Press release: David Estrada landed left and right hooks at will to notch an 11th round TKO over Chris “The Mechanic” Smith in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight elimination bout for the No. 2 ranking Friday on “ShoBox: The New Generation.” In the junior middleweight co-feature from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. Sechew “Iron Horse” Powell thoroughly controlled Patrick “One-Punch” Thompson over eight rounds to take a unanimous decision 80-71, 80-72 and 79-73.
SHOWTIME televised the DiBella Entertainment doubleheader at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The telecast represented the 55th in the popular “ShoBox” series, which debuted on SHOWTIME in July 2001.
Estrada (18-1, 9 KOs), of Chicago, dictated the pace of the bout with volume punches and constant pressure. A hard right dropped Smith in the seventh; however, Estrada lost his mouthpiece as he went to finish the fight, allowing Smith to escape the round. With the legendary Angelo Dundee in his corner, Estrada winged vicious right and left hooks alternately to Smith’s body and face, prompting the referee to stop the fight at 1:11 of the 11th round. In his second SHOWTIME and “ShoBox” appearance, Estrada dealt previously undefeated Nurhan Suleymanoglu his first defeat and captured the vacant United States Boxing Association (USBA) welterweight crown with an impressive 12-round unanimous decision by the scores 120-108 and 117-111 twice July 15, 2004, in Santa Ynez, Calif. Estrada’s, only loss came in his “ShoBox’’ debut when he dropped a 10-round decision to undefeated Ishe Smith on July 31, 2003, in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Smith (19-1-1, 12 KOs), originally of Mandeville, Jamaica, looked his sharpest in the fifth and sixth rounds. He pressed forward, but often smothered his own punches en route to his first career loss. The native Jamaican, now residing in Queens, N.Y., utilized a crushing body attack to score a ninth-round TKO over Marlon Haynes on Sept. 12, 2002, to win the interim North American Boxing Association (NABA) welterweight title. In his initial title defense, Smith controlled the early going before eventually tallying a 10th-round TKO over veteran Sam Garr on Feb. 14, 2003, in Louisville, Ky. The former New York Golden Gloves Champion successfully defended his NABA title three additional times.
Powell (15-0, 9 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., looked sharp, landing combinations at will against the overmatched Thompson. In the sixth round, Powell staggered Thompson with an uppercut that nearly ended the fight. Powell got floored and was nearly knocked out in the fifth round of his SHOWTIME and “ShoBox” debuts on June 17, 2004, in Laughlin, Nev., but managed to survive the round and triumph by the scores 76-75 twice and 75-76 after the eighth. During a nine-year amateur career, Powell compiled a 147-9 record, but suffered a heartbreaking disqualification loss in the 2000 Olympic Trials.
Thompson (8-4-1, 4 KOs), of Lincoln, Neb. by way of Chicago, could not figure out Powell’s southpaw style. Undeterred, Thompson moved forward throughout the fight, stalking Powell, but taking a beating. Thompson is a substitute for Aslanbek Kodzoev who withdrew to remain in Russia with his girlfriend, Dardina. Thompson got a late start in boxing. After winning the majority of his 14 amateur fights, he turned pro at the age of 29 with a third-round TKO over Gary Moore in Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 11, 2002.
“ShoBox: The New Generation” features up-and-coming prospects determined to make a mark and eventually fight for a chance at a world title. The best of the new generation of hungry, young boxers will have an opportunity to showcase their talent and heart as they battle each other in competitive fights in front of a national television audience. “ShoBox: The New Generation” is pure, basic boxing, reminiscent of the golden days of the sport.
Nick Charles called Friday’s action from ringside, with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of the telecast was Gordon Hall, with Richard Gaughan producing.
The next “ShoBox” telecast on Feb. 4 features four talented prizefighters with a combined 77-3-1 record. In the main event, World Boxing Organization (WBO) No. 2/World Boxing Association (WBA) No. 14 140-pound contender David Diaz risks a possible shot at the WBO title when he takes on Kendall Holt in a 10-round junior welterweight bout. The eight-round co-feature will pit once-beaten 140-pounders Oscar “El Matador” Diaz and Al “Speedy” Gonzalez. SHOWTIME will televise the doubleheader at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast).
The following night, Feb. 5, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING features a grudge rematch between World Boxing Association/World Boxing Council/International Boxing Federation (WBA/WBC/IBF) Welterweight Champion Cory Spinks (34-2, 11 KOs) and former two-time world champion Zab “Super” Judah (32-2, 1 NC, 23 KOs). SHOWTIME will televise the undisputed welterweight world championship at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast).
