Rising Star Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez Stuns Legend Estrada, Reclaims WBC Super-Flyweight Title
On Saturday night in Phoenix, Arizona, rising boxing star Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez cemented his status as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world with a stunning stoppage victory over Mexican legend Juan Francisco Estrada. The 24-year-old Rodriguez, now 20-0 (13 KOs), reclaimed the WBC super-flyweight title and added the prestigious Ring Magazine championship to his growing résumé.
“I’m the legend slayer,” declared Rodriguez after the fight. “The better the opponent, the better I perform, and that’s just how I feel. It was only a matter of time before the world saw my true talent.”
The Texan boxer started the fight aggressively, stunning Estrada with a crisp uppercut in the third round. In the following round, another devastating uppercut set up a left hand that floored the defending champion. Although Estrada briefly put Rodriguez on the canvas with a right hand, the rising star composed himself and finished the round strong.
The defining moment came in the seventh round when Rodriguez unleashed a brutal left-hand body shot that crumpled Estrada, securing the stoppage victory. While one judge had Estrada ahead at the time of the stoppage, Rodriguez was adamant that he had dominated the fight.
“The scorecards were pretty crazy to me,” said Rodriguez. “I thought I was in control, even in the round I got dropped. But that’s boxing, and I’m just glad I was able to get him out of there.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn was full of praise for the young champion’s performance, stating that Rodriguez should now be considered among the elite pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, mentioning the likes of Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue, and Oleksandr Usyk.
“Jesse looked very heavy-handed, and at 24, he’s really building his strength,” said Hearn. “He’s already on the pound-for-pound list, but I think he is now firmly in the top five. The future is bright, and we’re honored to represent him.”
With the victory, Rodriguez solidified his status as one of the top boxers in the lightweight division. The rematch clause with Estrada remains an option, but the young champion is also eyeing unification bouts, potentially targeting the winner of the upcoming clash between Kazuto Ioka and Fernando Martinez.
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