Most observers didn’t expect Rafael Espinoza to leave the Charles F. Dodge Civic Center with the WBO featherweight title in December 2023, but he did, and after earning a decision over Robeisy Ramirez, the new champion from Guadalajara, Mexico, has done everything in his power to not just prove that he belongs, but to prepare for a long reign.
That includes picking the brains of two of the best featherweights to ever step into the ring – his countrymen Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.
“They told me about some of the bad things that they did, and they told me that maybe sometimes they didn't nourish themselves that well, or maybe they lost focus here,” said Espinoza. “And so they told me to take advantage of my time – to take advantage of my youth and to squeeze all the juice of what this is, which is my championship reign, and to not let this opportunity go away.
“And to hear that from great champions makes me really take that into consideration – listen to their advice, and to put it into practice. Barrera, in fact, has been coming to see me train and has been helping, and so their advice has been an honor.”
The best way to honor that advice is to put it into action, and Espinoza is doing that – following the biggest win of his career by making short work of Sergio Chirino in his first title defense in June, and on December 7 he will give Ramirez his shot at redemption at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
“I wanted the rematch, and there was the possibility to avoid it, or at least extend it, and wait more time,” he said. “But I made the decision and I said, ‘I want that fight’. I want to show the people that I am a solid champion and that I made it because I’m a champion and I deserve it, and I worked for it. And so I’m doing this fight so that they can see that.”
The 30 year old was confident going into the first fight with Cuba’s Ramirez, and, shockingly, that mindset didn’t waver when he dislocated his ankle early in the bout and then got knocked down in the fifth round.
“It was difficult, but that desire and that mentality to win pushed me forward,” Espinoza said. “So nothing could stop me. I didn’t want to see it as difficult; I wanted to see it as possible, and so I did it and I made it happen.”
Espinoza got the last word in the context of knockdowns, dropping Ramirez in the final round before taking a majority decision victory, and if you’re wondering if the old adage that a boxer becomes 10 per cent better when he wins a title is accurate, he says that it is.
“The mentality changes, and saying that you did it, knowing that you made it, makes you better,” he said. “And personally, I feel better than the first time I fought for the world title, and so I’m coming in there with more confidence.”
And with the belief that at 100 per cent, the result won’t be as close as it was the first time.
“I know that I worked harder than in the first fight, and so I’m confident, but not overconfident,” he said. “I'm going to be alert and excited.”
Some fighters can’t handle the champion’s life. It’s more than winning fights. But Espinoza seems unbothered by the new pulls on his time. The way he sees it, being a pro, in and out of the ring, is part of the job.
“With regard to my family, and personally, I'm living the same,” Espinoza said. “The only thing that has changed is my commitment to boxing – knowing that I’m the champion and I have to train every single day. What I want to achieve is really great, and so I take this seriously. No parties; no fun. There will be time for that.”
Unfortunately, the talented guitarist and singer will not be walking into the Ramirez rematch to his own music.
“I wanted to do that for this fight, but I'm focused,” he said with a smile. “One day I want to do that, but I'm focused on this fight. I don't want any excuses and no doubts.”