Two WBC titles at stake Saturday in Glendale; April in Vegas a maybe for Benavidez-Plant

Local fight fans who are weighing whether to attend Matchroom Boxing's lighter-weight-dominated card Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena should consider the following: the third bout in the Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez vs. Juan Francisco Estrada trilogy has the potential to be one of boxing's best of the year.

That's the main event live on DAZN (subscription required) and in person in Glendale. Gonzalez and Estrada meet for perhaps the final time ever at 115 pounds for the vacant WBC junior bantamweight title. The 35-year-old Gonzalez, from Nicaragua, is 35 years old with a 51-3 career record.

Mexico's Estrada, 32, is 43-3 and won the second meeting between the two fighters last year on a split decision in Dallas. The two first fought more than 10 years ago in Los Angeles, with Gonzalez winning a split decision.

Both are considered future boxing Hall-of-Famers.

"If we get the best fight of the trilogy here on Saturday, we will get one of the greatest fights in the history of this sport," promoter and Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn said Thursday at the pre-fight press conference. "I think I speak for everybody when I say thank you to Juan Estrada, thank you to Roman Gonzalez, for continuously giving us great fights and stepping up to fight the best in boxing."

Hearn said a crowd of as many as 10,000 is realistic for the fights. A second title fight is the co-main event, featuring Mexico City native Julio Cesar Martinez facing Spain's Samuel Carmona for Martinez's WBC flyweight title belt.

Three years ago, Hearn was in Phoenix for the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Daniel Jacobs fight at what is now Footprint Center, in which Chavez quit after the fifth round due to what he said was a broken nose. Angry fans, many there to see the son of Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez, tossed debris into the ring in frustration over the stoppage of the fight. Or the fact that Chavez chose not to continue.

"Phoenix is such a great market for us and for boxing. I think it's one of the most underrated markets," Hearn said. "I was here for Daniel Jacobs against Chavez. It was (expletive) wild. I mean, there was nearly a riot because Chavez quit. But we're going to have 9,000 in here on Saturday. Around that number. The atmosphere is going to be unbelievable. And I just feel that this market has a lot of potential for boxing. We want to do more here, actually."

That's more good news for fight fans in the area, who over the past year-and-a-half have seen several live boxing, UFC and Bellator MMA events come through Phoenix and Glendale.

The fight card includes a 10-round super middleweight bout between 21-year-old Diego Pacheco of Los Angeles and Adrian Luna.

Pacheco, 16-0, is trained by Jose Benavidez Sr., the father of Phoenix-raised David and Jose Benavidez who are both big names in boxing in Arizona and beyond.

Pacheco had been in the Seattle area to work with Benavidez. He strikes an imposing figure at 6-foot-4.

Jose Benavidez Sr. hopes fans back Pacheco because of his ties to the Benavidez camp.

"He's been with us for a while. He's known a little bit more because we are working with him. I think the people are behind him, and they support me, and they support Diego," Benavidez said. "There's no doubt I think he's going to be a world champion as long as he stays focused."

Benavidez was asked about where things stand with his son David's next fight. David Benavidez is the WBC interim super middleweight champion and agreed to a deal to fight one of the division's top contenders, Caleb Plant, last month.

"They're saying that it's maybe going to be April 18 in Las Vegas. We're just waiting for that date," Benavidez Sr. said. "I hope Caleb Plant makes it to that day. He's trying to find any excuse to get out of the fight. So I'm just praying to God that he shows up the day of the fight."

Hearn, who has promoted former undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez, said a Benavidez-Alvarez fight could happen down the road, maybe in September of next year or in 2024. But Benavidez has to defeat Plant, and Alvarez still has a rematch with Dmitry Bivol to come, after Bivol handed the Mexican superstar just his second career loss in May.

On Saturday, Casa Grande's Christian Sullivan (8-0, five knockouts) faces Anthony Herrera of East Los Angeles at featherweight. Only two of the eight scheduled fights are at middleweight or a heavier weight class.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Big-time boxing returns to Glendale; David Benavidez-Caleb Plant not yet set