Shawn Estrada on the Fast Track

2008 U.S. Olympian Will Battle Tonight in Middleweight Bout!

The last five months have been a whirlwind of activity for 2008 U.S. Olympian Shawn Estrada.

Coming off the heels of a recent victory against Omar Coffi (1-2-2), the young fighter has been kept busy since first signing with Goossen Tutor Promotions last October. Since his pro debut in November, Estrada was well on his way to becoming a first-round knockout artist.

In his last bout against Coffi, it actually took three rounds before adding another W on his record. He was originally set to square off against southpaw Thomas Rittenbaugh (3-2-2) before Coffi stepped in. That fight recently took place at Mandalay Bay on April 11.

“They switched my fight, the guy came in and I didn’t know nothing about the guy. After the first round, I thought, ‘Whoa, this guy has experience.’ After the first round, he should’ve gone down. He was trying to counter and stuff, and again I thought, ‘Man, this guy should’ve gone done by now.’ He was tough, there were a couple of shots where I thought he’d go down. He did not want to go down!

“I found out later from the matchmaker that Coffi was an Olympian from Venezuela! But I didn’t find that out until after the fight. He took a lot of punches and I kept thinking, ‘Why isn’t this guy going down?'”

Now the 24-year-old will be lacing up again in tonight’s “Best of Both Worlds II” at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California. This will be a homecoming for Estrada (4-0, 4 KOs) since he was a former resident of nearby Hanford and he’s looking forward to the matchup against Nick Runningbear (3-1) in a super middleweight four rounder.

The young fighter is confident he’s ready to go even though it’s less than two weeks since his last bout. If he gets past this opponent, plans are already in the works for a May 16 matchup in Oakland.

“I’m ready to fight whenever!” Estrada told me. And he’s excited about all his future bouts–even if it is a somewhat hectic schedule, “They’ve said that after my next two fights, I’ll take a small break.”

“His goal is to be 10 and 0 this year,” says Cesar Flores, close friend of Estrada, who’s known the Olympian for over six years. The Mariscos Tampico Bar and Grill owner and World Boxing Hall of Fame board member also tells me with a small chuckle, “He made weight yesterday. He came down to eat here on Tuesday, the day before his weigh-in–and he only ate half of a fish filet!” The boxer is a frequent visitor at the Mexican seafood restaurant located in Maywood. And Flores adds that Estrada can more than handle the challenge of being on the fast track, “It’s good for him, he’s building his record. He’s young, so he’s able to do it!”

Estrada had been receiving some criticism for fighting lesser opponents, but close friend and fellow fighter Walter “School Boy” Sarnoi echoes Estrada in regards to his last battle. “Omar Coffi had a lot of experience, he was with the Venezuelan National Team and had fought Alfredo Angulo in the amateurs,” Sarnoi tells me this afternoon from Lemoore. “He’s experienced, and he wasn’t easy for Shawn to knock out in the first round. But with Shawn’s own experience, he used his power to his advantage and won in the third round.”

“It’s good here, Tachi is a nice place,” Sarnoi says while waiting for Estrada’s bout later tonight in Central California. “Shawn is the main event. He’s ready for his opponent and expects to learn as every fight goes and he expects to win. His opponent is a little shorter, but he looks like he can go to war with Shawn. But Shawn will be ready!”

Also on the same card is Estrada’s fellow Olympian and good friend, Javier Molina (1-0), who will face Gerald Valdez in his pro debut.

Estrada is quickly becoming a hot prospect to watch with many in the boxing community taking notice. Rudy Tellez, WBC Supervisor, who witnessed Estrada’s Vegas fight just 12 days ago, agrees, “I see Shawn having a great future. He is a humble kid who’s hungry. Boxers who are coming out of the Olympics, they all want to make it big. And he’s with the Goossens, so I know he’s well-taken care of. I’ve known Dan a long time, his word is his bond and they welcome their fighters like family so Shawn will do well with them!”

So keep your eye on Estrada as he continues to gain experience while racking up more victories in the ring!

Photo by Michele Chong