NEW YORK — This is boxing season and the schedule continued Saturday evening as Latino fighters set the tone including Teofimo Lopez and Jesse “Bam Bam” Rodriguez. Lopez successfully defended his WBO and Ring Magazine titles in Miami and Rodriguez (Mexican-American) from San Antonio, Texas, dethroned WBC super flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada (Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico).
Again boxing reigned supreme Saturday night with the Lopez win, televised Top Rank/ESPN from Miami. Rodriguez, “Bam Bam” as he is known, placed himself in position to unify the titles and be considered as a top three when it comes to pound-for-pound best with a seventh round KO), Matchroom Boxing and streamed live on DAZN in Phoenix.
Jesse “Bam Bam” Rodriguez moments after his victory on Saturday night in Phoenix – Image Credit: Matchroom Boxing
Through Lopez (21-1, 13 KO’s) in his third fight at junior welterweight (140) and seeking to unify the division, replicating what he accomplished at 135 (lightweight) perhaps for the first time showed some flaws with his power punches. A major repertoire for Lopez has always been his ability to punch and rid his opponents, and after this one that is being questioned.
Regardless, he said, this is another step for a takeover again in quest to become undisputed champion in the four-belt era. Lopez is also eying another step with speculation at moving to 147, that also another premiere division in the sport.
Teofimo Lopez strikes Steve Claggett during sixth round of Saturday night’s ESPN/Top Rank Boxing Main Event in Miami – Image Credit: Top Rank Boxing
Canadian contender Steve Claggett (38-8-2, 6 KOs) who was coming off a nine-fight winning streak, charged at Lopez from the opening bell. The 35-year-old had Lopez against the ropes for much of the fight, where he landed short punches around Lopez’s shoulder roll defense.
Lopez used his head movement at close range to evade many shots, but he was more comfortable on the outside. The 26-year-old moved often to establish distance, connecting quick combos around Claggett’s high guard, including a flurry that hurt him in the eighth.
THE CHAMP HAS ARRIVED 🏆 @TeofimoLopez pic.twitter.com/abML6zWQ2i
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 30, 2024
Lopez retained his crown with scores of 120-108 2x & 119-109. He moves on and could resume his quest for the takeover in September, speculation about opposing Devin Haney, the WBC champion in recess who had his undefeated streak stay in tact after losing to Ryan Garcia in April, a contest that was nullified because of Garcia’s year long suspension leveled by the New York State Athletic Commission. Garcia was suspended due to illegal use of an alleged steroid that did not meet standards of VADA (Voluntary Anti Doping Agency) and the New York State Athletic Commission.
Regardless, Lopez moves on and awaits his next opponent with a potential date in September.
“I knew exactly what kind of fighter he was,” Lopez said. “I knew he would come forward and test my conditioning. And that’s what we had. We went twelve rounds. The will has to be stronger than the skill. And that’s what we showed tonight. If I was tired, I know he was more tired because I worked very hard for this. We knew we had to break him down. The body shots were hurting him.”
“I’m very grateful. He’s a tough fighter. I don’t think anyone should overlook him. I knew that coming into this.”
The ESPN co-main event highlighted former WBO Featherweight world champion Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs) stopping Mexico’s Brandon Leon Benitez (21-3, 9 KOs) in the seventh round.
Robeisy Ramirez connects a left-handed blow on Brandon Leon Benitez in Saturday night’s ESPN/Top Rank Boxing Co-Main Event – Image Credit: Top Rank Boxing
Ramirez set the pace early by hurting Benitez with power shots in the second and third rounds. Benitez tried to work on the inside, but consistently created space for combinations by either pushing him off or using his feet.
In round seven, the two-time Olympic gold medalist began to move even more, touching Benitez with light punches. He then connected a devastating left uppercut that dropped Benitez, who did not recover, forcing the referee to end the fight at 2:46.
UPPER CUT FROM HELL 😱@RobeisyRamirez, HOW ABOUT IT! pic.twitter.com/dJDGGUjLcg
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 30, 2024
Ramirez said, “It’s no secret that Ismael Salas is one of the best strategists in the world. And so the plan was to wear him down little by little. Then, after the last round, he tells me not to look for power shots but to move a bit and to return to my {amateur} roots. That’s what I did. I touched and touched, and I found the shot.”
“It’s not my first time landing a shot like that. It feels good to land a punch like that because it demonstrates that we worked hard in camp.”
In Phoenix and as Lopez continued to comment about his win “Bam Bam” and Estrada had that thriller. It was Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) getting the seventh round knockout and winning the WBC junior bantamweight title. “Bam Bam” dropped Estrada with a straight left hand in round four and again in round five.
Then as a classic unfolded, Estrada dropped “Bam Bam” in round six with a right hand. The liver shot to Estrada ended the contest in round seven, possibly a fight of the year candidate and one that was expected in a division that provides these types of fights.
What a fight! #EstradaBam lived up to the hype 🥊 Take a look back at the action from tonight's main event presented by @autozone 💥 pic.twitter.com/Jr3g6ed3Y6
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) June 30, 2024
One official scorecard had Estrada ahead which led to questions. At time of the stoppage, Estrada was up 57-56 on one card, a second judge had it 58-54. Rodriguez and another had it even.
“I got him with a good body shot,” said Rodriguez about the finishing punch. “I saw the way he was rolling on the floor, I knew that was it.”
Rodriguez won the WBC title for the second time at 115 pounds and broke Estrada’s eight-fight winning streak. In the meantime, Estrada can invoke the rematch clause, though Rodriguez may have other plans and stay at junior bantamweight, looking to unify whoever wins the upcoming Fernando Martinez-Kazuto Ioka encounter on July 2 in Japan.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and contributor to Latinosports.com – X (Formerly Twitter): @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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