Boxing Fans Captivated by Intense Sparring Sessions between Rising Star Rodriguez and Legendary Gonzalez
As reported by ESPN, the ongoing sparring sessions between rising boxer Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, 23, and legendary four-division champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, 36, have been electrifying the boxing world, even without the glare of pay-per-view cameras or the commentary of announcers.
According to trainer Robert Garcia, these weekly sparring battles have been nothing short of thrilling, with “the last one [being] eight rounds of nonstop action – it had to be each throwing 100 punches every round.” Garcia brought the Nicaraguan icon “Chocolatito” to his Riverside, California, compound specifically to challenge the undefeated Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) as he prepares for his upcoming high-profile showdown against Mexico’s reigning WBC junior bantamweight champion, Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs), on June 29 in Phoenix.
“Not only did ‘Chocolatito’ fight ‘Gallo’ [Estrada] three times, but I get to put Jesse in against a guy he’s never faced and never will,” Garcia explained. “The work I’m seeing, the speed of the punches … it’s as intense as anything I’ve seen.”
Unbeaten junior middleweight Vergil Ortiz Jr., who witnessed one of the Rodriguez–Gonzalez sparring sessions, was “awed by the quality of the boxing and the mutual toughness” displayed by the two combatants. “We are preparing for our toughest fight,” Garcia said. “We know everything changes, in that ‘Gallo’ will bring out the best in ‘Bam.’ So that’s what ‘Chocolatito’ is doing: bringing out the best in ‘Bam.’“
Rodriguez, a former junior bantamweight champion, is seeking to unify the flyweight division after his most recent victory over England’s Sunny Edwards. Estrada, on the other hand, has proven himself against elite opponents like Gonzalez, Carlos Cuadras, and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, making this an intriguing and high-stakes matchup in the desert heat.
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