Espinosa raves over Filipino boxing icon

LOS ANGELES – Luisito Espinosa, the ex-world champion, sat quietly in one corner of the Wild Card Gym, gladly smiling at those who recognized him.

In no time, Espinosa was enjoying a chat with Manila-based scribes who must have been around when he won the WBA bantamweight title in 1989 in Bangkok.

Manny Pacquiao was just 10 years old, skinny and hungry, when Espinosa knocked out Khaokor Galaxy in the first round to become the world champion.

He lost the title to Israel Contreras at the Araneta Coliseum in 1991. But he came back, and in 1995 was crowned the WBC featherweight champion.

Espinosa made seven title defenses, and was a superstar, the country’s greatest at the time, until he took a painful loss to Cesar Soto in 1999 in El Paso.

The rest is history, turbulent at times.

From his own corner Thursday, he gazed at Pacquiao as the 33-year-old Filipino champion, now the toast of the boxing world, trained for a coming fight.

Espinosa was asked what he thinks of Pacquiao.

“Wow,” was the first word to come out of his mouth.

“Ibang klaseng bala yan (He’s one of a kind),” added Espinosa, who must have likened Pacquiao to a hallow-point bullet or those that can penetrate even the toughest of all Kevlar vests.

Espinosa admitted that even at his peak, he wouldn’t have gone past Pacquiao, who won his first world title in 1998, when Espinosa was still a champion then.

“Tapos ako diyan (Would have been a goner),” said Espinosa.

He must be right.

Later on, Espinosa joined Pacquiao for a souvenir shot together with another ex-champion,  two-time world titlist Gerry Peñalosa, who was also at the gym.

Like Peñalosa, Espinosa is looking at Manny Pacquiao knocking Timothy Bradley out on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.