NEWARK, N.J. (Feb. 4, 2010) — This is more than just a shot at a heavyweight title for Jason “Big Six” Estrada. A victory for Estrada over Tomasz Adamek on Saturday night would also be a win for his fellow Olympic teammates who’ve ventured into the professional ranks.
“I want to thank all of the Polish people that have come here to support Tomasz Adamek,” Estrada’s promoter, Jimmy Burchfield of Classic Entertainment & Sports, said during Wednesday’s press conference, “but Jason ‘Big Six’ Estrada is fighting for the United States of America.
“He’s fighting for his classmates of the 2004 Olympiad. He’s fighting for every future, past and present Olympian. We don’t come to this fight as an opponent. We come to fight. We come to win.”
Estrada, a 2004 U.S. Olympian, is 16-2 as a pro with four knockouts. Adamek, a former cruiserweight world champion now competing as a heavyweight, is 39-1 with 27 knockouts. Saturday’s IBF International Heavyweight title bout will take place at the Prudential Center.
“Funny thing is when I was playing video games as a light heavyweight I was always playing as Tomasz Adamek,” Estrada said. “[I] loved his style and I still love what he did in the light heavy and cruiserweight division, but this is a different story. He’s among big boys now and it will be over his head to fight people like me. Experience, ring ability — everything is on my side.”
Adamek, a man of few words, has predicted a lopsided victory and, in some circles, has guaranteed to knock out Estrada — something no one has done in Estrada’s amateur or professional career.
“Jason is a very unorthodox fighter for this weight class, buy I always believed that no matter who I’m fighting against, it is up to me if I win or lose,” Adamek said. “I know his strengths. I’m sure he thinks he knows my weaknesses, but whatever we are saying now makes no difference whatsoever. You can prove yourself in only one way — by winning. And this is exactly what I intend to do on Saturday.”
Unlike many of his past fights, Estrada has had eight weeks to prepare for Saturday’s bout, which, in addition to his experience as a heavyweight, could give him the edge . Those questions will be answered once the bell rings Saturday night.
“I see some of the media and HBO looking past Jason Estrada,” Burchfield said. “You are all making a big, big, big mistake. Jason’s won every amateur title you can imagine. He’s fought the real fighters, so this is going to be a real fight.”