Estrella ready to put in a star performance against Conlan

Photograph: notifight.com

Mexican super-flyweight Jose Estrella has landed in Belfast and is itching for a good scrap. The Tijuana boxer quickly accepted the call to face local favourite Jamie Conlan on Saturday’s ‘Titanic Showdown’ extravaganza and the Latino slugger has been swotting up on his opponent in the meantime.

“I’ve watched his last couple of fights and that has been enough but I’ll know a bit more about him in the ring on Saturday,” said Estrella.

“This is my first time in Belfast and I’m finding the city very nice and beautiful. The people are very welcoming and I’ve been treated well.”

Conlan was originally scheduled to box Daryl Basadre but when the Filipino failed to shake off a sparring injury Mexico’s Estrella was drafted in, having been alerted of the potential opportunity while Cyclone sweated on Basadre’s fitness.

“I haven’t known about this for too long but I’ve been fighting a lot lately anyway so I come here well prepared even at short notice. I’ve fought a lot in Tijuana so I’m ready,” added Jose who says that his record may not be littered with familiar names but all of his previous foes could fight a bit.

“In Mexico everybody that you fight is very tough but I can’t give names that you would recognise. I know I can create a surprise because the level in Mexico is different.”

Estrella boasts a 14-5-1 (10 KOs) record and has his eyes on the prize of a WBO Inter-Continental belt that the winner will take home. The man who calls himself ‘Hollywood’ has called upon Conlan to live up to his ‘Mexican’ ring moniker and meet in the trenches on fight night. Jamie is too smart to be drawn by those tactics though and knows as well as Estrella that the Tijuana man needs plenty of close-quarter warfare to win the contest.

“A win for me will be very important because better things will come afterwards. The goal is a win and then we’ll see. It is a privilege for me to be here and thanks to Cyclone Promotions for bringing me over for this fight,” said Estrella.

Note: Since this article was written Estrella could not make the championship limit of 8 stone, 3 pounds, weighing in 5 ounces over. Subsequently the title will be on the line for Conlan only tomorrow night when these two square off in an exciting 10-round championship contest.