Rafael Espinoza was a pro for 10 years before facing Robeisy Ramirez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the WBO featherweight champion, on Saturday at the Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He won all of his fights, most of them by knockout.
Win after win and year after year, he rolled on successfully, but didn't get a title shot. And in professional boxing, that usually says a guy doesn't have the goods.
If Ramirez thought that way of Espinoza, though, it cost him massively. Ramirez entered the bout against the 23-0 Espinoza as an incredible 15 to 1 favorite. He ended the bout on his knees, exhausted, beaten, overwhelmed, and as a former champion. Espinoza, who had a seven-inch height advantage, simply refused to give in, and he took the belt from Ramirez in perhaps the year's biggest upset.
The scores were 114-112 and 115-111 for Espinoza with the third card a draw at 113-113. Keviniole.com had it 115-111 for Espinoza. Making the outcome even more remarkable was the fact that Espinoza said he thought he broke his foot in the second round.
It was a pitched battle from the start, as Espinoza rushed out of the gates and took control early. The smaller-than-usual 18 by 18 ring helped make it an even more eventful fight, as the men largely stood in front of each other and traded. Espinoza's output was incredible, as he never threw fewer than 63 punches in a round. Ramirez worked hard himself, but he never threw more than the 40 punches he let go in the fourth.
In the final three rounds, when the outcome hung in the balance, Espinoza closed with a flourish. He threw 102, 86 and 121 punches in Rounds 10 through 12. He wanted it so badly that he finally dropped Ramirez with about 25 seconds left after a flurry of 10 or 15 punches.
Espinoza began throwing punches with about 45 seconds left in the fight and didn't stop until Ramirez hit the canvas. It was a remarkable display. He knew it was close after the 11th, and had Ramirez won the 12th he would have won the fight and kept the titles.
Espinoza, though, showed an incredible will to win in one of the year's finest fights and captured the title in as big of an upset as there has been in years.
“I didn’t think about anything; I just thought about winning," Espinoza said about the 12th. "I even asked what round we were in. And I knew that I had to drop and get him out of there to win. I just put my heart into it. I always do that. And thank God, it happened.”
Espinoza won the first four rounds and was controlling the fifth when, in a flash, the course of the fight changed dramatically. Seconds were winding down in the fifth and Espinoza was backing up, moving away from Ramirez. Espinoza went to switch stances and Ramirez noticed it. He fired a right hook that immediately dropped Espinoza.
But when Espinoza arose, he had no equilibrium or balance. He staggered forward and fell on the top rope, the rope saving him from going down again. The bell then sounded and he got the minute rest that saved him.
Ramirez fought his way back into the fight and, unknown to him, was in the lead on the cards. He simply couldn't keep Espinoza's pace in the last round when Espinoza unleashed everything he had.
“I thought the fight was won," Ramirez said. "But he got his second wind. I tried to catch mine. But I’ve got to give him credit. He came after me. He got the knockdown. I didn’t think it would determine the result, but that’s what the judges decided.”
It was a breathtaking battle, one that won't soon be forgotten. Those of us who have been involved in boxing for a long time often sneer at the sanctioning body belts and refer to them as meaningless because of the shenanigans that often comes along with them.
Espinoza, though, showed what one of those belts means to a fighter. It was a remarkable display and on this morning, he's a remarkable champion.