Freddie Roach at one time jokingly said Manny Pacquiao is the Mexican assassin. It was not actually a personal vendetta towards the Mexican boxers, it was simply more of a call to those top Mexican boxers in the featherweight division. Kidding or not, Roach may have only expressed his pride behind his ward Manny Pacquiao, especially after Pacquiao annihilated Barrera and dropped Juan Manuel Marquez to the canvas three times.
But long before Pacquiao came, there was actually a Filipino fighter that could be more suited to be called the Mexican assassin. Filipino great Luisito Espinosa who once held the bantamweight and featherweight belts had more Mexican victims that any Filipino boxers his country has ever produced.
Luisito Espinosa fought the best Mexican fighters in his prime and to name the best of them are Manuel Medina, Cobrita Gonzales, Cesar Soto and Juan Carlos Ramirez. Luisito in his 15-year career has victimized six tough Mexican fighters in his resume.
Luisito did not only beat the best Mexicans in his era, he also annihilated the best in Asia like Thailand’s pride Khaokor Galaxy. In his colorful career of 15 years, Luisito held the WBA Bantamweight Title from 1989 to 1991 and the WBC Featherweight Belt from 1995 to 1999. In all his fights abroad, Luisito would always held high the Philippine Flag in enemy territory. In every victory, he made sure the Philippine Flag is wrapped around his body carrying it with pride.
Fast-forward and we want to know what happened now to the man who gave Philippine boxing so much pride in the 90’s. It is very unfortunate to know that despite of the sacrifices his body gave to his country, he is not well cared of by his own people.
It was in the year 1997 when Luisito knocked out tough Argentinean Carlos Rios. In that fight, Luisito was to receive as specified in the contract $150,000 while Rios was to receive $60,000. Carlos Rios came home happily bringing with him the whole pie of his purse, but King Louie was left unpaid of the balance of around $130,000.
The said balance that the promoter promised to pay Luisito is still hanging up to now and is actually resting in the sala of Judge Rosario Cruz of the Manila Regional Trial Court.
Based on the facts I gathered, the seven-year old case only started its first hearing last year of July and the last one was November the same year. After these hearings, nothing significant has developed.
I hope the people involved will find pity on Espinosa who now stays in San Francisco doing odd jobs just to survive for his family, but the brutal part of Espinosa’s life in California and the result of injustice in his ring career is the beating that he has been forced to perform again in the squared arena. Luisito is now nearing 38, two years ago he was knocked out in the 8th by Zahir Raheem, the following year he was knocked out by Carlos Navarro and this year, , Espinosa was knocked out by a younger Cristobal Cruz.
After the glory days Espinosa gave to his country, he does not deserve to be brutally left out like this.
Calling Lito Mondejar and Rod Nazario, if you are not guilty as you said, at least try to do something to help Luisito. To Gov. Larry De Pedro, are you still alive? And to Judge Rosario Cruz, this case has been languishing at the Manila Regional Trial Court, I believe you know the saying that “Justice delayed is justice denied”.
