April 4, 2008, on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, Jason Estrada, 12-1 (2), won an easy unanimous decision over Lance Whitaker, 32-5-1 (27). Whitaker has long been proof that being big doesn’t mean you can fight. Whitaker is six-foot-eight-inches tall and has a reach advantage over nearly every man he faces, yet he insists on plodding inside and smothering his own punches instead of using a jab to open up simple straight right hands from a distance that would provide leverage and power. (Young fighters of all sizes take note: Learn to jab! Geeze).
Estrada did a fine job of taking what was available to him. Instead of trying to chop Whitaker down with hard punches, he found holes wherever he could and filled them. Estrada isn’t a powerful puncher anyway, but could have more KOs if he planted his feet and fired. That’s not to say Estrada would always win fights that way, because he wouldn’t be as successful as he is, but he does what he can with what he has. That said, more bodyshots tonight might have helped bring Whitaker down had Estrada chosen to throw them.
All in all, Estrada is a talented, speedy, well-schooled heavyweight (over 300 amateur fights) that will likely never reach great success because he isn’t a heavy puncher (it’s a marketability thing). It’s a shame too; I like watching guys like him fight. There are plenty of knockouts to go around, but not nearly enough solid technique among the heavyweights.
On the Undercard
Cruiserweights: Aaron Williams dispensed with Andre Purlett at 2:50 of round two. After knocking Purlett down with three consecutive rights earlier in the round, Williams poured coals on the fire until the referee stepped in to stop the fight. The TKO gives Williams a 17-0-1 record with 12 by knockout, while Purlett falls to 41-3 with 35 KOs.
Light Heavies: In a sloppy but entertaining fight, Joey Spina edged out David Whittam with scores of 58-56 and 57-56 with one judge giving the fight to Whittam with a 57-56 score card. A third round knockdown for Spina made the difference in the fight. Spina’s record goes to 22-1-1 (15) while Whittam’s falls to 10-6-1.
