Sor Rungvisai Vs Estrada Undercard
After five weeks training at full steam in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, WBC super flyweight world champion Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada (39-3, 26 KOs) has returned to Hermosillo to close out a thorough training camp for his first defense against Dewayne Beamon (16-1-1, 11 KOs) on August 24 at the Centro de Usos Múltiples. Today Estrada will have a media workout to show the press his condition. Estrada-Beamon will be seen on DAZN in the U.S. and Azteca 7 in Mexico.
There will also be a load of international stars on the undercard. Former super welterweight world champion Liam Smith (27-2, 15 KOs) vs. an opponent to be named. And 2016 Rio super heavyweight bronze medalist Filip Hrgovic (8-0, 6 KOs) will face Mario “Chabelo” Heredia (16-6-1, 13 KOs), who beat former world champion Samuel Peter in his last fight.
Thank you for watching! 😇Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs Juan Francisco Estrada FULL FIGHT.
- Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Juan Francisco Estrada waged war Saturday in the HBO Boxing headliner.
- Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs. Kwanthai Sithmorseng (super flyweight) March 12 ESPN+ Lewis Crocker vs. Deniz Ilbay (welterweight) March 13 DAZN Juan F. 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez (WBC/WBA super flyweight titles) Hiroto Kyoguchi vs. Axel Aragon Vega (WBA light flyweight title) Jessica McCaskill vs. Cecilia Braekhus (WBA/WBC/IBF/WBO female.
Also, 2016 Rio silver medalist Shakhram Giyasov (8-0, 6 KOs) will face former WBA lightweight world champion Darleys Pérez in a junior welterweight six-rounder Colombian Darleys Pérez (34-4-2, 22 KOs).
Local flyweight favorite Luis “Chapo” Castro (17-3-2, 12 KOs) will face WBC #10 rated Ernesto “Destructor” Irías (14-2, 9 KOs) for the WBC Latin title.
Other prospects include Eduardo “Koreano” Ramírez (12-1-2, 9 KOs), Bryan “Latino” Acosta (10-0, 5 KOs), Roberto “Tornadito” Sánchez (19-2, 13 KOs), Daniel Lugo (12-0, 7 KOs), Saúl Robles (14-0, 9 kos), Noe Robles, a clash between unbeaten female boxers Marisol Moreno (5-0, 2 KOs) and Yolanda Vega (5-0, 3 KOs), a superbantam battle between Adrián Montoya (8-0, 7 KOs) and Oscar Quezada, plus unbeaten featherweight Irving Turrubiates (20-0, 13 KOs) against Neil John Tabano (17-6, 11 KOs) in a ten-rounder.
On Friday, April 26th, Matchroom Boxing Promotions presents a night of boxing action live from The Forum in Inglewood, California, and streamed on DAZN. The card features two championship fights that will definitely provide fireworks. In the main event, one of the sport’s P4P best fighters Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will put his WBC super flyweight title on the line in a rematch against Juan Francisco Estrada. Their 2018 fight was a war and praised by both boxing critics and fans.
In the co-main event, Daniel Roman and TJ Doheny will face off in a super bantamweight unification fight for the WBA and IBF titles. Also on the card are notable fighters Jessie Vargas a former 2-division champ, Humberto Soto a former two division title holder, and rising prospect Anthony Sims Jr.
There are at least 8 fights scheduled for this event. The entire fight card will be streamed on DAZN with the event to start at 7 PM ET. Boxing betting sites have odds for most of the scheduled matches. Let’s take a look at these matchups, evaluate the current boxing odds for betting value, and KO our picks.
For those of you looking to jump straight into the betting action, we recommend you check out these sites:
Jessie Vargas (28-2-2, 10 KOs) vs Humberto Soto (69-9-2, 37 KOs)
- Jessie Vargas (-650)
- Humberto Soto (+475)
I must admit, I was surprised to see that Humberto Soto is still fighting after all of these years. With that said, these betting odds are appropriate, considering where the two fighters are at in their respective careers. Vargas is 9 years younger and has a lot less wear and tear on his body than Soto. I don’t expect Soto to lay down and get walked all over, but I also don’t see him winning this fight. Neither boxer offers betting value and I believe a flyer on Soto is too risky.
Vargas vs Soto Preview
| Boxer | Jessie Vargas | Humberto Soto |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 29 | 38 |
| Height | 5’11” | 5’7.5” |
| Reach | 71” | 69” |
| Total Fights | 32 | 81 |
| Record | 28-2-2 | 69-9-2 |
| Knockouts | 10 | 37 |
This fight will be at a contracted weight of 151 pounds. Both athletes believe that a win in this contest could set them up for a potential title shot at WBO junior middleweight champ Jamie Munguia. For Soto, he realizes the odds are stacked against him, but cautions the doubters because he was also an underdog against Brandon Rios two months ago and won via UD:
“The odds were against me in my last fight against Brandon Rios, and I know that this fight will not be any different. This gives me extra motivation to prove everyone wrong again and to add a third loss to Vargas’ record. I am extremely happy for this new chapter in my career and I am not going to waste this great opportunity. Like I said before, this is a do-or-die fight.”
