Joshua Franco Announces His Retirement

27-year-old former WBA super Flyweight Champion "El Profesor" Joshua Franco formally announced his retirement yesterday. The Alamo City native compiled an 18-2-3 (8), record and captured the WBA 115-pound strap in June of 2020 at the Top Rank Bubble in Las Vegas. He rallied late and scored an 11th-round knockdown on his way to outpointing Andrew Moloney. He kept the title from 2020 till this weekend when he lost it on the scale when he missed weight in his title defense against Kaz Ioka. Franco dropped a close and competitive decision to Ioka on Saturday.

The former champ turned pro in 2015 at the Belasco Theatre and recorded a decision victory over Temoatzin Landeros Castillo. It was a Thursday night Golden Boy card where Franco's long-time friend Hector Tanajara also made his pro debut on. He captured the attention of the boxing world on September 17th, 2016, when he gave an eye-opening performance at AT&T stadium on the Undercard of Canelo-Liam Smith, the Texan dropped Bryan Bazan four times on his way to a fourth-round KO. In April 2019, he settled the score with Oscar Negrete. The two fought to a disputed draw in 2018. In the rematch Franco removed all doubt in outpointing his opponent in a thrilling scrap to capture the NABF Bantamweight title.

The next year was a massive one for Franco, who fought in his home city for the only time and stopped Jose Alejandro Burgos in the ninth round at the Alamodome and received a rokus applause from his hometown fans. Later that year he decisioned Moloney to capture the world title. Franco fought just once in 2021, and gave a career best performance in beating down Moloney in their trilogy match and once more in 2022 and was robbed of a career defining win with Ioka and had to settle for a draw.

Franco discussed the idea of retirement in an April interview prior to his brother Bam Rodriguez's fight with Cristian Gonzalez. He formally released a statement on social media following Saturday's Ioka fight announcing his retirement:

I wanted to start off by saying Thank You to everyone that has supported me in my career. I appreciate everyone for their continued support. I was able to live my childhood dream of becoming a World Champion. I defended my title multiple times all over the world and always tried my best to represent San Antonio, TX proudly.

For the majority of my career I have been going through a lot of mental problems that I was doing my best to control. I never talked about it publicly because I didn’t want anyone to think I ever made an excuse for anything or for anyone to look at me different. I battled through it as much as I could to still perform and give you guys some great fights. For anyone that battles through any type of mental health issues please know you are not alone. And you can’t let anything stop you from achieving your dreams

I want to say Thank You to my team. My mom, dad and brothers for all their help and support throughout my whole career. Everyone at RGBA for believing in me helping me achieve my dreams. You guys always believed in me and I will forever be grateful.

Last night in Tokyo, Japan was officially my last fight. It was a tough week for me and I didn’t get the result I wanted but I leave this sport knowing I gave it everything I had

Again Thank You to everyone for all their support and I’ll see you guys around

Franco Headed Back to Japan for Ioka Rematch

When famed manager Rick Mirigian said that his fighter, WBA Super Flyweight champ Joshua Franco of San Antonio, was willing to go back to Japan to set the record straight with legendary little man Kaz Ioka. Mirigian was deadly serious. . Franco, 18-1-3 (8), had to settle for a very controversial draw with Ioka on New Year's Eve in Japan. A fight in which everyone scored in favor of Franco and by a relatively wide margin. Everyone that is, except for judges Ferlin Marsh and Jose Roberto Torres, who somehow managed to score the bout even.

Ioka, a four-division world champion, vacated his version of the super flyweight belt, the WBO belt, and agreed to fight the Texan. Ioka was quoted post-fight saying he thought Franco was the rightful winner of the first fight. He opted not to fight fellow countrymen and former 112-pound champ Junto Nakatani. Meaning only Franco's WBA belt will be on the line.

Both fighters were in apparent negotiations with WBC champ Juan Francisco Estrada. However, they ended up opting for a rematch. The rematch is targeted for June, according to multiple sources. Most observers thought the Alamo City native outworked the 33-year-old Japanese legend and also landed the cleaner, more authoritative shots.

Franco-Estrada Unification is Easy to Make and Could Be Next

Legendary little man and current 115-pound world title holder Juan Fransico Estrada could be next for WBA champ San Antonio's own "El Professor" Joshua Franco. According to a report from Izquierdazo.com, A unification bout between the WBA and WBC champ would be easy to make. Franco's trainer Robert Garcia said. Franco was robbed of a career-best win when two of the judges scored his New Year's Eve bout with WBO Super Flyweight champ Kaz Ioka a draw in Ioka's native Japan. The press, observers, and Ioka himself felt Franco should have been declared the winner. He should be the unified champ at 115.

