Cuadras defends crown against Gonzalez in unbeatens duel

By YahooSports.com

Los Angeles (AFP) – Mexico’s Carlos Cuadras will defend his World Boxing Council super flyweight crown Saturday against Nicaragua’s Roman Gonzalez in a showdown of unbeaten champions at the Forum.

Former WBC flyweight champion Gonzalez, 45-0 with 38 knockouts, moves up a weight class to face Cuadras, 35-0 with one drawn and 27 knockouts.

“Without a doubt this is the biggest fight of my career,” Cuadras said. “We’re friends, but I’ve also wanted to test myself against him.”

Cuadras, 27, defends his title for the seventh time since taking it from Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai with an eighth-round stoppage in 2014 in Mexico.

Cuadras most recently kept the crown with an eighth-round stoppage of Filipino southpaw Richie Mepranum last April in Mexico.

“I’m excited,” Cuadras said. “Roman is a great champion and I have a lot of respect for him. I will be in the best condition of my career.”

Gonzalez, 29, captured the World Boxing Association minimumweight crown at age 21 in 2008, won the WBA light flyweight title in 2011 and seized the WBC flyweight crown in 2014 with a ninth-round stoppage of Japan’s Akira Yaegashi in Tokyo.

Gonzalez defended that title five times, most recently in April by unanimous decision over Puerto Rico’s Arroyo McWilliams, before deciding to move up and test rival champion Cuadras.

“Cuadras is an undefeated world champion who I respect greatly,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a very tough fight for me.”

No Nicaraguan has ever won a world title in four weight classes. That includes the late legend Alexis Arguello, who lost two junior welterweight title fights to Aaron Pryor after capturing crowns at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight.

“I know how badly he wanted a fourth,” said Gonzalez of Arguello. “I want to do this for him.”