The World Boxing Council has ordered junior bantamweight titleholder Juan Francisco “El Gallo” Estrada to start negotiating a mandatory defense against former titleholder Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
Estrada was hoping to get a rematch against fellow titlist Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in the early part of 2021, but the WBC decision could delay that fight until later next year, assuming Estrada beats Sor Rungvisai.
It’s possible that Estrada’s team will reach an agreement with Sor Rungvisai’s team to have Sor Rungvisai step aside and face the winner of Estrada-Gonzalez II.
Sor Rungvisai lost a majority decision to Estrada in 2018 but avenged the loss a year later with a unanimous-decision victory. Sor Rungvisai also defeated Gonzalez by majority decision in March 2017 and then again in the rematch six months later by fourth-round TKO.
Gonzalez defeated Estrada back in 2012 to defend his WBA junior flyweight world title.