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Rodriguez To Challenge Cuadras
For WBC Super Flyweight Title
Jesse Rodriguez will fight for his first World title as he
steps up to take on Carlos Cuadras for the vacant WBC World
Super-Flyweight title at the Footprint Center in Phoenix,
Arizona on Saturday night (February 5), live worldwide on
DAZN.
Rodriguez (14-0 10 KOs) announced a promotional deal with
Eddie Hearn and Matchroom last week, with the intention of
closing in on a World title shot in 2022 with a fight on
Saturday night’s bill.
That World title tilt now comes in his first fight with
Hearn as Srisaket Sor Rungvisai was forced out of the
rematch with Cuadras over the weekend through a non-COVID
related illness, taken ill in the fight hotel having arrived
in Arizona last Wednesday.
Robert Garcia-trained talent Rodriguez, who recently turned
22, featured on multiple 2022 fighters to watch lists, and
when ‘Bam’ spoke of his desire to fight for World titles
upon penning a deal with Hearn, he didn’t expect it to be so
soon but he’s ready to take a golden opportunity with both
hands and join his brother Joshua Franco as a World
champion.
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity to be fighting for
the WBC World title,” said Rodriguez. “It’s always been a
dream of mine to become World champion and that dream will
become reality this weekend. I want to thank RGBA, Teiken,
and Matchroom, without them this wouldn’t be possible. On
Saturday night, San Antonio will have another World
champion!”
Cuadras (39-4-1 27 KOs) was aiming to repeat his victory
over Rungvisai where he ripped the green and gold belt from
the Thai star in May 2014 in his Mexico homeland, but now
the 33 year old refocuses on a new test in the young tyro
Rodriguez.
It’s the second time that the Cuadras has tried to reclaim
the throne and comes on the back of his last battle for the
belt where he floored defending champion Estrada in the
third round of his defense before the champion prevailed in
Mexico in October 2020 – and he sends his well-wishes to his
former foe while excited to still have the chance to become
a World ruler again.
“I heard Rungvisai got sick, we arrived with my team last
night to Phoenix, I hope he is stable and without
complications,” said Cuadras. “For my part, I’m ready and
grateful with Teiken, Matchroom and the WBC for the
opportunity to fight Jesse, who is a good fighter.”
Rodriguez stepping in to take on Cuadras comes a week after
another young star, Julio Cesar Martinez, set the tone by
taking Juan Francisco Estrada’s place to tackle Roman
‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez in San Diego on March 5 in what
promises to be an explosive clash – and Hearn echoed his
words from that change in expecting both men to rise to a
new challenge this weekend.
“Once again, my hat goes off to both Carlos, Jesse and their
teams for making this happen,” said Hearn. “Both camps and
fighters were quick to get this fight together after
Srisaket was taken ill and unable to fight, and we wish him
well.
“But what a fight we have in prospect. Carlos has the chance
to become a two-time World champion and eye up the winner of
the Chocolatito-Martinez fight, and Jesse has been chomping
at the bit to get a World title shot and victory on Saturday
night catapults him into the mix for huge fights in 2022.
“The lower weights always deliver, and fate may well have
sent us another barn-burner to light up Phoenix on Saturday
night.”
Cuadras and Rodriguez clash on a big night of action in
Phoenix with more World title action on the card as Jamie
Mitchell (7-0-2 4 KOs) makes the first defense of her WBA
Bantamweight title against Carly Skelly (4-0-1).
Raymond Ford (10-0-1 6 KOs) defends his WBA Continental
Featherweight title for the second time against Edward
Vazquez (11-0 3 KOs), Fernando Diaz (10-1-1 3 KOs) was set
to face Rodriguez but now meets unbeaten Phoenix man Lorenzo
Smith (10-0 8 KOs) another new Matchroom Stateside signing
Aaron Aponte (4-0 KOs) looks to extend his unbeaten start to
life in the paid ranks against unbeaten Canadian Louis
Jourdain (2-0 1 KO), Light Heavyweight talent Khalil Coe
(1-0-1 1 KO) also meets Canadian opposition in the form of
Stuart Twardzik (1-0-1 1 KO) and there’s a big stage for two
Arizona fighters, Heavyweight Adam Stewart (12-1-1 8 KOs)
and Middleweight Elijah Garcia (9-0 8 KOs).
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