3 of the best boxing matches scheduled for 2024

Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez June 29

In what can be considered a potential passing of the torch match, Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico, will fight Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) for the WBC and Ring Magazine lineal super flyweight championship. The fight has all the ingredients to be a classic action fight that lives up to the superfly moniker Estrada and his contemporaries set. 

Rodriguez made his name in 2022 by taking advantage of an opportunity to move up to the super flyweight division. In an unexpected yet dominating upset, Rodriguez defeated one of Estrada's rivals, Carlos Cuadras. He followed that win with another stellar performance over another rival of Estrada's, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Rodriguez became the first fighter to stop Rungvisai since his first two professional bouts. Rodriguez's subsequent move back down to flyweight, where he unified the IBF and WBO titles, further solidified his position in the boxing world, earning him a spot on Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound list.

For over a decade now, Estrada has been one of the best fighters below bantamweight. His fights with the foursome of himself, Cuadras, Rungvisai, and Roman Gonzalez will be remembered as ones that defined the flyweight divisions for years to come. Most recently, Estrada settled the score in his trilogy match, with Gonzalez winning a majority decision in December 2022.

Estrada's two recent fights with Gonzalez were all-time action affairs, specifically their second encounter. While Estrada was fortunate to have his hands raised in victory, it's unclear how much he has left in the tank. It looks like Rodriguez is facing Estrada at the perfect time. But, looking at each fighter's history, Estrada isn't going to hand over the torch to Rodriguez. The younger man will have to take it.