FUMING MAD:

Luisito Espinosa's on the warpath.

When Espinosa learned his April 14 fight against Guty Espadas for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title will be held in Mexico, not here, he went into a rage.

According to Espinosa's wife Mariecherie, Games and Amusement Board (GAB) chairman Dominador Cepeda broke the news after WBC president Jose Sulaiman confirmed the site in an overseas call last Friday.

Espinosa vented his anger on the speedball in the makeshift gym of his Singalong home. He tore the speedball off its socket.

Obviously, Espinosa's disappointed he won't fight Espadas here. Not even a last-ditch attempt by Cepeda, on President Estrada's orders, to raise the $150,000 site fee could work the switch. Sulaiman said it was too late to relocate the fight from Merida, Espada's hometown.

As a consolation, Sulaiman assured Cepeda that "I will be there (in Merida) and watch over your boy." Big deal. Sulaiman was in El Paso when Espinosa was robbed of the decision and lost the WBC crown to Cesar Soto last May. So his presence is no guarantee that justice will prevail in Merida.

Sulaiman also said that if Espinosa is in tip-top condition, he should be able to knock out Espadas because of his experience.

So far, Espinosa has logged about 60 rounds of sparring with Philippine junior middleweight champion Jerry Balagbagan and Philippine lightweight titlist Joselito Rivera to prepare for Espadas. His weight is now down to a manageable 130 pounds, four over the featherweight limit.

The WBC has assigned Richard Steele as the referee and Roy Van Putten of Aruba as the supervisor for the fight. The judges will be John Keane of England, Chuck Hassett of Las Vegas, and Marty Denkin of Los Angeles.

Denkin was the referee who worked the Gerry Peñalosa-In Joo Cho rematch in Seoul last January. Denkin was accused of partiality in not ruling a Cho knockdown in the ninth round and deducting a point from Peñalosa's scorecard for a wet corner - two factors which resulted in the Korean's win on a disputed split decision.

Espinosa and his entourage will leave Manila for Mexico on April 5. His Mexican trainer Robert Aguallo is due to plane in from San Francisco early next week with two sparmates - one of whom is undefeated featherweight Juan Arias.

Espinosa and his wife are scheduled to visit President Estrada in Malacañang today to thank him for his support and ask for assistance in collecting the unpaid balance of his purse from a 1997 fight in Koronadal as guaranteed by South Cotabato Gov. Hilario DePedro.

In a previous call on the Chief Executive last Thursday, the Espinosas were accompanied by Mayor Jinggoy Estrada.

Espinosa's manager Erlinda (Boots) Aniel, a Filipina real estate broker living in Daly City near San Francisco, told The STAR in a long distance call yesterday she spoke to America Presents president Dan Goosen last week and was assured of the Denver promotions outfit's "solid support." Espinosa's two-year contract with America Presents expires in May.

Espinosa will be paid $139,150 for the fight, his fourth in Mexico.