFLER, Managing Director of K2 PROMOTIONS.

Tickets for “SUPERFLY” will go on sale Tomorrow, Friday, July 7 at 12:00 p.m. PT and are priced at $250, $150, $100, $60 and $30, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425. Doors will open on the night of the event at 3:30 p.m. PT with the first bell at 4:00 p.m. PT.

“Since we announced this extraordinary triple header a couple weeks ago, the fans have demanded it take place at their favorite venue for action, and we are excited to confirm the show will take place at the StubHub Center” said Loeffler. “We look forward to another magical night on September 9 for what many fans and media feel is the best card of 2017.”

“This event will be a little less than four years since we promoted the Gennady Golovkin vs. Marco Antonio Rubio fight at The Stubhub Center, one of the most remarkable evenings in recent years that broke the boxing attendance record and we look forward to another memorable event on September 9.”

“I have to give a great deal of credit to the six promoters I worked with to put this event together; Teiken Promotions, Nakornloung Promotion, Ohashi Promotions, Salita Promotions, Promociones del Pueblo and Zanfer Promotions. The cooperative spirit of all parties was the key in putting together this outstanding, world-class international card.”

“Additionally I’d like to thank the team at the StubHub Center and Dan Beckerman of AEG for their help in presenting this event.”

Televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT, “SUPERFLY” is headlined by the WBC Super Flyweight World Champion SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (43-4-1, 39 KO’s), of Si Sa Ket, Thailand, defending his title against former champion “ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ (46-1-0, 38 KO’s), of Managua, Nicaragua, in a rematch of their epic battle this past March.

On March 18, 2017, ‘Chocolatito’, universally recognized at the time as The #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and holder of the WBC Super Flyweight Title, battled Srisaket Sor Rungivisai in front of a massive crowd at ‘The Mecca of Boxing’, Madison Square Garden.

Despite being dropped in the first round, the valiant ‘Chocolatito’ battled back in a brutal war that included a tremendous amount of hard-hitting from both combatants along with a number of head butts due to the aggressive styles of the orthodox champion and southpaw challenger.

Sor Rungvisai was declared the winner by controversial majority decision, 114-112, 114-112 and 113-113 in a fight that many believe to be the leading candidate for this year’s “Fight of the Year.”

The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered an immediate rematch so there would be no question who their champion would be.

Co-featured on the outstanding “SUPERFLY” card is the highly anticipated United States debut of NAOYA “THE MONSTER” INOUE, (13-0-0, 11 KO’s) of Yokohama, Japan defending his WBO Super Flyweight Title against top contender ANTONIO “CARITA” NIEVES, (17-1-2, 9 KO’s) of Cleveland, Ohio.

The 24-year-old Inoue is among the most popular fighters in Asia, having already made five defenses of his WBO Super Flyweight Title he earned following his second round knockout of Omar Narvaez on December 30, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan.

Earning his nickname, “The Monster” from his heavy handed knockouts, Inoue is seeking to grow his fan base from the huge Asian community of U.S. based boxing fans.

Inoue kicked off his 2017 campaign with a third round stoppage of Ricardo Rodriguez on May 21 in Tokyo, Japan.

Fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio, Nieves will be looking to join the long history of world champions of Puerto Rican heritage. Undefeated through the first six years of his professional career, Nieves suffered his first loss very controversially, losing a 10-round split decision to Nikolai Potapov on March 10 in Detroit, Michigan.

Opening the telecast, former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion CARLOS “PRINCIPE” CUADRAS, (36-1-1, 27 KO’s)) of Mexico City will battle fellow rival countrymen and former flyweight world champion JUAN FRANCISCO “EL GALLO” ESTRADA, (35-2-0, 25 KO’s) of Sonora, Mexico in a 12-round WBC Super Flyweight Title Eliminator.

In a 2016 ‘Fight of the Year’ contender, former WBC Super Flyweight Champion Cuadras would lose for the first time in his eight-year career on September 10, 2016 by unanimous decision to Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez. Fighting furiously over the course of the twelve epic rounds in front of a huge crowd at The Fabulous Forum, Cuadras would come up just short on the scorecards losing by unanimous decision.

Most recently, Cuadras won a hard fought 10-round unanimous decision over fellow Mexican David Carmona on March 18, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

A former unified flyweight world champion, Estrada is best known for his action packed 12-round battle with Roman Gonzalez on November 17, 2012 in Los Angeles, losing a very close decision. Estrada also holds wins over former world champions Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Hernan Marquez.

The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson CA, 90746 on the campus of California State University – Dominguez Hills. For directions and further information please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Hashtag: #SuperFly

TWITTER:
@ChocolatitoBox
@CuadrasOficial
@GalloEstradaOficial
@TomLoeffler1
@HBO
@HBOBoxing
@StubHubCenter

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 17, 2017) The Super Flyweight Division, long one of boxing’s most exciting, filled with many of the sports’ legendary superstars, will add another chapter into its annals of memorable evenings on Saturday, September 9.

WBC Super Flyweight World Champion SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI, (43-4-1, 39 KO’s), of Si Sa Ket, Thailand, defends his title against former champion “ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ (46-1-0, 38 KO’s), of Managua, Nicaragua, in a rematch of their epic battle this past March. The rematch headlines a tripleheader that will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Co-featured on the outstanding “SUPERFLY” card is the highly anticipated United States debut of NAOYA “THE MONSTER” INOUE, (13-0-0, 11 KO’s) of Yokohama, Japan defending his WBO Super Flyweight Title against top contender ANTONIO “CARITA” NIEVES, (17-1-2, 9 KO’s) of Cleveland, Ohio.

