Even Juan Francisco Estrada was surprised to hear Michael Buffer announce that he had won another game on Saturday night.
The Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez apparently worked out Estrada in their fierce battle, but two judges recorded their exciting 12-round championship match of 115 pounds for Estrada. Judge Jesse Reyes defeated Gonzalez 115-113, but he was dominated by judges Carlos Sucre (117-111) and David Sutherland (115-113) in the main event at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Sucre somehow scored nine rounds for the Mexican Estrada, who according to Sutherland won seven rounds. Reyes scored seven rounds for Nicaragua’s Gonzalez, who lost a split decision.
“I think I did enough to win,” Estrada Chris Mannix told DAZN during his post-fight interview. ‘Chocolatito is a great warrior and I think he deserves the trilogy. I knew it was a close fight. I did not know if I was up or down [through 10 rounds], but I had to end the fight in the last two rounds. ”
CompuBox counted a total of 74 more strokes for Gonzalez, who attributed them to Estrada’s Abroad, 391-317. According to CompuBox, Gonzalez received more power bumps (352-297) and more thrusts (39-17) than Estrada.
CompuBox also credited Gonzalez (1,317) and Estrada (1,1212) for hitting more – 2,529 – in this battle than any other 115-pound match followed by the company.
Estrada’s debatable victory could lead to an eventual rubber match with the former pound-for-pound king.
Regardless, Estrada (42-3, 28 KOs) retains its WBC super flyweight title and takes the 115-pound WBA Championship from Gonzalez (50-3, 41 KOs). The 30-year-old Estrada also avenged the last of his three professional defeats by defeating Gonzalez, who defeated Estrada by unanimous decision, in their 108-pound title fight of 108 pounds in November 2012 in Los Angeles.
Before Saturday night, he had already beaten Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr., the first and third opponents who defeated Estrada.
His victory over Gonzalez moves Estrada to a third battle against Sor Rungvisai (50-5-1, 43 KOs). The Thai south leg is the obligatory challenger for the WBC belt that Estrada took from him by winning a unanimous decision in April 2019 at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
Sor Rungvisai was the only opponent to beat Gonzalez before Estrada defeated him.
Gonzalez was his typical gracious self in defeat.
“Whatever happened had to happen, but I fought it hard,” Gonzalez said. ‘I would have been happy with the result anyway. I did my job. The only guarantee is from the Lord. ‘
Gonzalez and Estrada knocked it out at an absurd pace in the 12th round. A right-hander from Gonzalez stunned Estrada by just under 50 seconds to play in their second fight.
Estrada still came back to throw hard shots at Gonzalez, but he could not hurt Gonzalez.
Estrada landed a right hand early in the 11th round. They swapped the rest of an action-packed eleventh-round power play.
Gonzalez delivered numerous short shots during the 10th round while battling Estrada on the inside. Estrada was not nearly as accurate as Gonzalez in those three minutes.
An aggressive Gonzalez paired with several right hands in the first two minutes of the ninth round. A left-hander from Gonzalez beat Estrada by just under 40 seconds in the ninth round of balance.
A right-left combination by Gonzalez landed on the clock in the eighth round by about 10 seconds. Estrada stalked Gonzalez for much of the eighth round, but he did not hit much clean in those three minutes.
Estrada blew Gonzalez in the seventh round with about 45 seconds with a right hand. Estrada later landed in the seventh round hard shots, often in combination, but Gonzalez often fired back with his own power shots.
Estrada landed a right-handed mainfielder who pulled Gonzalez back and had a paw on his left eye with about 1:20 left in the sixth round. A right-left combination from Estrada ran by about 35 seconds in an impressive sixth lap for him.
Gonzalez and Estrada fought at a brilliant pace in the first half of the fifth round. Gonzalez nailed Estrada with a right hand with about 1:20 to go into the fifth.
Pabon warned Gonzalez for a low shot with just over 40 seconds in the fifth round.
Estrada’s four-stroke combination connects with 1:25 to go into the fourth round. Moments later, Gonzalez Estrada drilled with his right hand.
Gonzalez landed another right hand a few seconds later supporting Estrada in the ropes.
Estrada follows his left hook to the body with a left hook at the top by about 1:20 to go into the third round. A right-hander from Estrada supported Gonzalez in the final ten seconds of the third round.
A Estrada right-hander hit Gonzalez in the ropes with just under a minute left in the second round. A left-right combination by Gonzalez ends just after halfway through the second round.
Estrada and Gonzalez missed most of their beats during a tactical first round.
Keith Idec is a senior writer / columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.