Their performance by Franco was so impressive that he has been viewed and treated as the rightful winner. Perhaps the Texan is not looking to rematch with Ioka. Instead looking to unify with the WBC champion. The two were mandated to fight last year by the WBA. The bout went to pursue bids it was awarded to the highest bidder, Golden Boy Promotions. Estrada opted not to fight Franco, vacated his share of the WBA belt, and took a bout with a non-descript fighter named Argi Cortes in what appeared to most as a duck. After a tougher-than-expected challenge from Cortes, Estrada scored a career-best win over fellow legendary little man Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez to capture the vacant WBC title.

The San Antonian's trainer Robert Garcia, insists that the fight would be easy to make saying, "it's a very easy fight to make, we done have to negotiate with any promoter. We are free of a promoter. We just have to talk to Matchroom's Eddie Hearn and Fernando Beltran (CEO of Zanfer Boxing) so the fight can take place."

Estrada's WBC title was vacated by Franco's little brother Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, who won the belt in early 2022. He defended it twice before he opted to relinquish the belt and move down to his more natural weight of 112 pounds to challenge for the vacant WBO title.

"I tried my best but I feel that I lost" Ioka says; Josh Franco Settles for Disputed Draw

"El Professor" Josh Franco traveled 6500 miles from his home city of San Antonio to Tokyo, Japan. To take on home countryman and future Hall of Famer Kaz Ioka to unify the WBA and WBO Super Flyweight titles in the biggest fight of his young and promising career.

Franco delivered perhaps the best performance of his young and promising career. However, the entertaining 12-round affair failed to produce a winner as the pair of 115-pounders titlists fought to a twelve-round, majority draw. Franco managed to win by a score of 115-113 on a single card but that verdict was overruled by a pair of 114-114making the WBA/WBO unification bout Saturday evening a Draw at Ota-City General Gymnasium.

Franco seemed to control the early rounds and built up a lead in the early going of constant pressure and excellent combination punching. Franco was able to force Ioka backward and into the ropes. Franco was able to keep his man backed up and made him pay while on the ropes. Franco served as the aggressor who seemed to land the cleaner shots. The judges largely agreed, scoring the first seven rounds in favor of Franco by a wide margin. Ioka rallied in the middle rounds and was able to score with right hands and got in a rhythm against the ropes. Ioka was able to move closer on the scorecards. However, the final three rounds specifically the last two, seemed to be Franco rounds. The Texan bounced back and rallied with right hands and precision combination punching to close out the 10th and seemed to remain in control for the final six minutes. Hurting and wobbling the hometown legend in the 11th. He mixed up a body shot and straight right to the head that momentarily stumbled his opponent. Like a true champion. Ioka still in trouble started the 12th and final round in retreat, perhaps in survival mode. Franco pressed the action and again was able to affect the Japanese warrior. As the bell rang to conclude the 12th and final round it seemed academic Franco had done more than enough in a competitive fight. However, the judges did the unthinkable and scored the bout a majority decision draw. With one judge somehow giving Ioka the final five rounds.

Ioka was just as confused saying "I tried my best but I feel that I lost" That was the impression the audience had as well. Franco will retain his WBA belt, and his hard luck record moves to 18-1-3 (8). Ioka receives the benefit of the doubt and moves to 29-2-1 (15). Franco has already had rematches and then trilogies with two other fighters, Andrew Moloney and Oscar Negrete. Given the controversial decision, another rematch may be in store for the Alamo City native.

Franco Gets Mega Fight, Will Battle Ioka in Japan

The long-running rumors are now officially true and we have a super fight in the super flyweight division. Future first-ballot hall of Famer, four-division world champion, and current WBO champ Kaz Ioka, 29-2(15) will unify with WBA "Super" Champ "El Profesor" Joshua Franco 18-1-2 (8) of San Antonio. The fight will headline the traditional New Years Eve card in Tokyo, no venue has been confirmed however Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo is the likely landing spot. Ioka has fought there the last three New Years Eves and has fought there in his last five fights overall.

Ioka won the WBO strap in June of 2019 when he blasted out hard-hitting Filipino Aston Palicte in 10 rounds. He has gone on to defend the belt five times including most recently by out-classing Donnie Nietes in a rematch of their 2018 New Years Eve scrap, a narrow decision loss, this marked the second and last defeat of Ioka's historic career.

Franco won his WBA belt back in the ESPN/Top Rank bubble at the height of the Pandemic when he outpointed Andrew Moloney in June of 2020. In his last outing last August he again outpointed Moloney this time in the Hard Rock Tulsa.

