Almost eight years in the making, WBC super-flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada can’t wait for his long-awaited return confrontation with great Nicaraguan rival Roman Gonzalez.
In November 2012, Estrada fell short on the cards in a WBA light-flyweight title tilt against champion Gonzalez and the Mexican has petitioned for a rematch ever since.
The duo both defend their current, 115lbs world titles in Mexico City on October 23 ahead of a projected rematch in 2021. Estrada meets fellow Mexican Carlos Cuadras in another return whilst Gonzalez (49-2, 41 KOs) defends his WBA Super crown against Israel Gonzalez.
“Eight years have passed, I hope no more time passes. We don’t get any younger. Right now we are in a great moment. We are the two champions and it would be a unification fight, which is something I have always longed for in my career,” Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs) told ESPN Deportes.
“It would be an extraordinary fight between two champions. It would be the best fight for me and it would be the best for him.
“Roman is a great champion, they said he was finished [after losing twice to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017] but he is champion again. He is a champion. The only difference is that I went down from flyweight to [light-flyweight] to fight him. But we are both in excellent condition to have an excellent fight, better than the first one.”
Main image: Gonzalez (left) and Estrada are closing in on a return.