Opening the telecast, former WBC Super Flyweight World Champion CARLOS “PRINCIPE” CUADRAS, (36-1-1, 27 KO’s)) of Mexico City will battle fellow rival countrymen and former flyweight world champion JUAN FRANCISCO “EL GALLO” ESTRADA, (35-2-0, 25 KO’s) of Sonora, Mexico.

The venue location and ticket information will be announced shortly.

“We’re very excited to present this fantastic triple header featuring the top five super flyweights in the world,” said TOM LOEFFLER of K2 PROMOTIONS. “With the great history of memorable bouts in the super flyweight combined with the extraordinary talents of these six fighters in these two world championship fights along with the world title eliminator, the fans will truly be the winners of this event.”

“Boxing fans will have the rare opportunity to see if the new champion, Sor Rungvisai can repeat his performance with another victory or if ‘Chocolatito’ will prove that he still belongs at the top of the pound-for-pound list by avenging a controversial loss.”

“We have had great interest from numerous venues wishing to host this event, we are currently working through the locations and will have a site and ticket announcement shortly.”

“Thanks very much to Peter Nelson of HBO for his continued foresight and interest in the lighter weight divisions which has influenced this tremendous event with the top five fighters in the super flyweight division being showcased.”

“This all-action super flyweight tripleheader will have fight fans eagerly awaiting September 9th,” says Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “We applaud all six fighters for their willingness to lace up their gloves to face the very best.”

“I would like to thank WBC, HBO, and K2 promotion for this opportunity,” said Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. “I’m honored to share the ring again and defend the WBC Super Flyweight Title against Roman Gonzalez. He is a legend and the best fighter I have faced.”

“I’m training hard to be the winner of this rematch. Boxing fans around the world will get to see another great fight between us, and I will win and take the WBC World Championship title back for everyone in Thailand.”

“I’m ready to go back into battle and reclaim by WBC Super Flyweight Championship from Sor Rungvisai on September 9,” said ‘Chocolatito’. “I know what I have to do to become victorious and with God’s help I will be champion once again.”

“As always thanks very much to Mr. Honda, K2 Promotions and HBO for this opportunity.”

On March 18, 2017, ‘Chocolatito’, universally recognized as The #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and holder of the WBC Super Flyweight Title, battled Srisaket Sor Rungivisai in front of a massive crowd at ‘The Mecca of Boxing’, Madison Square Garden.

Despite being dropped in the first round, the valiant ‘Chocolatito’ battled back in a brutal war that included a tremendous amount of hard-hitting from both combatants along with a number of head butts due to the aggressive styles of the orthodox champion and southpaw challenger.

Sor Rungvisai was declared the winner by controversial majority decision, 114-112, 114-112 and 113-113 in a fight that many believe to be the leading candidate for this year’s “Fight of the Year.”

The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered an immediate rematch so there would be no question who their champion would be.

Stated Naoya Inoue about his title defense and first bout in the United States, “It’s been my dream to fight in the United States and I’m very excited to be defending my title against Antonio Nieves on September 9. I look forward to putting on a great performance for the fans.”

“I’m very excited to face Naoya Inoue for the WBO Super Flyweight Title on September 9,” said Antonio Nieves. “This is my first world title opportunity and I’m very grateful to HBO, Tom Loeffler and Tim VanNewhouse for making this possible.”

The 24-year-old Inoue is among the most popular fighters in Asia, having already made five defenses of his WBO Super Flyweight Title he was awarded following his second round knockout of Omar Narvaez on December 30, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan.

Earning his nickname, “The Monster” from his heavy handed knockouts, Inoue is seeking to grow his fan base from the huge Asian community of U.S. based boxing fans.

Inoue kicked off his 2017 campaign with a third round stoppage of Ricardo Rodriguez on May 21 in Tokyo, Japan.

Fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio, Nieves will be looking to join the long history of world champions of Puerto Rican heritage. Undefeated through the first six years of his professional career, Nieves suffered his first loss very controversially, losing a 10-round split decision to Nikolai Potapov on March 10 in Detroit, Michigan.

Stated Carlos Cuadras, “I can’t wait to get back in the ring on September 9 against Juan Estrada. He’s a very tough fighter but I will be victorious and put on a show for the fans, then I want a fight with whoever is the champion ‘Chocolatito’ or Sor Rungvisai to get my belt back.”

“Carlos Cuadras is a great Champion and we will have a great fight but he is just the first step towards me becoming the best super flyweight in the world! See you September 9,” said Juan Francisco Estrada.

In a 2016 ‘Fight of the Year’ contender, former WBC Super Flyweight Champion Cuadras would lose for the first time in his eight-year career on September 10, 2016 by unanimous decision to Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez. Fighting furiously over the course of the twelve epic rounds in front of a huge crowd at The Fabulous Forum, Cuadras would come up just short on the scorecards losing by unanimous decision.

Most recently, Cuadras won a hard fought 10-round unanimous decision over fellow Mexican David Carmona on March 18, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

A former unified flyweight world champion, Estrada is best known for his action packed 12-round battle with Roman Gonzalez on November 17, 2012 in Los Angeles, losing a very close decision. Estrada also holds wins over former world champions Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Hernan Marquez.

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Hashtag: #SuperFly

TWITTER:
@ChocolatitoBox
@CuadrasOficial
@TomLoeffler1
@HBO
@HBOBoxing