Juan ‘El Gallo’ Francisco Estrada 43-3 (28) and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez 51-3 (41) closed out their trilogy on Saturday night, but it may not be the last time we see them sharing the ring together.
Mexican Estrada, 32, won a majority decision over 35-year-old Nicaraguan Gonzalez by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114 to claim the vacant WBC super flyweight title at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Retired former world champion Sergio Mora, who provided commentary on the fight for broadcaster DAZN, wants to see the two little giants go at it again.
“I think it was a draw. I think I had it right. Me and Chris Mannix [of DAZN] had it [even]. We looked down and had it a draw. We have to see a fourth one,” Mora said to FightHype.
“Two other judges saw it differently. They saw it for Estrada. You can’t complain with that either. The first half of the fight was a tale of two different fights. It was all Estrada in the first half. It was mostly all Chocolatito in the second half of the fight; we just to see it again.”
Four fight series are rare in boxing, with most notable ones since the turn of the century being the pairing of Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, and Israel Vazquez vesus Rafael Marquez.
“We got to see a fourth. We’ve got a new version of Pacquiao-Marquez. We’re not going to be happy until we get closure, and when fighters fight enough time, you’re bound to get closure. Familiarity breeds violence and we’re about to see it again,” Mora continued.
“I’m not a judge, but one professional judge had it a draw. That’s how I had it, that’s how Chris Mannix had it.
“It was a close fight regardless; we’re not leaving satisfied. Chocolatito is 35 years old, time is not on his side. If they are going to do it again, do it next. No in-between fights. Maybe a little time off and then come back and do it again.
“The fans loved it, the crowds here loved it. It was another close, entertaining fight. Bring on the fourth.
“Fighters as we know get old overnight and in the first half of the fight, Chocolatito looked like he didn’t have that passion, that relentlessness that we’re always accustomed to seeing with him.
“Usually for an aging fighter it’s vice versa. They start out strong and then end badly. It was backwards for [Gonzalez]. So he still has fight left. It was a close fight. They need to do it again.
“You know what it is? Chocolatito said it in his post-fight interview. Show him the money. This legend deserves the money. If he goes and fights one of these younger champions he’s not going to get a seven figure payday that he needs or deserves.
“So the only money fight for him is the man that he just fought. So do it again.”
