Rafael Espinoza may flee division with successful defense
Dec 6, 2024 • 6:35 PM ET
Rafael Espinoza has serious work to do as the champion heads to Saturday night’s WBO featherweight title rematch as a slight underdog against Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez.
Yet, as the 6-feet-1 Mexican considers his physical growth and surging popularity, there is increasing speculation that a victory could send Espinoza up a division, perhaps toward a match with the winner of Saturday night’s ESPN main event between super-featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete and former two-division champion Oscar Valdez.
“Rumors have it he’ll go up in weight to 130,” Top Rank’s Hall of Fame matchmaker Brad Goodman told Boxing Scene of Espinoza 25-0 (21 KOs).
While Top Rank Vice President Carl Moretti expressed doubt that Espinoza would want to fight three-division champion and countryman Navarrete given their friendship, Valdez 32-2 (24 KOs) manager Frank Espinoza said his fighter is not bound contractually to a trilogy fight with Navarrete should Valdez avenge his 2023 loss to Navarrete.
Frank Espinoza said Valdez would also likely be tempted to consider a 130-pound unification bout against WBC super-featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster 23-3 (12 KOs), a Top Rank fighter who will attend Saturday’s bout.
An individual who would have a voice in the discussions said, “Yes, O’Shaquie is there with the second belt, but you’ve got to figure the Espinoza fight versus Valdez is a much more lucrative fight.”
Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Espinoza take his victory and move up in weight, even though he would leave behind a division that might witness the entry of Japan’s unbeaten four-division and undisputed super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue later in 2025.
“I’ve never seen a featherweight as big as (Espinoza),” Arum said with challenger Ramirez standing only 5-6. “So, yeah, I think (Espinoza) could carry 130 pounds pretty easily.”
Arum said he’d pursue the best bout possible for Valdez next should he defeat Navarrete.
“He has good advice from people in his corner with his manager and trainer, Eddy Reynoso, so let’s see what happens in this fight and what we’re going to do after that,” Arum said.
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