Soto has won 4 straight fights and 11 of his last 12 bouts. His last loss was against Orozco 3 ½ years ago and it was via UD. So, despite his age and mileage, Soto is still a tough challenge. The grizzled vet will make life difficult for Vargas this weekend, but will it be enough to pull off the upset?
Team Vargas had been lobbying for a fight against Kell Brook, but it didn’t come to fruition due to Brook’s timeframe and desire to fight fellow countryman Amir Kahn. So, Vargas and his promoter decided to move on and accepted the challenge from Soto who called out Jessie after Humberto defeated Rios:
“Soto is an experienced world-class fighter who challenged me immediately after his win over Brandon Rios. The challenge has been accepted and on April 26, I plan to come out victorious.”
Vargas has had a bumpy few years after starting off on fire going 22-0. He ran into Timothy Bradley Jr. and lost via UD then lost to Pacquiao 18 months later. After that, Vargas derfeated Herrera via UD, but then scored Draws in his last two fights: Broner 12 months ago and Dulome 6 months ago.
So, Vargas changed trainers and is now with the revered Freddie Roach. Jessie’s ambitious career plans are to defeat Soto and go after Munguia at the 154 pound weight class. His days as a welterweight appear to be over. With no significant wins in the last few years, one has to question whether or not Vargas is still a title contender or if his best days are behind him.
That fight week feeling! #VargasSoto@jessievargas_#RungvisaiEstrada2pic.twitter.com/TibLqnjfC3
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) April 22, 2019
Nawaphon Sor Rungvisai
Can Vargas Defeat Soto in Convincing Fashion?
Despite their age difference, Soto has actually been the more accomplished fighter over the last few years. With that said, Vargas is a step up in competition for Soto and I just don’t trust the veteran’s skills anymore. Not against this caliber of opponent. Rios is a shot fighter and Vargas is not. Now, you add Roach to the mix and I believe Vargas is going to win this fight.
Vargas believes that he will win this fight and send Soto into retirement:
“I do look forward to coming out victorious with an impressive victory. If that sends him into retirement, then that shall be. He’s an older fight, that’s exactly what you’re saying. He’s an older veteran that’s been through it all. He’s been in war after war after war. That makes retirement possible after a devastating defeat. After a devastating defeat comes in, he may retire.”
I don’t see Soto retiring after this bout. If anything, Vargas will win via UD, which probably won’t be “devastating.” For this bet, the smart money and safe play is on Jessie Vargas to win.
TJ Doheny (21-0, 15 KOs) vs Daniel Roman (26-2-1, 10 KOs)
- TJ Doheny (+500)
- Daniel Roman (-700)
It’s always exciting to watch unification bouts. That’s what the sport should aim to accomplish in every weight class. For this fight, I am a bit surprised at the odds having such a disparity. Roman has been a long standing contender in the division, but Doheny shouldn’t be this much of an underdog. I believe TJ offers betting value as Roman is overpriced.
Doheny vs Roman Preview
| Boxer | TJ Doheny | Daniel Roman |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 32 | 28 |
| Height | 5’5.5” | 5’5” |
| Reach | 68” | 68” |
| Total Fights | 21 | 29 |
| Record | 21-0 | 26-2-1 |
| Knockouts | 15 | 10 |
TJ Doheny comes into this fight undefeated and winning the IBF title last August against Ryosuke Iwasa. Doheny traveled to Japan to take on Iwasa and pulled off the upset as he won via UD. He then successfully defended the title against Ryohei Takahashi In January and won via TKO in the 11th round.
For Doheny, he hasn’t competed against as many top fighters as Roman has, which one reason why he’s viewed as a big underdog. With that said, he still has the punching power to dramatically change the outcome of this bout. And, it gives him a legit chance at winning.
After winning the world title, Doheny told his promoter that he wants unification fights next. Matchroom Boxing was able to get that done. The two men met face to face in the ring at MSG and showed mutual respect for each other. TJ believes their fight will be a war and provide plenty of action for the fans:
“Danny’s a great fighter, he adds a lot of pressure, he’s a great puncher, great punch selection, he’s got it all really. It’s going to be a great fight between us, and I won’t be surprised if the fans get to see a bit of a war. Fighting Danny in his home city, that doesn’t bother me. I’ve been fighting on the road my whole career, so it will be no different to me. It’s me and him in the ring, and it’s going to be all action.”
Danny Roman has won 18 straight fights including going 3-0 last year. He defeated Shun Kubo in September 2017 to win the WBA title and has successfully defended it 3 times since then. For Roman, he gets to fight in front of his hometown fans, which he is very excited for especially since his last 5 fights have spanned the globe.
Roman knows that this will be a tough fight and is treating it like the most important fight of his career:
“This is the biggest and most important fight of my career. I haven’t been shy about wanting to unifying the division. This is the fight that I’ve been asking for since I became a World Champion. I need to deliver on my goal of becoming the best and a win against another World Champion puts me in that conversation. It will be a new experience for me because I’m not fighting a challenger, I’m fighting another belt holder. It’s exciting in a lot of ways. I’ll be at my best because I’m planning to add another title on April 26.”
If Roman can win this fight, he has plans to continue to unify the division and then explore a potential move up or down in weight.
Who Becomes the Unified Champ?
Whoever wins on Friday, will most likely have to face Brandon Figueroa in the very near future as he now holds the interim-WBA title after winning the belt last Saturday night on the Garcia vs Granados card. That would be an exciting fight and a tough one for the full WBA champ.
With that said, I believe Doheny offers great value as I see this fight going to the judges. In that scenario, TJ’s +500 odds are very appealing. I believe taking a flyer on Doheny is worth the risk. Roman might be the smart play for the oddsmakers and the safe wager for bettors, but Doheny has great value and a good chance at pulling off the upset. I’m taking Doheny to win via Split Decision.
Juan Francisco Estrada (38-2, 26 KOs) vs Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (47-4-1, 41 KOs)
- Juan Francisco Estrada (+160)
- Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (-185)
In the main event, boxing fans will be treated to an exciting rematch between two great fighters. Their first fight ended in a Majority Decision win for Rungvisai with the 12th round of that bout being incredible. Oddsmakers have weighed the outcome of that first fight in their listed betting odds for this contest. These are the closest odds on the night and rightfully so. Estrada offers more betting value as the underdog, but Rungvisai is the favorite and he does offer some betting value as well. Whichever fighter you choose, it will result in a nice return on your boxing wager.
Estrada vs Rungvisai Preview
| Boxer | Juan Francisco Estrada | Srisaket Sor Rungvisai |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 29 | 32 |
| Height | 5’4” | 5’3’ |
| Reach | 66” | 63.5” |
| Total Fights | 41 | 52 |
| Record | 38-3 | 47-4-1 |
| Knockouts | 26 | 41 |
In their first fight, the former WBO and WBA champ Estrada wasn’t 100% healthy as he was hampered by a knee injury. However, that didn’t stop him from putting on a tremendous performance in one of the best fights of 2018. Estrada talked about how his knee injury affected his training for the first fight:
“I was 50 percent prepared last time, not because I didn’t want to train but because I had some injuries that affected my preparation and we had no choice but to keep facing the fight as it was a very important fight. I had a knee injury first time around and my reactions were not the same. I could not run the same, I was tired but I showed heart. The final round was one of the best rounds of the year, and if I was 100 percent prepared with no injuries the whole fight would have been like that and maybe he wouldn’t handle that round.”
Since the loss to Rungvisai, Estrada has gone on to win two fights and earned another shot at the champ in what should be a tremendous fight.
Sor Rungvisai, also known as Wisaksil Wangek, went on to fight two more times in 2018 as well. Both of those fights were back in his home country of Thailand. He won those fights via TKO and UD. He’s on a 20 fight win streak and has lost in almost 5 years. This time around, Rungvisai, who’s one of the Top 10 P4P fighters in the sport, believes that he can get the knockout in this rematch:
“This is a very important fight. I’m fully fit, more than 100 percent actually, and ready for this fight. I’m confident I can knock him [Estrada] out this time. I feel no pressure. I’m just going to concentrate on doing my best. Hopefully the Thai fans will give me all their support. I will try to bring back the belt and make the Thai people happy again. I will also try to defend my title for as long as possible.”
Who Wins the Highly Anticipate Rematch?
Like his counterpart, Estrada believes that he can score a knockout as well. He points to the 12th round of their first fight where he has Rungvisai in trouble and “nearly knocked” the champ out. In regards to their first fight, Rungvisai made the following comments:
“Estrada is a great fighter, and we had an amazing fight last year. Our round 12 was awarded Round of the Year by WBC. That is evidence of how entertaining the previous fight was. I believe that this fight on April 26 will be even more entertaining.”
If that’s the case then it’s the boxing fans who will come out the winner. We can only hope for another 12 round action packed fight. With that said, I still have to give the edge to Rungvisai. I believe he has the skills to outbox Estrada in a rematch. However, I also wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being a Draw due to Estrada coming in at full health unlike last year’s contest.
As I mentioned above, Estrada offers solid betting value. However, I’m taking the champ to successfully defend his title in a great fight.
DAZN Undercard Fights
The following undercard fights have listed betting odds:
Anthony Sims Jr. (18-0, 17 KOs) vs Vaughn Alexander (14-2, 9 KOs)
- Anthony Sims Jr. (-5000)
- Vaughn Alexander (+2000)
This matchup is tied for the biggest disparity in betting odds on the night. Anthony Sims Jr. comes in as a massive betting favorite and rightfully so. He’s the rising prospect with title ambitions later this year. Sims has 17 KOs in 18 pro fights and has been brutalizing his competition. His first pro fight ended in a UD, but his next 17 straight bouts have ended in a KO or TKO.
Vaughn Alexander has lost two of his last four fights and really is nothing more than a stepping stone for Sims. Alexander has already reached his ceiling and is 9 years older than his counterpart in this fight.
Sims will be the first to say that he’s “a work in progress,” but there’s no denying his talents:
“I am a work in progress. I’ve been working on my jab, letting my hands go, and getting loose. My record says that I am power puncher, so I am trying to get back to boxing as you can’t just go out there and expect to blast everyone away.”
Sims is very accurate in this statement, but I still think he will enter this fight and “blast” away Alexander. I’m taking Sims to win via TKO.
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
Shakhram Giyasov (7-0, 6 KOs) vs Emmanuel Taylor (20-5, 14 KOs)
Sor Rungvisai Boxrec
- Shakhram Giyasov (-5000)
- Emmanuel Taylor (+2000)
This fight is all about Giyasov and his potential as a rising prospect in the welterweight division. Shakhram is undefeated as a pro and a decorated amateur having won a silver medal in the 2016 summer Olympics. He last fought two months ago and win via TKO. Since then, he was signed by Matchroom Boxing who believes that Giyasov can be a future world champ.
Taylor has a solid record, but is listed as a huge underdog largely because he hasn’t fought in almost two years. Emanuel Taylor has fought against top contenders like Matthysse, Broner and Orozco in the past. Unfortunately, he lost to all three of them. Taylor has lost 4 of his last 7 fights.
This is a big fight for Giyasov as Taylor is a step up in competition. However, all signs point to the 25 year old getting the win on Friday. The only question is whether or not Giyasov will get the stoppage or have to win via UD.
The smart money is on Shakhram Giyasov. Neither fighter offers any value nor is Taylor worthy of a flyer.
Alberto Melian (4-0, 3 KOs) vs Isaac Zarate (16-4-3, 2 KOs)
- Alberto Melian (-3400)
- Isaac Zarate (+1450)
Like with Shakhram Giyasov, this fight is all about Alberto Ezequiel Melian as he looks to remain undefeated at the expense of his opponent Zarate. He last fought in January and TKO’d his opponent Edgar Ortega in the 10th round of their fight. It was the first time Ortega had ever been knocked down.
Melian, who fights for Golden Boy Promotions, is a two-time Olympian for Argentina. Although he’s undefeated, some critics believe that Melian still has a long ways to go before becoming a title contender.
Zarate lost his last fight which was in November. He suffered a TKO loss, which was the 4th of his career. Zarate was a decent fighter, but has reached his ceiling. He will provide a solid challenge for Melian, but he won’t be a threat to win this fight and isn’t worth a flyer.
I’m taking Melian to win via UD.
Ronnie Rios (29-3, 13 KOs) vs Daniel Olea (13-7-2, 5 KOs)
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai Next Fight
- Ronnie Rios (-3400)
- Daniel Olea (+1450)
It’s disappointing to see how far Rios has fallen. A few years ago, he was a legit title contender having fought Rey Vargas for the WBC junior featherweight title in 2017. Unfortunately, he lost that fight via UD. He would bounce back to defeat Bassa four months later. That set him up for a fight against Azat Hovhannisyan 13 months ago. Rios was the favorite heading into the contest, but suffered a nasty KO loss in the 6th round.
Instead of fighting on the main card, Rios is now fighting in the prelims once again. And, he’s taking on someone that shouldn’t offer any real competition. In fact, it’s safe to say that Daniel Olea is a glorified sparring partner as he’s lost 3 straight fights.
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai Boxrec
This bout is all about Rios getting some confidence back and rebuilding his career if possible. At 29 years old, Rios’ window as a title contender is running out. With that said, look for Rios to win this fight via TKO before the final rounds.
Final Thoughts on DAZN’s Boxing Card
There are three big boxing events this weekend. Out of the three, I believe this one could be the most exciting. The main event should be another 12 round war. And, that means we all win as fans and viewers. The co-main event will also be a solid contest between two champs looking to unify belts. I’m also intrigued with the Vargas vs Soto fight. Can Humberto Soto pull off the upset or will Jessie Vargas look like a new fighter under Freddie Roach’s tutelage?
This DAZN boxing event has plenty of entertainment value and it also offers some betting value in the main card fights. Friday night will be a fun night for boxing fans.
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