Estrada defeats Cortes in fabulous fight

WBC Franchise boxer Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada defeated his fellow Mexican Argi Cortés by unanimous decision, in a highly competitive, surprisingly testing and thrilling fight, at the Multiple Use Center of Hermosillo, in Sonora, Mexico.

Gallo who`d been out of action for eighteen months, due to injury and then Covid, needed to shed some crusty ring rust. It took him time to get into top gear against a young, ambitious and aggressive Argi, who`d been superbly conditioned and meticulously strategized into ruthlessness, by wily Hall of Fame Coach Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain.

Gallo targeted and chopped the liver early on and Argi waited until the fourth round to open up and land sharp right hands which bloodied the champion`s nose. Thrilling exchanges up to the bell. Gallo who’d been stung, fought back, with tempered annoyance, trying to buzz his precocious and audacious opponent.

Argi upped the tempo in the fifth and the sixth but in the seventh, the heavier punching Gallo hit back and with venom! He found the mark, with a crunching left to the body and right to the head followed by two more laser rights. He brushed off two rights to land his own and a looping left body shot, which froze and dropped Argi.

Agri got up, retreated to the ropes and Gallo poured it on, but the Chilango weathered the storm and made it to the sweet chime of the bell and the balm of a minute`s recuperative respite. Gallo`s home crowd were thrilled and enthralled.

Argi was never quite as aggressive or dangerous after this visit to the canvass and was hotly pursued, milling on the retreat. In the twelfth and final round, Argi swung a mighty left, but it caught only air and he was correctively clipped with three big rights. Both then went for broke, but Gallo finished the stronger, albeit with some welts across his face.

Both embraced and Gallo went over to Argi`s corner to fulsomely congratulate Nacho on a superb preparation strategy, which had posed and presented a plethora of problems to be solved if not fully resolved.

He won by scores of 115-112, 115-112 and 114-113. Comfortable it wasn’t!

Acknowledging this Gallo said: “He is a great fighter, I did not expect him to be so hard. I have fought twice as many fights, so as the Champion I won.”

When Mexicans climb into the ring, a war of great magnitude and intense pride is waged. This one is a candidate for Fight of the Year!

DAZN confirmed this Saturday that González-Estrada III will take place on December 3, in a place to be defined.