Champion Favored to Retain Belt
Current WBC World Super Flyweight titleholder Jesse Rodriguez Franco is heavily favored to retain his belt Saturday in San Antonio against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. It’s a hometown bout for Alamo native Franco.
Boxing odds have Rodriguez priced at -500 to win and improve to 16-0, but Rungvisai is an experienced fighter with big bouts on his record.
It’s on the same evening as Julio Cesar Martinez vs. McWilliams Arroyo, so boxing fans are indeed treated.
Check the latest boxing news, stats, injury reports, and boxing odds for Franco vs Rungvisai. There are plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Handling the Hype
There’s a lot of hype surrounding 15-0 Rodriguez, and a win against Rungvisai could propel him to the next level.
There was a unanimous decision victory over Carlos Cuadras to win the title. Many critics expect the American to successfully make a title defense.
The 22-year-old is still learning. This is his toughest test to date, so he’s looking to meet those expectations.
“A lot of people have eyes on me now, and they are looking at me to take over the division,” Rodriguez told RingTV. “I’ve seen a lot on social media saying I am the new Choccy (Roman Gonzalez), and that’s a lot of motivation, so I want to live up to the hype.”
He’s not underestimating his opponent, who has 56 fights on his record and numerous five-star bouts.
“Rungvisai’s been in with the best. Beating him would really boost my confidence and skyrocket my career. I’m a lot stronger than I was against (Carlos) Cuadras. That wasn’t a fluke, I want to show I am the real deal,” he said.
“It’s possibly the toughest test you could face in a first defense of my title, but like with the Cuadras fight, I had no hesitation because I am here to takeover.”
The sportsbook has Rodriguez at -500, which is a fair price considering he’s the champion. However, he would have been shorter in the betting had he won by knockout in his last fight.
Don’t Overlook Rungvisai
Thai fighters often get overlooked in betting markets, but Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is the real deal, deserving of recognition.
Rungvisai, a southpaw, fought a good fight when losing his WBC title to Juan Francisco Estrada. He lost only by a couple of points on the scorecards, so he pushed a quality fighter very close.
He also recorded three consecutive victories over Roman Gonzalez and Estrada in 2017 and ’18. It was a tremendous run for the +350 underdog, who offers value in this situation.
His last two fights came against average opposition, though ended them in the second and third rounds, respectively. That fact bodes well against Rodriguez, who doesn’t have experience against the same level of fighter Rungvisai has faced.
Franco vs Rungvisai Head-to-Head
This is the first meeting between Rodriguez and Rungvisai.
Franco vs Rungvisai Fight Information
- Game: Franco (15-0) vs Rungvisai (50-5-1)
- Location: Tech Port Arena, San Antonio, TX
- Day/Time: Saturday, June 25th, 9:45 p.m. ET
- Franco vs Rungvisai Live Stream: Box Live
Franco vs Rungvisai Betting Lines
Franco vs Rungvisai Prediction
There’s little doubt that Rodriguez brings more to the table, but Rungvisai is the much better value pick.
Betting online markets have the underdog priced at +350, and we’re prepared to take those odds. He has faced stronger competition in the ring. You can’t overlooked his experience.
We expect money to come for Rodriguez, so bettors could get better odds closer to fight time.
“The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.”
