Espadas mocks Espi's dad

MERIDA -- Papa Dio Espinosa predicted his son Luisito will knock out Guty Espadas, Jr., with a left hook in the fifth round to win the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title at the Poliforum Zamna here tonight (tomorrow in Manila).

Espadas laughed off the prediction and ridiculed Espinosa's father who was a top flyweight contender in the 1960s.

"Maybe, he (Papa Dio) should just fight my father," said Espadas, referring to Guty, Sr. who resigned as World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight champion from 1976 to 1978.

Papa Dio, 63, fought Japanese world titlists Hiroyuki Ebihara and Masahiko (Fighting) Harada in his prime. He now weighs 147 pounds. Guty, Sr., 45, has ballooned to 180.

Top Rank Promotions is hyping the father-son ties in the fight which it calls "Herencia de Gloria" since the protagonists inherited their boxing skills.

The fathers are here to watch their sons in action.

For a while, Papa Dio and his son were not on speaking terms. They became estranged because of family problems. Papa Dio was not in Espinosa's corner when he lost the WBC title to Cesar Soto last May. But they've since reconciled.

Papa Dio said the family's back together again. "Hindi na magulo ang isip ni Louie -- wala na siyang iniisip kundi patulugin si Espadas," said Papa Dio who advises his son in the gym but takes a back seat to Mexican trainer Robert Aguallo.

Espadas, 25, is a mechanical engineering student. He has a 3-year-old son Saul whose name is usually emblazoned across his boxing trunks. His wife Karla and son will watch the fight on TV in Mexico City where they live.

Espadas said he thought of retiring from the ring after losing to unheralded Darryl Pinckney in July 1996 and Filipino Jesus Salud five months later. But after a six-month hiatus, he came back to win 11 in a row, the last six fights under top Mexican trainer Ignacio (Nacho) Beristain who has taken such stars as Ricardo Lopez, Humberto Gonzalez, and Melchor Cob Castro to the throne.

Beristain said Espadas will concentrate on the body to slow down Espinosa. For Espadas to win, he's got to survive up to the fifth round after which Espinosa will gradually weaken because of the body attack, added Beristain.

The Mexican press is playing up the angle that if Espadas wins, Mexico will enter the history books for producing the first father-son combination to bag world titles. Floyd Patterson and his adopted son Tracy were world champions but their feat isn't counted because they're not biologically related.

Espadas has a 31-2 record, with 21 knockouts, compared to Espinosa's mark of 44-8, with 23 knockouts. Espadas turned pro in 1992, eight years after Espinosa, 32, made his debut. -