5 of the best boxing rivalries of all time
1. Roman Gonzalez vs. Juan Francisco Estrada
The most recent rivalry on the list has fighters below the bantamweight division. Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez and Juan "El Gallo" Francisco Estrada would engage in three fights over a 10-year period.
Similar to the Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez rivalry, Gonzalez-Estrada was simply about proving their superiority inside the ring.
Their first fight in November 2012 was on an undercard on a rainy night at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles. Gonzalez was the WBA junior flyweight champion. In comparison, Estrada was fighting for the first time outside of Mexico in his first world title match.
To the surprise of many, Estrada hung in with Gonzalez, fighting on even terms in most rounds. Gonzalez walked away with a unanimous decision, but there was a feeling that there was some unfinished business.
It would take almost ten years for a rematch to happen. The two would circle each other in the same weight class for years while both held titles at flyweight.
Gonzalez would reach a new level of fame when he was on HBO in 2015, with many recognizing him as the number one fighter in the world pound-for-pound.
After two back-to-back losses to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017, one of which was a brutal knockout, it was thought that Gonzalez's time had passed. In comparison, Estrada had become the best super flyweight in boxing with wins over Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras.
Gonzalez would bounce back, regaining his championship form in stopping Khalid Yafai for a title at super flyweight. With both fighters more established to the casual boxing fan, a rematch was set for March 2021.
In what can be described as awe-inspiring, Gonzalez and Estrada would throw a combined 2,529 total punches. Estrada would win a heavily disputed split decision.
The scorecards by the judges did leave a sour taste as a majority of observers felt Gonzalez had done more than enough to have his hands raised. The 117-111 scorecard in Estrada's favor by Judge Carlos Sucre led to a suspension by the WBA.
The rubber match was a little over a year later, in December 2022. It didn't quite match the sheer madness of the second bout, but it was still one of the year's best fights. This time, Gonzalez was unable to match Estrada blow for blow, losing a more legitimate majority decision.
Gonzalez-Estrada was a rare rivalry for fighters below the bantamweight division, especially for the second and third fights to have been seen by such a broader audience. All three matches were equally filled with action, will, and effort.
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