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Juan Francisco Estrada is set for one rematch while firmly eyeing another.
The two-division and reigning lineal junior bantamweight champion attempts the second defense of his crown as he faces former 115-pound titlist Carlos Cuadras. Their bout—a rematch to their September 2017 non-title fight—headlines a three-title fight show, streaming Friday evening live on DAZN from Gimnasio TV Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico.
Both boxers came in at an announced 114.5 pounds (52 kg.), well under the 115-pound divisional limit.
Estrada (40-3, 27KOs) claimed the 115-pound crown following a 12-round win over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in their championship rematch last April, avenging a points loss from 14 months prior. Friday’s bout marks his first since a 9th round stoppage of Dewayne Beamon last August in his hometown of Hermosillo, Mexico.
Cuadras (39-3-1, 27KOs) looks to regain the title he lost to Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez in September 2016. The defeat ended a reign which lasted more than two years, beginning with a 12-round win over Sor Rungvisai in May 2014.
Estrada previously served as a unified flyweight titlist, a reign which began shortly after his failed bid to claim a 108-pound title held by Nicaragua’s Gonzalez. Plans call for a rematch to their November 2012 thriller, provided they both win on Friday.
Gonzalez—a four-division champion—enters the first title defense of his second reign as a junior bantamweight title claimant, having reclaimed a belt in a one-sided stoppage of England’s Khalid Yafai this past February. He will defend his belt versus Los Cabos’ Israel Gonzalez (25-3, 11KOs; no relation).
Both boxers weighed an announced 114 pounds (51.7 kg.) for their 12-round contest.
Julio Cesar Martinez (16-1, 12KOs) appears in the first of the three title fights on the night, though his opponent’s eligibility to challenge for his flyweight belt is currently in doubt.
Moises Calleros (33-9-1, 17KOs) answered the call as a replacement for Maximino Flores, who tested positive for COVID. However, the veteran journeyman came in as a bantamweight for a flyweight fight, tipping the scale at a beefy 117.4 pounds (53.3 kg). He will have two hours to shed the weight, although the likelihood is the bout moving forward with Martinez—who weighed 111 pounds—retaining his title status and Calleros paying a fine in order to participate in a non-title fight.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox