This weekend brings the sequel card to HBO’s critically acclaimed Superfly card from last September. Chocolatito conqueror Srisaket Sor Rungvisai of Thailand returns to defend his WBC super flyweight title against Mexican contender Juan Francisco Estrada in the main event. Carlos Cuadras returns in the co-feature as well and a flyweight title fight will open the show.
Superfly was one of the surprise highlights of 2017. I never would have believed that HBO would run a super flyweight tripleheader at the start of the year. Yet, it not only happened, but it was enough of a success that we are seeing its sequel on Saturday night. This time the network is even stretching the concept to include not only super flyweights, but regular flyweights as well.
The clear star of the first show was Thai fighter Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (44-4-1, 40 KOs). Thailand can be notoriously difficult to get accurate fight results from when we are dealing with smaller cards, but boxrec lists his pro debut as in 2009 in Japan against future three division titleholder Akira Yaegashi. Not only did that fight not end well, but the respected online database lists Rungvisai as starting his career 1-3-1 before permanently relocating back to his native home.
That means that Sor Rungvisai is 43-1 with 40 stoppages since then. That’s a hell of a record, of course, but Thailand is also probably the single easiest country to build an epic record up in. There are always guys coming out of that beautiful nation with gaudy records and they can’t always cut it internationally. The first indication that this wouldn’t be the case with this particular power puncher came in 2013 when he hosted Japanese veteran titleholder Yota Sato, knocking him out in eight to take his belt. That is when Srisaket Sor Rungvisai arrived on the international fight scene.
After defending the title once, Srisaket traveled to Mexico to defend against top contender Carlos Cuadras. At his best, Cuadras is a great fighter and that night his overall game was just too much for the then titleholder. Thailand’s finest was outboxed over eight rounds that night with the fight going to a wide technical decision after eight rounds due to a cut on Cuadras.
A 2015 stoppage of Jose Salgado got him back in discussion, however, and Sor Rungvisai found himself back in a world title fight in early 2017 on a major American PPV undercard headlined by Gennady Golovkin and Danny Jacobs. The man in front of him that night was none other than the widely considered top pound for pound fighter of the day, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez. The two men fought a fierce, bloody battle in which the title challenger put Chocolatito down for the first time in a decade. Sor Rungvisai also bloodied up the pound for pound elite, although he did at least some of that work with illegal headbutts that he eventually lost a point for employing.
Though most thought the Nicaraguan legend had in the end done enough to win a closely contested fight, I can’t call the decision that came back for Srisaket Sor Rungvisai a robbery by any means. It was a very close fight that demanded and received a rematch. There would be no controversy the second time as the Thai power puncher decimated Gonzalez in September, putting him down twice and out cold in the fourth round. It was truly a shocking scene to see one of the best fighters of the generation beaten so savagely and definitively. That was the night Srisaket Sor Rungvisai became a star.
Like his opponent, Juan Francisco Estrada (36-2, 25 KOs) fought his way up in the traditional way of his birth country. In this case, however, the Mexican club scene is the considerably more difficult path. After starting 26-1, Estrada had his first world title opportunity at light flyweight against the very same Nicaraguan folk hero that Srisaket Sor Rungvisai would eventually make his mark against. Chocolatito was still in the peak of his powers and still at his best weight in 2012, however, so it is no surprise that he won a wide decision. Still, Estrada was much more competitive than most and it was an entertaining fight.
Estrada parlayed his strong performance that night into a second consecutive world title shot, this time up at flyweight where he is most comfortable. This task looked nearly as daunting on paper, however, as unified titleholder Brian Viloria was considered the sport’s top 112 lb fighter and had been on quite the tear through the division. Undeterred, Estrada used his youth and Mexican heart to set a burning pace that eventually tired and overwhelmed Viloria in the later rounds. The decision was split because boxing will always find a way to be stupid, but Juan Francisco Estrada was the clear winner that night and rightfully walked away with two belts.
Estrada went on to defend those belts five times, including an excellent win over Filipino Milan Melindo, before deciding to move up to super flyweight. This is where Estrada met Carlos Cuadras in September on the original Superfly card. After falling behind early, Estrada kept his steady, methodical approach that really began to pay off in the middle rounds. By the end of the night this was an extremely exciting fight. Estrada punctuated the proceedings with a tenth round knockdown to walk away with the decision win, arguably the biggest of his career given the HBO exposure the fight was receiving.
I see no way that this isn’t at least a pretty good fight. It could very well be a great one too. Both these men are offense first fighters with a full arsenal to work with. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is big, durable, and extremely powerful, while Juan Francisco Estrada is patient, methodical, and altogether more technical. I suspect the fight will play out in terms of how easy the Thai world titleholder finds it to bother his Mexican opponent with his power. Estrada should have the easier time landing of the two, but will he be able to take what is coming back any easier than Chocolatito could? We’ll find out Saturday night.
Carlos Cuadras (36-2-1, 27 KOs) returns in the show’s co-main event against inactive but talented Puerto Rican contender McWilliams Arroyo (16-3, 14 KOs). Given that Cuadras’s only losses have been close to Estrada and Chocolatito and that he holds a win over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, a win here makes him a very strong candidate for the main event spot in the rumored Superfly III card in December against the main event winner. He should win here too. Arroyo is talented and will be a big punching threat early, but he has never shown true commitment to the sport. He will have been out nearly two years come fight night. I can’t see him competing with someone as game and talented as Carlos Cuadras for a full ten rounds.
An intriguing flyweight title fight will open the show when low key Filipino three division world titleholder Donnie Nietes (40-1-4, 22 KOs) defends his IBF belt against Argentinian top contender Juan Carlos Reveco (39-3, 19 KOs). I can’t believe this fight is going to be on HBO. This is really, really well matched boxing on its highest levels, only in one of its smallest divisions. Nietes and Reveco have had decorated careers. I give the edge to the challenger, however, thanks to his superior recent level of competition. I was a big fan of recently retired top flyweight Kazuto Ioka and Reveco gave him two really competitive fights over the last couple years in narrow losses. Plus, his win over power puncher Felix Alvarado looks nicer and nicer as the Nicaraguan climbs the ranks.
The show begins at 9:30 PM Eastern Saturday night on HBO from the Inglewood Forum in California. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
