Boxer Running For City Council

You know Shawn Estrada as an unbeaten professional boxer.

Now meet Shawn Estrada, councilman candidate for the City of Commerce.

I caught up with the Southern California resident this week as he came out to support the World Series of Boxing’s amateur fight night in Hollywood. Not just walking the walk, Estrada is talking the talk as an incumbent hopeful in the upcoming March 8th election. As he and his Campaign Manager Isaac Galvan made their way from ringside to media row, they both smiled and waved when they saw me and motioned that they’d come up and chat.

Wearing a conservative dark suit, crisp white shirt and sharp red silk tie, the undefeated slugger (11-0, 10 KOs) really looked–and acted–the part of a successful politician. With a confident stance, the tall young man and 2008 U.S. Olympian, slowly waded through the crowd, pausing to shake hands with his many fans and supporters that literally stopped him in his tracks, all wanting to meet the pugilist and businessman. Handling the groups of well wishers with ease, if babies were allowed in the fight venue the undefeated slugger surely would have kissed them like any other good candidate would do! He has really transformed himself from his humble, hardworking and hardscrabble childhood as a boy to a confident, optimistic and outgoing person as a man.

And now the former amateur standout plans to rock the vote in next Tuesday’s Los Angeles County election–hopefully winning a seat as an official Council Member. Throwing his hat in the ring, Shawn will be going toe to toe against eight other candidates in the running. The new politico has been asking his fans to not only root for him, but to vote for him too. As a prizefighter in the boxing world, he depends on three boxing judges–if his fights goes the distance. In the world of politics, he now has to depend on the the voices–and votes–from the people.

It is all about the people for Shawn Estrada. He regularly attends charity events, stepping out on the red carpet to help bring attention to non-profit organizations he backs up, donates time and money to causes he believes in, and has proven himself to be a role model for children and teens who want a way out of gangs, drugs and street life too. The Olympic athlete is also planning on having his own non-profit foundation to assist inner-city youth in the near future.

But for now, the ambitious boxer (who will be back on the canvas on May 14) plans to make a difference in giving back to his own community while being inspired by others. “It seems like a crazy idea,” he agrees when talking about running for election. “But I’ve been living in this area of Commerce all my life and I thought, ‘What better way to give back to the people?’ I want to be the voice for the people and bring change. If Obama could do it, I could do it!”

His 2011 Campaign Manager and longtime associate Galvan adds, “Shawn is a real voice for the people. He really WILL fight for voters rights!”

“What are his political forums?” I inquire.

“He wants to lower taxes and if he wins, he’s gonna donate a lot of his money to charity,” answers Galvan. The duo are two new fresh faces in the election and have taken pride in their commitment, both personally and financially to a cause they believe in. “One thing we’re really proud of is that a lot of people have tried to donate money to us but we’ve turned them down; everything’s coming out of our own pockets!” Isaac stresses. “We don’t want no special interest, nothing like that. We’re in it for the right reasons.”

While Shawn is temporarily stepping out of the boxing ring and stepping into the politic arena, Team Estrada reveals that he can multi-task while training AND campaigning. The camp reveals that the super middleweight and councilman contender will be back in the ring on May 14, fighting to keep his perfect ledger intact.

“Yes, I’m excited to be on the undercard of Andre Ward and Chris Arreola,” Estrada shared with me as he glanced toward Ward, his fellow Goossen Tutor Promotions stablemate, while Andre was commentating the L.A. Matadors vs. Memphis Force bouts. “The magnitude of it: It’s in my backyard at the Home Depot Center in Carson and it’s a dream come true!”

Still looking in fighting shape after his January 28 first-round KO victory at Pechanga, I asked the team about making time for both the gym and the political office.

“The good thing is that we know when his fights are in advance,” Isaac comments about balancing boxing and politics.

“Yeah, everything’s right on track! My training camp has already started,” Estrada replies with assurance. “My diet and everything’s going well. I’m taking this business for reals! I’m out to change myself, collecting myself and I can’t wait to be back in the ring too.”

The power puncher trains with Danny Zamora, who also coaches Yonnhy Perez and Librado Andrade. Estrada has kept his weight on target too so I have to ask him, “How are you staying trim–are you really doing ‘Weight Watchers’?” Estrada and Galvan crack up and Shawn says laughing, “Yes! I do whatever it takes. I do the ‘Jack LaLanne’ diet, the ‘Juicing Diet, I do ALL the diets right now! I do all of them.”

And how has the campaigning while training going for the hard-hitting boxer?

“Everything is going good! I’m excited; I’m thrilled,” an appreciative Shawn, called “Manos de Oro,” says with a nod. “This is MY year! No one’s gonna take this 2011…It’s my year for my campaigning…and for my boxing.”

He then says with a grin and a quick wink, “Move out of the way…I’m blowing you out of the water!”

Next Tuesday, the boxer/councilman candidate hopes to blow up at the polls too–and win a seat in the City of Commerce election.

Photos courtesy of Team Estrada