Juan Francisco Estrada sees his new campaign as potential to revive an old rivalry.
The former two-division titlist aims to claim a major title at a third weight class. His bantamweight journey begins with an all-Mexico showdown with the 27-year-old Karim Arce.
The hope is that a win will lead to a major title fight, which in turn could spark two very lucrative title defenses – a fourth fight with fellow ring icon Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, 52-4 (42 KOs), or a rematch with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, 21-0 (14 KOs).
Estrada, 44-4 (28 KOs), loves the idea of both fights but sees a viable pecking order.
“They are two very good options,” Estrada told BoxingScene. “I see a fourth one with Chocolatito as more possible.”
For now, Estrada is just concerned with planting his flag at bantamweight. His scheduled 10-round clash with Los Mochis’ Arce, 21-2-2 (8 KOs) headlines a TV Azteca show on Saturday from Centros de Usos Multiples from Estrada’s hometown of Hermosillo, Mexico.
The fight is the first for the 35-year-old future hall of famer since a knockout loss to Rodriguez in June 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. Estrada didn’t go down without a fight; he became the first to floor San Antonio’s Rodriguez, doing so late in the sixth after he was dropped in the fourth round.
Rodriguez eventually put Estrada away with a body shot knockout just before the bell in the seventh round. That setback ended his stay of more than five years as the lineal junior-bantamweight champion.
His reign presided over a golden era for the division. Estrada and Gonzalez were joined by Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras, all of whom held a major title at the weight. The quartet fought each other a combined nine times at the weight and 10 overall.
The lone clash outside of 115lbs came when Gonzalez edged Estrada in their thriller in November 2012 for Gonzalez’s WBA 108lbs title. Both fighters moved up in weight afterward – Gonzalez claimed the lineal and WBC flyweight championship, more than a year after Estrada became the unified WBA and IBF titlist.
Estrada, twice over, eventually gained his revenge over Gonzalez at junior bantamweight. Their rematch in March 2021 marked the lone unification bout among the series, which involved Estrada claiming a questionable split decision to win Gonzalez’s WBA title and defend his lineal and WBC championship.
Their rubber match in December 2022 was another close affair, in which Estrada was awarded a well-earned majority decision victory to go 2-1 up in their series. That win also ran Estrada’s record to 4-2 in six combined showdowns with Gonzalez, Sor Rungvisai and Cuadras.
“It felt good to be champion at that weight, as well as flyweight,” Estrada recalled. “I am very proud of what I achieved during that time – [especially at 115lbs] I was part of an era of boxers who have achieved a lot in this sport.”
With a win on Saturday and the right break afterward, it could pave the way to Estrada-Gonzalez IV. It would come at a third weight and extend their brilliant rivalry over 13-plus years.
“Obviously if they go up to the higher weight, that would be the one,” noted Estrada.
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on and .