Home Again: David Estrada is Still on a Mission

For a fighter, having success in the sport of boxing isn’t nearly enough if they aren’t able to break through and make the pinnacle of their career what it is truly desired to be. Welterweight contender David Estrada will be the first to tell you that despite all the success and enlightenment that he has experienced in his ten year career, he is still a man with a huge void to fill before his day is done.

As a professional Estrada has bumped heads with some of the biggest names in the sport and built up somewhat of a cult following due to his overly aggressive nature and intense fortitude that he has displayed while inside the squared circle. In one of the biggest wins of his career he upset then undefeated and highly touted Chris ‘The Mechanic’ Smith in January 2005, impressively showing an endless amount of stamina and a great variety to his offensive attack. The 11th round TKO victory would lead towards a Las Vegas clash with ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley just months later, but from there Estrada’s career has been hit and miss.

Estrada would lose a ten round decision to Mosley despite coming on strong down the stretch and one year later he would engage in one of the more brutal fights of 2006 as he went to war with power punching Kermit Cintron. The bout was as entertaining as possible but Estrada would eventually be halted in the tenth round.

In the following years losses to current WBC Welterweight champion Andre Berto, Jesus Soto-Karass, and Luis Abregu only furthered to put a damper on Estrada’s title aspirations. Some outsiders looking in may question what keeps him going after such hardship in the hardest of sports, but one would have to be in Estrada’s shoes to fully appreciate what he is after. Heading into a return bout this Friday at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois against journeyman Chris Gray, Estrada is still a man with something to prove, even if it’s only to himself.

“I’m just looking to get a win after being off for eight months,” Estrada says optimistically. “I’m ready to get back on a winning streak so I can get myself back in the top ten. I’m still on a mission and I feel that I should have been a champion a long time ago.”

Another storyline surrounding Estrada’s comeback fight is the fact that he has moved back to his native Chicago after spending the previous six years down in Miami, Florida. Professional athletes are often trying to reinvent themselves while looking for an answer to their previous setbacks and in moving back home Estrada has again gotten a new outlook on his life.

“One of the main things was that I was just homesick,” Estrada says without hesitation. “I just feel more at home when I am here as opposed to down in Florida. It brings back memories, feelings, and it brings back the old me. This is what was missing in my life for a long time. I just feel more comfortable being back at home.”

When speaking further about his love of his roots, Estrada can’t help but reflect on the old days and how things were back then. Despite training non stop and carrying with him the expected fighter’s mindset that is necessary towards focusing on his job, Estrada has still had much time to reflect on his surroundings.

“Chicago will always be home to me,” he says bluntly. “Whether it’s the good food or the culture, there isn’t any other place like it. I used to be a graffiti artist and being back and seeing all the art reminds me of my tagging days. I’ve just really been embracing the city lifestyle since coming back. Everything is running twenty four hours and there is always something going on as opposed to Miami where it’s just laid back.”

While living in Florida Estrada was still able to have a lot of great experiences while appreciating everything that the area had to offer. Looking back on his time down South, Estrada concedes that he still has a soft spot for South Florida.

“I love Miami, don’t get me wrong,” he continues. “I love the ocean. When you want to have some fun you just go to South Beach, everybody knows that. The weather is good all year round for training and I might move my camp back to South Florida for the winters. I met a lot of great people down there and I will always remember my time down there. I love Miami but I just love Chicago more.”

Despite his upcoming opponent Gray looking like the typical tune-up fight on paper, Estrada is training for the contest diligently. He has teamed up with ex fighter and current trainer ‘Fearless’ Fernando Hernandez and has been putting in his work at the local Chicago Fight Club. Estrada gets up to run at 5 in the morning, hits the gym around noon, and often finishes up with strength training workouts at night.

While some men in David Estrada’s position may have called it quits a long time ago, there is something special inside the tattooed brawler that keeps him moving forward. He has endured his share of suffering and pain but his outlook is still remarkably fresh and despite his fight with Gray being an off-TV affair, it’s obvious when speaking with him why this means so much to David Estrada.

“I think the main thing that keeps me going is that I know in my heart I belong near the top. Another thing is that I feel that I have the realest people and fans in the world who support me. Even after a loss they are always there telling me to keep my head up and that I just need to get back in the gym and keep training for the next opportunity. Everybody always tells me that I am going to be my champ and that my time is coming. That’s a lot of motivation for me.”

Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com or www.Facebook.com/CRHarmony