SuperFly 2 returns Saturday on HBO with boxing tripleheader

Promoter Tom Loeffler was asked two frequent questions in the past six months.

When will Gennady Golovkin and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight again? That will be May 5 at T-Mobile Arena.

But what the hardcore boxing fans really wanted to know: When’s the next SuperFly card?

The first all-super flyweight card in September at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, was a hit, and it has taken on a cult following with fans asking for more.

Loeffler and HBO will do it again Saturday for SuperFly 2 at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai’s WBC title defense against Mexican slugger Juan Francisco Estrada will headline the HBO tripleheader that will air at 6:30 p.m.

“SuperFly 1 was one of the best shows I’ve ever worked with as far as fan reaction and the quality of the fights,” said Loeffler, Golovkin’s promoter. “I thought it would be hard to beat, but now with SuperFly 2, we put together three world title fights.”

Sor Rungvisai of Thailand was the star of the first show, knocking out former pound-for-pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in the fourth round.

Gonzalez put the flyweight and super flyweight divisions on the map by starting his career 46-0. The Nicaraguan won’t be featured in SuperFly 2, but big names aren’t needed for this series.

“Chocolatito has become a fan favorite,” Loeffler said. “We haven’t seen a fighter from the low weight divisions be recognized as the best, so Chocolatito broke down a lot of barriers and opened a lot of doors for the smaller division.

“I really gotta give HBO credit for their vision of giving the lighter weight classes a spotlight and a tremendous amount of credit to the fighters for agreeing to fight the best.”

In the co-main event, Mexico’s Carlos Cuadras fights Puerto Rico’s McWilliams Arroyo. The HBO telecast opens with Donnie Nietes of the Philippines defending his IBF flyweight title against Argentina’s Juan Carlos Reveco.

“The show has taken on a life of its own,” Loeffler said. “We are expecting a soccer stadium atmosphere where the fans are waving flags and really supporting their fighters.”

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GManzano24 on Twitter.