PROVIDENCE (November 21, 2008) – On a mission to establish himself as America’s No. 1 heavyweight prospect, 2004 U.S. Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada closes out 2008 on November 29, headlining “Holiday Havoc” in the 8-round main event against Derek “The One Man Riot” Bryant (20-4-1, 17 KOs), at Twin River Events Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island..
Estrada (14-1, 3 KOs) has won all four of his 2008 fights, thus far, against former world title challenger Charles Shufford (20-7-1) and multi-regional title-holder Lance “Mount” Whitaker (32-4-1) by 10-round decisions, as well as Carolina champion Moultrie Witherspoon (14-1) by seventh-round technical knockout and Texas State champ Domonic Jenkins (13-8-1) by 8-round decision.
“This has been my best year by far because of the quality of opponents and the way I beat them,” Estrada said. “I’ve also had very little injuries or physical conflicts this year and everything is right on schedule. It doesn’t upset me that lesser fighters have gotten bigger opportunities. I’m patient and my time will come. I think my biggest improvement this year has been my patience in the ring. I haven’t gotten frustrated when opponents hold me. Next year, I want to improve my pressure, finishing off opponents when I have them in trouble. For some reason, sometimes, I pull back in that situation. In my mind, I have to finish them off when they’re ready to go…..give them a ticket to leave.”
“Holiday Havoc,” presented by Estrada’s promoter (Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc.), will be taped live and air Saturday, December 13 at 7:00 PM/ET on CN8, The Comcast Network in New England and the Baltimore/Washington D.C. market, as well as Friday, Nov. 12 at 7 PM/ET on Cox Sports Television.
Estrada, who turns 28 the day after his fight against Bryant, has been in the retiring business, often sending his beaten opponents into another line of business or regulating them to club fighters. Robert Wiggins, Whitaker and Shufford haven’t fought since losing to Estrada and Najee Shaheed has only fought once since his loss by 6-round decision to “Big Six” in 2005. Jason has fought anybody and everybody put in the ring with him, never turning down an opponent, and none had a losing record (230-82-10 combined record of his opponents when they fought Estrada).
“I go into the ring thinking I’m going to beat my opponent to the point where they’ll second-guess why they’re still professional fighters,” Estrada explained. “I out-class and out-think them. I’m stronger, faster and quicker than them. I want to let them know it’s time to leave the heavyweight division to young guys like me.”
Providence-native Estrada was one of the most highly decorated American amateur boxers ever, compiling an amazing 261-14 record in U.S. competition. He was the first boxer to win both the U.S. Nationals and U.S. Challenge three years (2001-2003) in a row. Highlights of his amateur career included representing the United States in the 2004 Olympics and capturing a gold medal at the 2003 Pan-American Games.
During his extraordinary amateur career, Estrada defeated some of today’s leading professionals including former world title challenger DaVarryl “The Touch of Sleep” Williamson (25-5, 21 KOs), unbeatens Malik Scott (31-0, 11 KOs) and Donnell “The Real Touch of Sleep” Holmes (29-0-2, 25 KOs), Malcolm “The Showstopper” Tann (23-4, 12 KOs), and Felix “Bad News” Cora, Jr. (18-2, 9 KOs).
His vast amateur experience, Jason believes, gives him a significant advantage over fellow American heavyweights. “A lot of these U.S. heavyweights can’t fight,” Estrada added. “Their promoters protect them by giving them easy fights, padding their records, and moving them into title fights that they aren’t ready for. They aren’t ready to fight these Russians who’ve had long amateur backgrounds, technological advantages, and much better sparring on a regular basis.
“Most American heavyweights can fight one, maybe two styles, real well, but, I’ve fought them all – world-class, southpaws, bangers, switchers, fast, etc. I’ve fought so many different styles of boxers because of my International competition as an amateur and those experiences are going to help me become world champion. My time is coming.”
“holday Havoc” tickets, priced at $19.00, $40.00, $55.00 (Bronze), $75.00 (Silver), $100.00 (Gold) and limited $150.00 (Jimmy’s Platinum Club), are available to purchase at Jason’s gym in Providence, Big Six Academy (401.241.3490), calling CES (401.724.2253/2254), or going on line at www.cesboxing.com.
Contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Twin River Events Center (877.82.RIVER/ www.twinriver.com) for more information. Doors open at 6 PM/ET, first bout at 7 PM/ET.
Jürgen Brähmer wants to make his dream come true against WBA world champion Hugo Hernan Garay
Two world championships featuring Ina Menzer vs. Adriana Salles and Alesia Graf vs. Magdalena Dahlen
Two additional title fights: Eduard Gutknecht in his first title bout for the German Chamiponship and Aleksy Kuziemski will defend his WBO Interconti belt
WBA #1 ranked Jürgen Brähmer, the next German hope for world light heavyweight title after Dariusz „Tiger“ Michalczewski and Henry „Gentleman“ Maske, is now ready to take the final step toward a world championship. The Universum boxer is set to challenge WBA light heavyweight world champion Hugo Hernan Garay on November 22 in an explosive showdown at the Stadthalle Rostock.
Things heated up during today’s Garay-Brähmer press conference at the Lütten Klein VW dealership in Rostock. Garay and Brähmer meet for the WBA world 175lb championship on Saturday’s “Universun Champions Night” at the Stadthalle in Rostock.
“I have already fought twice in Germany against Zsolt Erdei for the championship and say even today that in reality I won those fights, not Zsolt,” stated WBA light heavyweight champion Hugo Garay. “Jürgen Brähmer I don’t even know!”
