SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Frank Espinoza is ready to be trainer Ray Woods' next titleholder, and maybe his last.
Espinoza, an amateur standout from Sacramento, California, turns professional on a regional card on November 21 against Freddy Espinoza at the DoubleTree Hotel in his hometown.
Espinoza has only been boxing for five years after he entered Woods’ garage gym, the same gym where Brandon Gonzales once sparred Andre Ward, Xavier Martinez trained for Robson Conceicao, and Guy Robb had all of his camps. Espinoza knew little of Woods’ famous fight history.
A close friend, Ruben Torres, trained with Woods and was a pro, and he opted to check out the gym. Espinoza would go there with his brother, but eventually, he was showing up alone to every training session. The bond he’s built with his trainer ultimately saw him win two national titles, and become a notable prospect.
“Knowing that I am one of his last fighters since I know he is an old man and everyone has a time limit, I am trying to give him his last champion,” Espinoza told BoxingScene. “[I am] thankful that he took me, and I got to bless him back. I never thought I could be a pretty good fighter,” Espinoza said. “I feel [Ray Woods] had a lot of faith in me.”
Woods is the stepfather of Diego “Chico” Corrales. Entry to his gym is not easy. In fact, it is an unlisted private address, and he is very picky about the fighters that he deals with, as he is known for putting on grueling training camps. Espinoza, now 20, entered the gym as a 225lbs 15-year-old. He will turn pro as a middleweight.
“I saw that he was the real warrior,” Woods told BoxingScene. “He developed really nicely, and he is getting better and better all the time.”
Espinoza began fighting in national tournaments after his 10th amateur fight. He recalled his first national tournament taking place in Louisiana, the 2023 USA Boxing National Championships, where he lost in the semi-finals.
“I remember after that tournament looking at the number one dude and thinking I could hang with him,” Espinoza said. “Just knowing when I got my spot at number one [in USA Boxing], knowing how much people wanted that spot.”
Espinoza channeled that into discipline and hard work, grinding in the late hours in Sacramento.
“He comes in and he puts on his hand wraps. He doesn’t do a lot of talking. He goes straight to the bag work, mitts or sparring,” Woods said. “No backtalk, he tries to do everything I tell him to do.”
Espinoza is ending his amateur career on a high note, leaving the unpaid rankings as the no. 1 rated 165lbs boxer in the United States, and having won the National Golden Gloves in his last bout in May.
Freddy Espinoza - no relation to his opponent - enters the bout with a record of 10-8 (7 KOs). The 26-year-old from Chinandega, Nicaragua enters on a six-fight losing streak, having been stopped in five of those fights. His last fight was against Antraveous Ingram in December, who stopped him in the first round.
“I don’t rely on motivation, just discipline,” Espinoza said. “I am just trying to be a champion.”