It's good news, bad news, for "El Professor" Joshua Franco of San Antonio. The great news is the super flyweight champ has been elevated to full champ status and is losing the "regular" designation. The bad news is the world champ is also losing his potential legacy-making, mega-fight, with the legendary, multi-division world champ and future first ballot hall of Famer Juan Francisco Estrada.
Franco has long been in line for a mega fight. El Professor last fought a year ago and dominated former champ Andrew Moloney, over 12 mostly one-sided rounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The WBA, in an effort to consolidate its world titles, had notified that Franco would be fighting the winner of the then champ. Choclatito Gonzalez and Juan Francsico Estrada. Estrada was awarded the benefit of the doubt with Chocolatito and was ordered to fight Franco.
The WBA approved a third Estrada-Gonzalez bout given the controversial ending of the rematch, with the caveat being the winner agreed to fight Franco next. Estrada-Gonzalez 3 was due to take place last October but was delayed when Gonzalez tested positive for Covid and was then rescheduled and later canceled when Estrada tested positive.
With the Estrada-Chocolatito trilogy off, the path was cleared for Estrada-Franco. Estrada has now decided to part ways with his version of the WBA belt and avoids Franco altogether. It appears Estrada will go back to the negotiating table with Chocolatito and try to make the trilogy. Franco, whose younger brother Bam Rodriguez holds the WBC strap, may look to fight either of the other champs in the weight class, Kaz Ioka of Japan holds the WBO belt and Fernando Daniel Martinez of Argentina holds the IBF version. Another possible bout would be with the WBA's #2 ranked contender "Scrappy" Ramirez of Los Angeles, California. Ramirez has been on record, saying he wants the Franco fight. Ramirez looked spectacular in his last step-up fight against Jan Salvatierra. Scrappy also fought in San Antonio late last year at the AT&T Center. A fight that Franco was in attendance for.