By Ronnie Nathanielsz

 

Former world bantamweight and featherweight champion Luisito Espinosa's clash with the rugged, hard-hitting former WBA lightweight champion Lakva Sim was called off yesterday.

 

Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today learned the fight was scrapped after Espinosa refused to take an MRI ordered by the California State Athletic Commission following concerns expressed over the dangers posed by to the 38 year old boxer following recent batterings in the ring.

 

 Sim,a tough Mongolian with a record of 20-4-1 including 17 knockouts lost the title last year in a hardfought battle with talented Juan Diaz. After the weight in Espinosa who came in at 138 1/2 pounds, some six pounds heavier than Sim who weighed 132 1/2 was informed that the fight had been changed from an eight rounder to a six rounder.

 

 Fans of the former Filipino great who is destined to be enshrined in the boxing "Hall of Fame" have pleaded with him to retire but apparently his dire financial situation and hangers-on who continue to prod him to fight have succeeded in postponing Espinosa's long overdue retirement. Espinosa is being managed by a retired San Francisco Police Department detective Joe Robles while a certain Fred Mekanika of Fairfield reportedly advises Espinosa.

 

 The ageing 38 year old Espinosa has a record of 47-13 with 26 KO’s was originally scheduled in an eight round bout against Sim that was not even going to be televised. The fight was one of the supporting bouts on the fight card headlined by 2000 Sydney Olympic super heavyweight gold medallist Audley Harrison of Britain who scored a fourth round TKO win over an outclassed Robert Wiggins.

 

 The fights were held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California in Goossem Tutor’s big “Night of the Olympians” card which also featured undefeated 2004 US Olympic gold medallist Andre Ward who mauled over-matched Christopher Holt and drew a crowd of just over 3,000.

 

The 38 year old Espinosa who is still trying desperately to collect his purse from former governor Larry de Pedro for his featherweight title defense against Carlos Rios of Argentina in Koronodal on December 6, 1997. Espinosa has a pending court case gathering dust and is forced to keep fighting to support his family despite being badly beaten in his last two fights. He suffered a seventh round TKO at the hands of Carlos Navarro on July 9, 2004 in Reno, Nevada and then was knocked out in the third round by Cristobal Cruz in Stockton, California last February 18. Sim, on the other hand, is coming off a second round TKO win over Shawn Simmons last June 18.