Espinosa turns back clock

It was like old times for Luisito Espinosa as the former two-time world boxing champion relived his glory years in knocking out Marco Angel Perez of Mexico at 2:57 of the first round at the Oakland Arena last Thursday.

Espinosa, 35, didn’t miss a beat in silencing detractors who called for his retirement after he was stopped by Zahir Raheem in the eighth round of his previous fight in Oklahoma last October.

Perez, 25, proved no match for the hard-hitting Filipino who ruled as World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight titlist in 1989-91 and World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight king in 1995-99. The early demolition was no indication that Perez was a patsy although he’d lost his last two outings.

Perez raced to a 13-0 record since turning pro in 1996 and appeared to be headed for the top after halting Ernesto Benitez for the FECARBOX (Central American and Caribbean Boxing Federation) superfeatherweight crown in Culiacan, Mexico, in 1999. But his rise to stardom was stalled when he lost to Juan Angel Macias in a bid for the WBC Continental Americas 130-pound diadem in 2000. Perez bounced back to score three straight wins by knockout then fell to Roger Medal and Humberto Soto before facing Espinosa.

Perez was a perfect opponent for Espinosa. Unlike Rahim who prefers to stick and run, Perez fights like a raging bull. He’ll bore in and risk getting hit for the chance to land a big one. A sucker for a counterpuncher, Perez conjured visions of displaying Espinosa’s scalp in his trophy room as his claim to fame.

Over 2,500 fans showed up to witness the carnage. Perez fought as advertised. He stormed out of his corner at the opening bell and charged in, bullying Espinosa into a neutral corner. Espinosa was prepared for it. As Perez dug into Espinosa’s body, the Filipino unloaded a series of right uppercuts — each connecting solidly on the chin. The last uppercut sent Perez down on one knee, his head in a spin.

Somehow, Perez survived referee Marty Sammon’s count but got up on shaky legs. Espinosa didn’t ease the pressure. He went in for the kill and another barrage of blows, capped by an overhand right, bowled over the Mexican. This time, Perez failed to beat Sammon’s count.

David Surgick, writing in the website fightnews.com, said Espinosa’s experience and skills decided the outcome. "Perez started faster, boxing well and taking his time to see what the former champ had left," wrote Surgick. "A confident Perez opened up with wide hooks, forcing the action to the middle of the ring while the heavy exchanges began. Perez was holding his own when Espinosa suddenly counterpunched with three right uppercuts."

Jack Dunne, in another website maxboxing.com, said four uppercuts, not three, sent Perez to the canvas for the first knockdown but noted that a left hook started it all. "Perez didn’t back off and charged in," said Dunne. That set him up for Espinosa’s fusillade.

Dunne quoted Espinosa as saying he expected Perez to mix it up and not to run. "He did a lot of both but I finished him," said Espinosa.

Biz Productionz promoted the fight card. Matchmaker David Pereda said Biz contracted Espinosa for the main event because he is "a humble and peace-loving man, let no one forget that he is a living legend." Biz head Justin McRay added that "Luisito has time and again proved that he still got what it takes to reclaim glory."

Show tickets sold for $27, 45, 65, 80, and 120.

The win raised Espinosa’s record to 47-11, with 26 KOs. Perez’ mark dipped to 16-4, with 12 KOs.

Espinosa isn’t ranked in the top 10 of the WBA, WBC, or International Boxing Federation (IBF). He is rated No. 8 in the superfeatherweight division by the International Boxing Organization (IBO) whose 130-pound champion is South African Cassius Baloyi.

Espinosa’s manager Noel Rivera said a homecoming for the fighter is "long overdue" but "Luisito and I need to work for dollars (and) I still have fight offers coming this way."

As for the possibility of fighting former WBC featherweight champion Gregorio (Goyo) Vargas (who fought in Davao City last October) in Manila, Rivera said the Mexican is "perfect" for Espinosa. "I honestly feel Luisito can knock this guy out," continued Rivera. "But the circumstances–training camp, sparring, and dollar expenses–should be right to fight Vargas in Manila."

Vargas, recently signed to a contract by New Mexico promoter Lenny Fresquez, takes on Julio Cesar Sanchez-Leon in a lightweight bout in Albuquerque on April 25.

Espinosa appears to have outgrown the 126-pound featherweight class. He weighed in at 131 pounds for Perez. The superfeatherweight or junior lightweight limit is 130.

Baloyi, who stopped former Oriental champion Tiger Ari in an IBO title fight in South Africa last year, looms as a realistic target for Espinosa. After all, Espinosa is a top 10 fighter in the IBO and qualifies as a title challenger. If Espinosa dethrones Baloyi, he will become the first and only Asian fighter to win three world titles in different divisions.

The WBC champion is Sirimongkol Singmanassak of Thailand. It is doubtful if Sirimongkol will risk his crown against Espinosa, considering the Filipino’s success rate against Thais. He has faced and beaten five Thais so far in his career. Three of the five were knocked out in a single round. Besides, Oriental champion and No. 3 WBC contender Randy Suico of Mandaue seems to have the inside track in challenging Sirimongkol.

The WBA and World Boxing Organization (WBO) joint champion is Acelino (Popo) Freitas of Brazil. He’s as tough as nails and in the peak of his career. Freitas should be avoided like the plague. He’s the WBA "super" champion and the WBA "regular" titleholder is Yodsanan Nanthachai of Thailand.

The IBF superfeatherweight champion is Carlos Hernandez of El Salvador. Hernandez scored an eighth round technical decision over David Santos to win the vacant IBF crown in Las Vegas last Feb. 1. Hernandez, 32, has a 38-3-1 record and holds a 10th round knockout win over Filipino Isagani (Little Guns) Pumar.

Baloyi, 28, could be the best bet for Espinosa in his campaign for a third world title.

"Luisito still has the fire and we agreed we won’t give up just yet," said Rivera. "Rest assured, Luisito will still be around. Perhaps now the other fighters, particularly champs, would consider fighting Luisito. It would be their mistake to think that he’s shot."

Perez made that mistake last Thursday.