By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The executive officer of the California State Athletic Commission says former two-division champion Luisito Espinosa “cannot fight in the US until the suspension is lifted.”
In an email to Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today Armando Garcia who is a Cuban, not a Filipino, clarified that Espinosa did not refuse to take a medical test prior to his scheduled fight against former world lightweight champion Lakva Sim.
Garcia stressed that “the fight was not approved.”
The California State Athletic Commission official stressed that no matter what Espinosa or his trainers claim about his ability to continue fighting, the Filipino who once reigned as WBA bantamweight champion and later WBC featherweight champion would have to “contact our Commission and undergo a series of medical examinations to determine his suitability to compete.”
After back-to-back knockouts boxing fans and supporters of Espinosa have pleased with him to quit while others have demanded that boxing commissions in the US refuse to grant him a licenese to fight.
Espinosa is still engaged in a long drawn out legal battle to recover the balance of some $130,000 of his purse for his successful title defense against Carlos Rios in December 1997 in Koronodal, North Cotabato from the promoter, former governor Larry de Pedro.
