By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Former two-division world champion Luisito Espinosa, one of the Philippines all-time greats was a pitiful sight as he absorbed a battering at the hands of young Cristobal Cruz and was knocked out in the third round of a scheduled ten round main event at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium Saturday morning Manila Time.
The 37 year old former world bantamweight and featherweight champion was decked by Cruz with a cracking left hook near the end of the first round and was "out on his feet" according to Andy Rivera who was at ringside to give Espinosa moral support. Andy Rivera is the son of Espinosa’ first manager, broadcaster Hermie Rivera who steered him to the world bantamweight crown and has consistently wanted his prized fighter to retire but sadly explained that he "keeps fighting to feed his family" even as he is still trying to collect on his $150,000 purse for his title defense against Carlos Rios in Koronodal years ago.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Rivera's brother Noel who once handled Espinosa's career in the US relayed the report of Andy. He said Espinosa "didn’t even know where his corner was" and that in the second round the once proud Filipino champion was "pummeled from pillar to post and was given two standing eight counts." At one point the referee had to save Espinosa from flying out of the ring.
In the fateful third round " a big left hook from Cruz sent Espinosa crashing to the canvas on his back" to be counted out cold. Rivera reported that he "lay on the canvas for a little while." Rivera said, "I feel really bad. Louie had really nothing and he looked old." The only gratifying thing was that Filipinos in the crowd surrounded Espinosa "and embraced him."
Espinosa’s one-time trainer Dee Pooler, in an overseas conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard from the venue said he believes Espinosa "should retire otherwise he’ll get hurt" even as he said Espinosa "did not appear prepared and when that happens he could get hurt real bad." Pooler said Espinosa who was training in Las Vegas was pained by having to be separated from his family who stayed with friends in California and he was "not focused, he just wasn’t there." Pooler, who grew very fond of Espinosa said "it broke my heart because I have never seen Louie destroyed."
Espinosa dropped to 47-13 with 26 knockouts while Cruz improved to 30-7-1 with 19 knockouts. The fight card showcased on the ESPN Deportes telecast was promoted by James Grunsky. It was Cruz's third successive stoppage having scored an impressive eighth round over Cornelius Lock followed by a fourth round TKO win over Jose Navarette. For Espinosa it was his second straight TKO having taken a bad seventh round TKO at the hands of Carlos Navarro last July 9.