The response of WBA #1 mandatory challenger Brähmer was direct and pointed. “Even though he claims that he doesn’t know me, on Saturday I will show him who I am in the ring! It’s finally my first world title shot as a pro and I have prepared intensively for Garay. I’ve planned for and waited for this title chance for a year. It’s especially nice that as a Mecklenburg native my dream can come true here in Rostock.”
Brähmer’s trainer Michael Timm added, “Jürgen has done everything to be the ‘best Brähmer of all time’ on Saturday in the ring. I can say that I’ve worked together with Jürgen since 1994 and he has never been in such good shape. The way he looked in training, I hardly recognized him. But Garay ist an awkward old dog and not the cleanest boxer, so this will be a fight to the last drop of blood. Jürgen has the better technique which will tip the balance. A fighter must be able to to box and a boxer must be able to fight. That Jürgen will heed that.”
His opponent, the Argentinean world champion Hugo Hernan Garay (31-3, 17 KOs) is a typical south american fighter and a very difficult and strong challenger. He is well known to German fight fans, having twice challenged WBO light heavy king Zsolt Erdei in Dortmund in 2004 and again in a rematch in Hamburg in 2005. Brähmer’s stablemate Erdei won both both battles and defended his WBO belts by a margin. Garay finally took his third attempt this earlier year by winning the world title in Bueros Aires against Yuri Barashian. He claimed the vacant WBA belt by unanimous decision which was relinquished by the now retired Australian Danny Green.
Universum trainer Michael Timm continued, “Light heavyweight is a tradition-rich weight division in Germany. The “Tiger” Dariusz Michalczewski and “Gentleman” Henry Maske, with their magnificent World Cup successes in professional boxing over the last 15 years made us great. Jürgen Brähmer can follow in those footsteps. We are very optimistic.”
In preparation for the fight, Brähmer sparred with ex-world champion Byron Mitchell. “Unfortunately, Byron did not quite mke it through,” stated Brähmer. “Two days before the end of the sparring phase last week, he had suddenly had enough of me.”
World championesse Ina Menzer faces the Brazilian Adriana Salles
(also live on ZDF after the fight Garay vs. Brähmer)
A tough and literally big challenge is coming up for unbeaten featherweight world champion Ina Menzer (21-0-0, 9 K.o.) of the Universum stable. The reigning WBC and WIBF champion of Mönchengladbach will feature within the „Universum Champions Night“ in Rostock and will face the Brazilian Adriana Salles (11-3-1, 5 K.o.). Ina Menzer on her opponent from Sao Paulo: „She is a typical south american boxer with a good record. Fighting in an awkeward style and always attacking. Adriana is with 5’7 obviously taller than me, about seven centimeters. That can make the difference but for every problem there is a solution. I have prepared myself for this with two equally-sized male sparring partners.“
Adriana Salles: „Ina Menzer is alrmost a legend in her weight division. She has a hard right hand and is a deserved world champion!“
World champion Alesia Graf is challenged in a stable duel by Magdalena Dahlen
In another great Universum “stall duel” WIBF/GBU junior bantamweight world champion Alesia Graf (21-1, 9 KOs) defends against unbeaten stablemate Magdalena Dahlen (9-0, 3 KOs). Graf, now a German citizen, said “I know Magdalena from two amateur fights. I won both, but not under professional conditions. I will take very seriously – Stall duels are always particularly sensitive.”
Dahlen commented “This is my big chance and I have great respect for Alesia’s accomplishments. Alesia is very technically versed and I have to give everything to win.”
Two additional title fights: Aleksy Kuziemski will defend his WBO Interconti belt and Eduard Gutknecht in his first title bout for the German Chamiponship against Pawlak
In his first title chance, spotlight boxing super middleweight Eduard “Eddy” Gutknecht (14-0, 6 KOs) faces Christian Pawlak (9-2, 5 KOs) for the German title. Gutknecht previously outpointed Pawlak, who is trained by Graciano Rocchigiani, in their first meeting in July 2007.
Also unbeaten WBO Intercontinental light heavyweight champion Aleksy Kuziemski (15-0, 2 KOs) has a tough nut to crack in the Latvian Mantas Tarvydas (15-4, 10 KOs). For Kuziemski this will be a tough challenge in his second title defence.
Gennady Golovkin (13-0-0 (10)), the unbeaten middleweight hope of spotlight boxing, collides with Malik Dziarra (29-3-0 (20)). The 34 year old of the SES boxing stable in Magdeburg returns to the ring after a two year break. Gennady Golovkin wants to confirm his good posotion in the rankings.
Marcel Meyerdiercks (9-0-0 (4)) will face the well experienced Bulgarian Wladimir Borov (16-50-1 (6)) in his 10th pro bout. Featherweight Meyerdiercks of the spotlight boxing-Team had his most exciting appearance so far about a year ago (September 2007) in Rostock. In the sold out StadtHalle the talented and very successful amateur boxer had his first pro bout in front of his friends, relatives and an enthusiastic crowd.
Das ZDF überträgt Jürgen Brähmers WM-Kampf live ab 23.00 Uhr aus der Hansestadt Rostock an der Ostsee. Ina Menzers Kampf wird im Anschluss ebenfalls live gesendet. Die Höhepunkte der hochklassig besetzten Kampfnacht sehen Sie außerdem ab Sonntag im Internet bei www.bild.de und www.boxing.de.
The ZDF will broadcast live the fight of Jürgen Brähmer from 11:00pm from the hanseatic city of Rostock. Following to that the fight of Ina Menzer will also be shown live on ZDF. Highlights of the fighting action can be seen on Sunday on www.boxing.de.
Final tickets for this „Universum Champions Night“ at the StadtHalle Rostock are available at:
Universum Ticket Hotline: +49-40-696 559 59
CTS-Eventim Hotline: +49-1805-5 70 000
or at www.boxing.de