Estrada vs. Chocolatito 2 Delivers as Promised
More than eight years had passed since Roman “Chocolatito“ González (50-3, 41 KOs) and Juan Francisco Estrada (42-3, 28KOs) last met inside a boxing ring. In their first encounter, González bested Estrada by a comfortable unanimous decision. Since then Estrada had gone 15-1 while González went 16-2. Both men had accomplished much since their first encounter, but a rematch was always on the mind of the boxing fan. The wait would culminate last night as both fighters laced up their gloves to meet once again in a fight appropriately titled; “Revenge or Repeat”.
Even though both men had amassed solid records since their first fight, González’ two defeats were of concern heading into the rematch. He suffered two consecutive defeats to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, with the second one coming by way of a devastating knockout. The losses would knock González off as the number one pound for pound fighter in the world and would lead to speculation as to whether or not he was finished as an elite fighter.
The hype for this super flyweight championship showdown was at a fever pitch and the fighters were expected to deliver a show. They did just that. The opening bell rang and both men went to work delivering nonstop action. There was no let up from either fighter. The final punch output would surpass their first bout and even set a new super flyweight record with a combined total of 2,529 punches thrown.
The final bell would bring an end to a close and competitive bout. It seemed, however, that Roman González had once again bested Juan Francisco Estrada. He rallied in the championship rounds and finished the twelfth and final round stronger than his Estrada. In the end the decision would be in the hands of the judges. One judge gave Chocolatito the nod with a 115-113 score. A second judge gave Estrada a similar score of 115-113. Unfortunately, a third judge would give an egregious score of 117-111 in favor of Estrada.
The problem wasn’t necessarily that Estrada won, although the argument can be made that it was González who should have been given the decision. The problem lies in the 117-111 scorecard. It was a wide score for a fight that was much closer and competitive. With this being said, you have to ask yourself, ”Did boxing politics and business ruin a great fight?”
The fight itself isn’t ruined because both men delivered the goods. They gave it their all and each fighter should be proud of their performance. The result won’t change and Estrada has evened up his rivalry with González. The only logical step moving forward, if both fighters want to have a definitive end to their rivalry, is to have a third one. A trilogy would settle the score. The ball is in Estrada’s corner. Does he want to run it back again or will he opt to face his mandatory challenger, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai? Time will tell, but for now, boxing fans can revel in yesterday’s boxing classic.
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