L.A. boxer runs up big lead, advances

CHICAGO -- Boxer Shawn Estrada of East Los Angeles understands the sad truth that will be in his corner when he goes to look for a job.

Estrada is training to be a firefighter.

“With all the fires back home, I’m sure I will be hired,” Estrada said Wednesday, after winning his first-round bout in the world boxing championships at the University of Illinois Chicago Pavilion.

Estrada, 22, who has a year and a half left in his fire technology training, said he knew of no family members and friends directly affected by the fires.

That made it easier for him to get into the ring against Artur Zlatopolski of Israel.

Estrada’s world meet debut was beginning to look like a wrestling match when Zlatopolski threw him to the canvas.

Estrada ended the middleweight fight by running up a 25-5 lead with 13 seconds left in the third round.

Competition rules call for amateur fights to be stopped if a boxer gets ahead by 20 points before the fourth two-minute round. “I didn’t want to lose my head when it got rough,” Estrada said. “I kept my composure and just boxed him.”

Estrada took bronze at the last three U.S. championships, then was the surprise champion at last month’s trials for the 2008 Olympic team. A top-eight finish at the worlds would qualify him for the Beijing Games.

Philip Hersh covers Olympic sports for The Times and the Chicago Tribune.