Former U.S. Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada has a stern warning for the rest of the field in the 2015 Boxcino heavyweight tournament.
“If I win this first fight,” Estrada (20-5, 6 KOs) said, “it’s over for the rest of these guys.”
The 34-year-old Providence, R.I., heavyweight joined the field early this week when Mario Heredia was pulled from the tournament due to an undisclosed medical issue.
With an impressive amateur background that includes a spot in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and a professional career highlighted by hard-fought bouts against championship contenders Tomasz Adamek and Alexander Povetkin, Estrada’s resume stacks up against that of anyone else’s in the eight-man field, including Friday’s quarterfinal opponent, Lenroy Thomas (18-3, 9 KOs).
“This is a great opportunity,” Estrada said. “I’m always in the gym. I’ve been doing this for 27 years.
“Most fighters in the heavyweight division today, I think my resume stacks up great against, regardless of [the fact] I have five losses. I’ve lost to actual real fighters. I just go in there and I fight. That’s all I do. Regardless of whether this guy fights someone else, or this guy fights that guy, I try to make sure that when I go in that ring that I’m fighting someone that’s worth it.
“I don’t ever want to be known as a guy who fights guys that aren’t up to my level or above me.”
Estrada’s six-round showdown with Thomas, along with the other three quarterfinal bouts in the tournament, will air live on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y.
In addition to returning to the national spotlight, Estrada is also returning to his roots, entering a new promotional agreement with his first promoter, Jimmy Burchfield Sr. of CES Boxing, and Artie Pelullo of Banner Promotions. Estrada began his professional career with the Rhode Island-based Burchfield in 2004 and fought under the promotional guidance of CES against Povetkin and Adamek before becoming a free agent in 2010.
“We’ve believed in Jason from Day 1 and never lost our faith in his ability to become heavyweight champion of the world,” Burchfield said. “Long before he qualified for the Olympics, we recognized Jason’s unique talents and are proud to have played a role in his development as a professional.
“This is a joyous day for us, because Jason is back where he belongs and with the promotional guidance of myself and Artie Pelullo, one of the best in the business, there’s no doubt in my mind Jason Estrada will be America’s next great heavyweight champion. This tournament is a tremendous opportunity and he’s ready to win.”
Estrada’s road to championship glory took a major detour following his narrow loss to Adamek in 2010. He returned 11 months later in a surprising knockout loss to Franklin Lawrence and soon after underwent surgery to repair nagging elbow and ankle injuries, which had plagued him since his amateur career.
“I was on a roll, winning fight after fight, so I just put off having surgery,” Estrada said.
Having declared himself injury-free for the first time in seven years, Estrada returned to the ring in late 2011, beginning a year-long stretch in which he won four consecutive bouts – two by knockout – but more surgeries followed in 2013 after his win over Galen Brown, including a procedure to repair a torn ACL, derailing his career for two more years.
“It seemed like I had a black cloud over me,” Estrada said. “I’m trying to get healthy and everything starts to click and then – boom! – something else happens. Then I’m starting from scratch again, starting to get motivated and I’m doing things I’m supposed to do again and – boom! – something else happens.”
Though he still wasn’t 100 percent, Estrada returned in July to face former amateur standout and Massachusetts native Steve Vukosa, who was fighting for the first time in more than 12 years. The 38-year-old Vukosa won by majority decision and has since earned a spot alongside Estrada in the Boxcino tournament, where he’ll face Donovan Dennis (10-1, 8 KOs) Friday night.
“Mentally, I think I was prepared. Physically, I wasn’t. I wasn’t at all,” Estrada said of the fight against Vukosa. “I’m still having issues, but it’s not the time to complain. When opportunities like this come along, you have to snatch it up. I’m 34 years old. There’s no more waiting, taking rests and all this nonsense. I have to get up there and fight and hopefully I have everything I need.
“After this first fight, these guys are in trouble.”
Estrada’s aware this might be his last opportunity to make a run at a world championship. Youth is no longer on his side and he’s coming off major ankle, elbow and knee surgery. He’s dealt with setbacks in the ring and criticism outside of it, whispers from boxing fans and media who say he’s never reached his full potential. He’s learned to brush it off and focus on what matters most.
“You hear it, but what are you going to do? That’s their job. It’s their job to either criticize you or love you,” Estrada said. “I can’t get mad at anyone anymore about that kind of stuff. Before, I used to get upset and want to have an issue with it. The more I think about it, it’s their job. Without these guys criticizing you, without these guys loving you, you wouldn’t even have anyone there to talk about you.
“I’m not even worrying about that. I’ve had setbacks like everyone else. Some people have it lucky and slide right on through. I just go for it. I don’t run from anyone. That’s a pride thing. I go in there and fight regardless of my situation. If you can’t respect that or respect the type of person and fighter I am, oh well. You can’t please everybody.”
Estrada can silence the critics beginning Friday night. The field also includes six-round quarterfinal bouts between Razvan Cojanu (12-1, 7 KOs) and Ed Fountain (10-0,4 KOs) and Andrey Fedesov (25-3, 20 KOs) and Nat Heaven (9-1, 7 KOs).
