By Rey Danseco
THE World Boxing Council (WBC) has voiced their intention of assigning the title of WBC Ambassador to former WBC featherweight champion Luisito Espinosa. However, WBC president Jose Sulaiman advised him to retire.
In a letter dated September 12 and addressed to this writer as a response to inquiries, Sulaiman revealed his high respect to the 38-year old former two-time world champion.
“I have the highest regard for the former WBC champion and Philippines sports hero Luisito Espinosa, for whom I wish the very best in the world for his future, and I would name him a WBC Ambassador as he represents an example for the youth of his country and the world,” said Sulaiman in a letter which he furnished copies to the Games and Amusement Board in Makati, Oriental & Pacific Boxing Federation in Australia, WBC Board of Governors and reporter Ronnie Nathanielsz.
The letter was also sent to several respected boxing personalities from around the world, including WBC International championship chairman Mauro Betti of Italy.
“I would invite him, however, to think profoundly on not continuing in boxing, as he would only be risking his health and his future and he would just risk the tarnishing of his name as one of the greatest champions that the Orient has had.”
“My position about him is absolutely not against him, but all to the contrary, it is based on the respect, friendship and admiration that I have for him and the concern and care that his people in the WBC have for him.”
Espinosa (47-13, 26 KOs), who turned 38 years old on June 26, was prevented by the California State Athletic Commission from making his 61st ring appearance against the very capable, former WBA super featherweight and lightweight champ Lakva Sim (20-4-0, 17 KOs) of Mongolia. Espinosa’s bout was blocked because he refused to undergo a series of MRI tests to detect any damage to his brain. The bout was booked as a lightweight encounter at Goossen-Tutor’s “Night of the Olympians” card at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California on Aug. 18.
The fight was initially set for eight round, but reduced to 6 after the CSAC learned that the former Filipino ring idol had lost four of his last six fights, all of them by knockout. The losses include his last two bouts, the seven round knockout loss to American Carlos Navarro in July of 2004 and a three round knockout loss to Mexican Cristobal Cruz on February 18.
His other losses, both by knockout, were against Augie Sanchez in the 4th round and Zahir Raheem in the 8th. Raheem just defeated former 3-time champion Erik Morales on Saturday.
He picked up a second round stoppage of former WBA and IBF world featherweight title challenger Ever Beleno of Colombia, after his defeat to Sanchez and a first round annihilation of youthful Mexican Marco Angel Perez, after his defeat to then undefeated Raheem.
A candidate to be inducted as the third Filipino boxer in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, next to flyweight Francisco “Pancho Villa” Guilledo and super featherweight Gabriel “Flash” Elorde. Espinosa has twice reached the summit of his sport after he made his pro-debut as a light flyweight in May of 1984.
He became the first Filipino to claim a world bantamweight title when he dethroned heavily favored, defending champ Khaokor Galaxy in Bangkok, Thailand with a first round knockout in their WBA bantamweight title bout on Oct. 18, 1989.
The 5-foot-7 Filipino defended the belt twice, until he lost it in the 5th round knockout loss to Venezuela’s Israel Contreras before a shocked 20,000-hometown crowd at Araneta Coliseum day after the 3rd anniversary of his win to Galaxy in 1991.
Espinosa dethroned Mexico’s Manuel “Mantecas” Medina, about held in Tokyo, Japan in December of 1995 and held the WBC featherweight crown for four and a half years. He made seven title defenses, including when he sent his first challenger and once tormentor, Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzales out of the ring on a stretcher in a devastating knockout at 1:12 of the 4th round. He lost the belt on a controversial decision in a rematch against another Cobrita, Cesar Soto, in May of 1999 in a bout held in El Paso, Texas.
Espinosa was screwed in his fifth title defense, a sixth round knockout of Argentina’s Carlos Rios, who was then undefeated in 41 starts with 31 knockouts, the bout was held in Koronadal, South Cotabato in Dec of 1997. Fight host Gov. Hilario de Pedro of South Cotabato, Rod Nazario and others failed to pay in full his $150,000 purse.
He brought the case to Manila Regional Trial Court, first handled by the now retired Judge Felesicimo Cabigao of the Manila Regional Trial Court and was inherited by Judge Rosario Cruz in whose tenure it has been gathering dust for years.
Espinosa has no permanent job and place to live in California’s Bay Area where his wife Marie Cherrie and their kids abandoned him earlier this year. His wife, who works at Redwood City Computer company, sent their three children to her parents in their ancestral home along Singalong in Manila.
