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The rubber match between Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez finally has been rescheduled.
BoxingScene.com has learned that Estrada and Gonzalez are likely to meet a third time March 5 in a main event DAZN will stream from Pechanga Arena in San Diego. Their third bout is expected to take place nearly a year from the date Estrada edged Gonzalez by split decision in their 12-round rematch.
The controversial result of their second bout, which occurred March 13 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, necessitated this third fight for Estrada’s WBA “super” and WBC “franchise” 115-pound championships.
Mexico’s Estrada (42-3, 28 KOs) and Nicaragua’s Gonzalez (50-3, 41 KOs) were scheduled to square off a third time October 16 at an undetermined location, but Gonzalez contracted COVID-19 and their rubber match was postponed indefinitely.
The WBC elevated Estrada from world champion to franchise champion to allow him to fight Gonzalez a third time, rather than making a mandated defense of his WBC belt against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
Thailand’s Sor Rungvisai (50-5-1, 43 KOs) instead will meet another Mexican, Carlos Cuadras (39-4-1, 27 KOs), in their own 115-pound championship rematch, which DAZN is expected to stream February 5 as part of the Jessie Vargas-Liam Smith undercard. Sor Rungvisai, who lost a technical decision to Cuadras in May 2014 in Mexico City, and Cuadras, will fight for the WBC world super flyweight title that Estrada relinquished.
Judge Carlos Sucre drew intense criticism for scoring Estrada a 117-111 winner over Gonzalez on March 13.
Judge Jesse Reyes scored their second bout 115-113 for Estrada. Judge David Sutherland scored Gonzalez a 115-113 winner that night.
Their rematch, one of the best action fights of 2021, took place more than eight years after Gonzalez defeated Estrada by unanimous decision in their 12-round fight for Gonzalez’s WBA world light flyweight title. Gonzalez beat Estrada by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 in that November 2012 bout at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.