Seniesa Estrada (left) and Jazmin Gala Villarino pose throughout the press convention previous to their November 12 WBA strawweight title combat in Las Vegas. (Photograph by Mikey Williams/High Rank Inc through Getty Photos)
As one chapter within the lifetime of Seniesa Estrada ends, one other begins tonight.
Estrada, the Ring Journal No. 1 ranked feminine fighter at 105 kilos and No. 7 pound-for-pound, will defend her WBA strawweight title towards Jazmin Gala Villarino on the Palms On line casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The ten-round bout will precede the principle occasion bout between WBO world middleweight titleholder Zhanibek Alimkhanuly and Denzel Bentley.
Each fights will stream reside on ESPN+ (11 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. PT).
At Friday’s weigh-in, Estrada weighed in at 103.8 kilos. Gala Villarino weighed in on the strawweight restrict of 105 kilos.
Tonight’s combat would be the first beneath the multi-year promotional deal Estrada signed with High Rank in July. Tonight may also her first combat since December 18, when she knocked out Maria Santizo within the fourth spherical.
Estrada (22-0, 8 knockouts), who resides in East Los Angeles, California, has been desirous to get again within the ring and proceed along with her profession.
“I really feel very excited,” Estrada instructed The Ring earlier this week. “I simply really feel extra motivated. I’ve at all times been motivated and I work very arduous, nevertheless it’s much more motivation now to be again and to be with High Rank on this nice platform and to have their assist behind me. I’m again higher than ever. I can’t wait to show that and present it to everybody.
“I positively really feel way more comfy and assured with I’m at now. [With Top Rank], I do know once I’m preventing, and stuff like that. With High Rank wanting to assist me accomplish my objectives and being undisputed in three completely different weight divisions, after this combat, my plan is to have my first unification combat, it’s simply nice to be again with somebody who believes in my expertise and skills in what I can do and what I can carry to the desk. I couldn’t be happier.
Estrada, who has additionally gained a world title belt at 108 kilos, has seen who High Rank promoted the profession of Mikaela Mayer, the previous unified world titleholder at 130 kilos. Mayer misplaced by break up determination in her final combat to Alycia Baumgardner on October 15.
In accordance with Estrada, High Rank was in a position to maximize Mayer’s expertise and introduced her publicity preventing in ESPN platforms. Estrada is assured High Rank might additionally elevate her publicity within the sport, nevertheless it was an opportunity encounter with Mayer that gave her extra confidence in coping with how her skilled profession is moved.
“I’ve at all times watched how High Rank moved Mikaela’s profession,” stated Estrada, who’s managed by Jerry Cazarez. “I believed they did an excellent and superb job along with her. I’ve at all times been a fan of Mikaela Mayer, even earlier than she turned professional. Watching her within the execs and seeing how they moved her profession, exhibiting her plenty of love and good publicity, it’s one thing I at all times acknowledged. Now that I’m with High Rank, in the identical place as Mikaela and having them assist me, [the] sky is the restrict as to what I can do.
“The Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano combat was the primary we really met. I knew of her earlier than that. I might see her at [amateur] tournaments, however we by no means talked or something. So [the Taylor-Serrano] combat was the primary time we really talked in particular person. We have been Instagram pals earlier than that and we’d discuss by way of there, however that was it. However by way of that combat, it was the primary time assembly one another and it was throughout that point I used to be going by way of my contract dispute with Golden Boy. Speaking with Mikaela and listening to her recommendation and all the things she needed to say sort of made me really feel extra comfy with my scenario. So far as me sitting out from preventing, [it] simply made me really feel extra assured and higher about my selection of doing that.”
The 30-year-old Estrada went by way of a contract dispute with Golden Boy Promotions earlier this yr. In accordance with Estrada, she needed to combat extra within the Los Angeles space and felt she was not receiving purses that have been aligned along with her value as a world titleholder.
As a lot as she held out hope a deal might be labored out with Golden Boy, whom she started preventing for in 2018, Estrada felt the best choice for her was to maneuver on. High Rank offering an ESPN platform and reportedly extra combat playing cards going down subsequent yr in Southern California bought Estrada.
“I might like to combat extra in Los Angeles [and] in Southern California,” stated Estrada. “There’s no higher place than L.A. I felt that after we [Golden Boy and I] have been speaking, I used to be saying how I didn’t really feel that they’d me combat in L.A. or in Southern California. And the one combat I did combat in L.A. (July 9 of final yr), I used to be preventing within the opening bout of a card and I used to be preventing throughout the daytime. On a Friday. Little issues like that made me really feel annoyed. I used to be instructed explanation why they couldn’t pay me extra. ‘You couldn’t promote out of Banc of California [Stadium in Los Angeles].’ Once more, I used to be preventing within the opening bout when the solar was out. They weren’t using me to my full potential to combat in L.A. I might like to combat extra in L.A. That’s the place my fan base is.”
Estrada hopes to start unifying the 105-pound division early subsequent yr. She is predicted to get by Gala Villarino (6-1-2, 1 KO), who’s unbeaten since shedding her professional debut in 2016.
Estrada is assured she might develop into an undisputed champion and proceed making fan-friendly fights.
“I want to face the WBC 105-pound champion, who’s from Germany. Tina Rupprecht. I want to combat her subsequent. Hopefully, that will be the combat to get at first of 2023. After that, I want to go after Yokasta Valle (who has the IBF and WBO title belts). Then I might be undisputed at 105.
“So long as I hold working arduous and hold placing on good, thrilling performances, I believe I can elevate ladies’s boxing a lot extra.”
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has coated boxing in Southern California and overseas since 2000. Francisco additionally covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He could be reached at [email protected]
