WBA Super Flyweight champion Joshua "El Profesor " Franco is now a free agent. He parted ways with long-time promoter Golden Boy Promotions. Franco has been inactive for roughly a year since defeating Andrew Moloney via unanimous decision in August 2021, a performance he and trainer Robert Garcia said was the best performance of his young and blossoming career. Franco was later mandated by the WBA to fight the sanctioning bodies Super champion Juan Francisco Estrada. The Estrada-Franco fight went to purse bids and was won by Golden Boy. Estrada has opted to not take the fight and vacate his "Super Champion" title. That news broke roughly two weeks ago and left Franco without a fight. Franco held the WBA world title since 2020 when he won the strap from Moloney in their first of three fights. The fight was held during the height of COVID in the Top Rank Bubble in June of 2020. He has defended his belt once against Moloney, a fight that was declared a NC after a head butt in the opening round broke Franco's orbital bone. The injury caused the fight to be stopped and called to a halt after the second round. He then set the record straight in June of 2021 and dominated Moloney in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in August of 2021.
He was in line for a mega fight with one of the legends of the 115-pound division, a title held by the Legendary "Choclatito" Roman Gonzalez. The belt then went to Estrada, who picked up a controversial decision over Chocolatito in March of last year at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Franco was supposed to fight the winner of the rematch, but the rematch kept running into delays, which included each fighter testing positive for COVID. Gonzalez tested positive back in September of 2021, which set the fight back. Estrada then tested positive earlier this year, and that fight was off. Estrada was replaced by Julio Cesar Martinez. That set up the purse bids for Estrada-Franco and delivered Franco the mega fight that had eluded him. However, Estrada has opted to vacate his version of the WBA belt. Leaving Franco without an opponent.
The news that Franco had separated from his long-time promoter had circulated on the internet. It was confirmed on Facebook by Franco's dad Jesse Rodriguez, who posted "Finally a Free Agent" the thought amongst pundits and fans is that Franco will go ahead and sign with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing. The promotional outfit which represents Franco's little brother and WBC super flyweight champ Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez. The hope there is that Hearn could put on mega fights headlining the two brothers that could pack out the Alamodome.