Franco has been out of the ring after dealing with a promotional issue and playing the waiting game, he was mandated by the WBA to fight Juan Francisco Estrada. Estrada decided to not fight Franco and vacated his version of the belt and fought unknown Argi Cortes. Franco was upgraded to "Super" Champ and now gets his chance at a mega fight and the opportunity to do what his brother, Bam Rodriguez, has done twice this year and defeat a legend of the smaller weight classes.

Franco, avoided by Estrada; Elevated to Full Champion

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.

Bam Returns to San Antonio to make Inaugural Title Defense

Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez will return home and defend his WBC Super Flyweight world title against the legendary Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, of Thailand, on June 25th at the Tech Port Arena in San Antonio. It's Rodriguez's first time fighting near his hometown of San Antonio since he headlined a TMB card in the Summer of 2019, on a nearby Floresville card. He destroyed Cesar Garcia Torrijos, of Laredo, on that card in just three rounds. Rodriguez also outpointed Robert Ledesma in San Antonio in 2017 and blew out an overmatched Santiago Sanchez Bayardoin one back in 2018.

The 22-year-old Rodriguez became boxing's youngest world champion and the first-ever born in the 2000s when he outclassed the legendary Carlos Cuadras at the Foot Print Center in Phoenix, Arizona, back in February. A world title fight that he filled in for on less than a weeks notice when Sor Rungvisai had to drop out of the fight due to a non-covid illness. Rungvisai, held the WBC super flyweight title from 2017 to 2019 A title he won when he shocked Choclatito Gonzlaez in 2017 via majority decision. He followed that up by destroying the legendary little man in four rounds. Sor Rungvisai lost his belt to Estrada in 2019. Estrada is currently in line to fight Bam's older brother Joshua Franco in the summer as well.

Rodriguez gave a career-defining performance in jumping up two weight classes on a week's notice to outclass Cuadras. He went from being somewhat of a hidden gem to a superstar and being considered the best young fighter in the world overnight. He initially said that he would vacate the belt and go back down to his more natural weight of 108, but after giving the unforgettable performance to win the WBC strap, the 15-0 (10) Rodriguez said he wanted to stay and defend his title. The 115-pound division is perhaps the best in the sport. It is the money division of the smaller weight classes, so Rodriguez appears, at least for the time being, to be remaining at 115 to defend his strap.

Golden Boy wins Estrada-Franco Purse Bid, Opens Many Possibilities

After WBA Bantamweight World Champion Joshua Franco and WBA Super Champ Juan Francisco Estrada were granted a 24-hour period to come to an agreement for the mandated match and avoid purse bids, an agreement was not reached and the bout went to purse bids and was won by Golden Boy early on Tuesday. It appears the fight will take place in either June or July with a few locations being discussed including Nevada, California, or Franco's hometown of San Antonio. 

The situation begins to get cloudy as the lower than anticipated purse bids may cause Estrada to walk away from the fight and vacate the "super" version of the belt. That would likely leave a fight between Franco and legendary four-division world champ Chocloatito Gonzalez who is ranked number one in the division by the WBA. As confusing as this all sounds it could actually end up being a home run for San Antonio fight fans and a dream come true for the brothers. Matchroom Boxing, which promotes Bam Rodriguez, is headed by Eddie Hearn, who has openly discussed the possibility of staging a massive doubleheader with Franco plus WBC junior bantamweight titlist Rodriguez. Rodriguez is scheduled to take on former world champ Srisaket sor Rungvisai. A doubleheader featuring the two brothers would be a massive draw and could realistically dwarf the roughly 15,000 seats that the Ryan Garica sold for his April 9th, fight in the Alamodome.  

The brothers have not fought in San Antonio on the same card yet. With each brother holding a major world title, the timing does seem perfect. Especially when a massive card that could feature Franco vs Chocolatito and Rodriguez vs Sor Rungvisai would be a ticket sale and ratings bonanza. Franco sports a record of 18-1-2 (8), and has fought in the Alamo city just once he destroyed and stopped Jose Alejandro Burgos in January of 2020 on the undercard of Mungia-O'Sullivan. Rodriguez, 15-0 (10)  scored a sensational knockout of Cesar Garcia Torrijos, on a TMB card in nearby Floresville in 2019 and a year early on a Mikey Garcia promoted card Rodriguez scored a first-round knockout of Santiago Sanchez Bayardo of Corpus Christi, at the Mi Mercado Event Center, on the west-side of San Antonio. 

