Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez, Julio Cesar Martinez return Oct. 23
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.
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Three of the best little fighters will make their return on the same card next month.
Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez and Julio Cesar Martinez will defend their titles on Oct. 23 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, it has been announced.
Estrada, No. 9 on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list, defends his junior bantamweight belt in a rematch against Carlos Cuadras. Gonzalez puts his junior bantamweight title on the line against Israel Gonzalez. And Martinez defends his flyweight strap against Maximino Flores.
Estrada and Gonzalez are expected to meet in a rematch if they win next month. Gonzalez defeated Estrada by a unanimous decision in 2012.
Estrada and Cuadras engaged in a competitive contest in 2017, with the former winning a narrow decision. Estrada (40-3 27 KOs) makes his 2020 debut. He last fought in October 2019, stopping Dewayne Beamon in nine rounds.
Estrada is eager to face Cuadras again but has his sights on “Chocolatito”.
“I am excited to return to the ring,” Estrada said in a press release. “It has been tough months for the whole world, and we want to give a great show to all the fans of this sport.
“The first fight against Cuadras was a good fight; without a doubt, this will be too. Also, we are going to share the show, Chocolatito and I. And if everything goes well, we hope to see each other again soon.”
González (49-2, 41 KOs) seemed to be in decline heading into a fight with then-titleholder Kal Yafai in February, as he was 2-2 in his previous four fights. But the former No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter found the fountain of youth, dominating Yafai and winning by ninth-round TKO to capture the belt.
“I want to thank God for giving me the strength to endure the sport I love and defend my world title,” Gonzalez said. “…. It is truly a blessing to fight in Mexico, and I am ready to give my all on October 23.”
Martinez (16-1 12 KOs) has become one of the most exciting fighters in the sport with his all-action style and ferocious punching power. The 25-year-old stopped Cristofer Rosales in the ninth round in December to win his belt. He outpointed Jay Harris in his first defense, in February.
“I’ve been preparing very well here with my trainer Mauricio Aceves,” Martinez said. “We’re having a very strong camp. Thank God that I’ve still been able to work out throughout the pandemic. Either my trainer comes to my house, or I go to his. Either way, I haven’t lost my conditioning.
“Thank God I haven’t been directly affected by the pandemic. I’ve been able to remain active with running and practical skills with the help of Mauricio. We’re just here putting the final touches on my training, but I’m very confident that my trainer has me in the best shape for this upcoming fight.”
The tripleheader will be streamed on DAZN in the U.S. and televised on TV Azteca in Mexico.