No go for Louie

The dream bid for Luisito Espinosa to become Asia’s first prizefighter to win world titles in three different divisions is slowly frittering away.

Hermie Rivera whose son Noel is Espinosa’s attorney-in-fact said yesterday the fight against International Boxing Organization (IBO) superfeatherweight champion Cassius Baloyi of South Africa at the Luneta on Dec. 19 is cancelled. Not postponed. The bout isn’t pushing through. End of story.

Espinosa’s still waiting for his green card and US immigration lawyer Marcia Perez said it’ll take two more years before the precious paper is delivered. If he leaves the US to fight Baloyi here, his application is jeopardized. The way out is for the US government to issue a parole visa but that, too, takes about a year to process, if you’re lucky.

Hermie’s son Noel, who lives in Newark, California, wrote to state Rep. Pete Stark for assistance in facilitating the parole visa but never got a reply. Perez said parole visas are not issued for "humanitarian" reasons. Noel’s appeal to Stark touched on Espinosa hoping to visit his terminally ill father Dio and ailing mother-in-law in Manila.

To keep the fight alive, Hermie tried to negotiate a postponement. His gambit was to buy time for Stark to respond to Noel’s appeal. But Baloyi’s camp wanted no part of a postponement, sensing an ambush lay in waiting–in short, a presumption of malice.

Baloyi’s representative Shona McTaggert told Hermie in no uncertain terms to forget it if he couldn’t work out a Dec. 19 appointment. Baloyi, of course, has every right to decline. He’s the champion, after all, and Espinosa isn’t a mandatory challenger.

Hermie looked physically drained when he announced the cancellation. It was like his blood was sucked out of his veins by Baloyi or Espinosa, take your pick. He worked long hours and spent sleepless nights putting together what would’ve been history in the making for Espinosa. He got Baloyi to agree to fly all the way here for a $75,000 purse–down from an original demand of $100,000–and two options in case of a dethronement. He convinced IBO president Ed Levine to sanction the world title match.

But in the end, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) just wouldn’t cooperate.

"I’ve done and accomplished what is required–sponsors, site, media support and the all-important accord between the Baloyi and Espinosa camps on matters of contract provisions," said Hermie, now working closely with Press Secretary Milton Alingod in Malacañang. "Noel and I worked tirelessly to package the deal. Sometimes, til the wee hours of the morn. But bigo pa rin. For that, we have to thank the almighty INS."

With Espinosa’s window of opportunity narrowing, Hermie suggested an honorable withdrawal from the ring.

Espinosa has been offered to fight a nondescript palooka in January somewhere in the US. "For what?" wondered Hermie. "For peanuts? Not worth it. I’d rather Louie preserves his reputation. He’s a former two-time world champion. I don’t want to see him end his career fighting bums for peanuts, just to put food on the table. It won’t be a kind ending to a storybook career."

Retirement appears to be the only road to take. "In as much as the avenue for Louie to achieve the rare grand slam is getting narrower, coupled with the usual nemesis of pugs–his age which is 36–retirement perhaps is the only option left for the champ," said Hermie.

"It’s an alternative I’m sure Louie won’t relish but there are no other choices in sight, none that I can think of offering. This is a crucial decision he has to make and I feel that with the snags strewn his way–almost unceasingly–no room is available to sidestep this decidedly low blow. As his long-time mentor, I have to reluctantly join the growing number of his fans–they are still a lot–in urging him to pack it in. It’s been a grand, thrilling two-decade ride to fame and limited fortune, one that I’ll always cherish."