Rodriguez confirmed that he was being scheduled to fight around the same time “I haven’t heard anything yet but I know I’m going to be fighting sometime around June,” Rodriguez said and went on to confirm "They’re working on a doubleheader with me and my brother. Franco, confirmed his little brother's sentiment adding “There have been talks of the fight coming here [San Antonio] and my brother being on the show. That would be amazing. We’re confident it will come here.” There are still plenty of details to work out and some things that have to fall in place but it seems like a realistic possibility at the moment.

Joshua Franco to battle Estrada

Bam Rodriguez defeated a super flyweight legend and now big brother, Joshua Franco, will get his chance to do the same. In what will be a mega-fight for the 115-pound division the two WBA champs will collide as Franco puts his WBA belt on the line against Estrada who will put his "Super" world title on the line. The two sides have until March 11th to come to terms. 

Estrada is coming off of a sensational career-best win over "Chocolatito" Roman Gonzalez, as controversial as it was, many thought Chocolatito was the rightful winner, Estrada unified WBC, and WBA belts in what was a fight of the year candidate and he exacted revenge on a previous loss. Prior to the Estada scored a sensational come from behind victory of Carlos Cuadras in 2020. Cuadras was thoroughly outclassed by Franco's younger brother last week in Phoenix. Estrada was scheduled to have an epic trilogy with Gonzalez. However back in September Chocolatito caught covid postponing the scheduled fight. The trilogy match was rescheduled for March 5th however back in late January Estrada tested positive for COVID. He was replaced by Julio Cesar Martinez and the card is scheduled to take place in San Diego. That left Estrada out in the cold.

Promoter Eddie Hearn was asked if he could snap his fingers and make any fighter for Rodriguez, he said without hesitation Estrada in San Antonio. Going on to say the fight will be "huge!" Instead, it's Rodriguez's older and more experienced brother Josh Franco who secured the bout. Franco was originally scheduled to fight the winner of the Estrada-Gonzalez trilogy but when Estrada had to pull out with covid that fell through. That, however, cleared the way for the WBA to call the unification bout of sorts between Franco, 18-1-2 (8) and Estrada 42-3 (28). 

Franco last fought in August in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and defeated Andrew Maloney in a trilogy match via unanimous decision. A performance both he and famed trainer Robert Garcia described as the best performance of his career. He had previously won the world title from Maloney to capture the WBA belt in June of 2020, in Top Rank's bubble in Las Vegas. The two rematched five months later but the bout was declared a no-decision as a result of a hellacious head butt that broke Franco's orbital bone. Franco set the record straight in the third bout with a dominant UD victory.

Bam Rodriguez to fight For Light Flyweight World Title

San Antonio is chock-filled with high-level blue-chip fighters. Mario Barrios, Josh Franco, Hector Tanjara, Ramon Cardenas, Kendo Castaneda, Gregory Morales,  and the listguys on and on. Whenever any of the Alamo City fighters are asked who will be the next fighter from San Antonio to capture a world title the response is quick and unanimous. Without hesitation, they respond Bam Rodriguez.  Rodriguez, an undefeated 108-pound prospect 13-0 (9), was our 2020 Prospect of the Year after scoring three knockouts in his three 2020 fights. The latter two of them were in the MGM Bubble on Top Rank cards and the first came at The Star in Frisco just prior to the pandemic on the undercard of Mikey Garcia vs Jessie Vargas. 

To give context to just how special the San Antonian is both Vergil Ortiz and multi-time trainer of the year award winner have both said that Bam is the best fighter in the camp. Both the legendary future hall of famer trainer and Ortiz, who is considered among the best and most highly touted prospects in the sport, both agree that Rodriguez is the best fighter in the camp. A camp that features Mikey Garcia, Vergil Ortiz, Jose Carlos Ramirez as well as Josh Franco, and countless others. That is incredibly high praise for the 21-year-old. Rodriguez has been waiting for a world title shot for quite some time, when asked about a world title shot and who he would like to fight he said  "My title shot is long overdue whenever one of them agrees to step in the ring with me, I'll be more than glad to do that." He is actually correct, despite being just 21-years-old his name has been mentioned in world title discussions since at least March of 2019 when he disposed of rugged veteran Rauf Aghayev in just three rounds on the undercard of Spence-Mikey Garcia. It's been two and a half years of waiting patiently. However, his time is coming.

The 21-year-old phenom is on the verge of becoming a world title and has been since he was a teenager. The COVID pandemic has delayed his title shot but that delay is over. Bam will get his shot to join big brother, Joshua Franco as a WBA world champion next month when he takes on Esteban Bermudez on October 16th on the undercard of Mikey Garcia vs Sandor Martin in Fresno, California at Chukchansi Park, home of the Fresno Grizzlies. Bermudez captured his version of the WBA belt back in May when he upset Venezuelan KO artist Carlos Canizales. This will be the first defense of the title.  Also on the card, Elwin Soto, who holds the "Super" version of the WBA belt will defend against Puerto Rican veteran and former world title challenger Jonathan Gonzalez. Setting up a logical mega-fight between the winners.

Ortiz & Franco Complete Texas Two-Step: 5 Texans in all Win on Saturday

Multi-time Trainer of the Year award winner Robert Garcia has one of, if the not deepest stable in professional boxing. This is typically a great thing, except when two of the fighters in your stable have major fights on the same day. That's exactly what happened on Saturday night as undefeated blue-chip prospect Vergil Ortiz had a homecoming date at The Star in Frisco against a former world title challenger and WBA Super Flyweight champ  "The Professor" Josh Franco of San Antonio had a title offense against Australian rival Andrew Moloney. Garcia was stuck with the tough decision of having to pick one corner to work. He opted for Franco and left the unbeaten protégé in the hands of other members of the Robert Garcia Boxing academy as well as Ortiz Sr. The decision worked out perfectly as both men scored sensational victories

Over in Frisco, Ortiz who has blown past everyone he has stepped in the ring with, got off to a rougher than expected start. After a fairly even and uneventful first round, Egidijus Kavaliauskas of Lithuania rocked Ortiz with an uppercut that landed perfectly on the chin of the Texan. The Lithuanian fired one power shot after another that seemingly put Ortiz to the canvas however referee Lawrence Cole ruled it a slip.  Facing real adversity for the first time in his career, it would be interesting to how the young upstart would respond and respond he did. From that point on Ortiz would dominate in typical fashion. Staying composed and working behind the jab, Ortiz was able to stabilize himself and end the round well. He then seized control of the fight starting in the third and dropped Kavaliauskas with a shotgun of a jab followed by a short left hook. The hometown hero didn't go for the kill and stayed in control. Working calmly behind the jab and attacking the body Ortiz dominated the next several rounds. Setting up the eight, when a body shot sent the "Mean Machine" to the canvas for a second time.  Ortiz stayed on the prowl and put Kavaliauskas on the canvas for the third time and again Kavaliauskas made it up, but not for long. As a barrage of uppercuts from the Texan again dropped Kavaliauskas. Sensing the end was near Ortiz unleashed a vicious series of power shots that send Kavaliauskas one last time just before the bell. This time for good as Laurence Cole waived the bout off at the end of the 8th round. 

A few hours to the north in Tulsa. Oklahoma at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Alamo City native Joshua Franco put together a career-best performance in outpointing Andrew Moloney. Dominant from the opening bell on. The Professor took Moloney to boxing school. Scoring with a blistering right hand that could not miss Franco built up a big lead in the middle rounds. Momentum seemed to change in the seventh when the two exchanged right hands and Franco was put down to the canvas. Live speed it did appear that Moloney landed a glancing blow that dropped an off-balance Franco. However, the replay showed that Moloney's right hand missed and Franco was the one that landed and the knockdown was overturned. Franco cleared his had got back in control and dominated the Australian the rest of the way nailing him with laser-like right hands from the midrange. Constantly throwing first and keeping Moloney on the back foot. Moloney rallied in spurts in the ninth as well as in the final round but every time he did he was matched every step of the way by the San Antonian. Going to the cards it was academic as all three judges scored unanimously 116-112 in favor of the champion. 

Two Dallas-based, southpaw brothers, Alex and George Rincon scored dominant, unanimous decision victories on the undercard at the Star in Frisco. Big brother George Rincon used his jab and straight lefts to overwhelm Brooklyn, NY-based opponent, Nikolai Buzolin. Rincon won every round on every card 80-72 on each of the three cards. Alex Rincon was equally as dominant in defeating  Sanny Duversonne. The younger Rincon brother put on a competitive boxing clinic to take all 8 rounds on two of the three cards and seven of the eight on the third and move his record to 9-0 (6) 

Down in Orlando, Florida on a card promoted by Nelson Lopez and Marshall Kaufman, San Antonio-based Ramon Cardenas, moved his record to 20-1 and captured the WBA continental bantamweight title by defeating veteran Marvin Solano of Nicaragua. Making it a perfect 5-0 for Texas fighters. For Cardenas it's the second division he has won regional titles in and could be on his way to a world title fight in 2022.