WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza is talking about a possible move up to 130 before his rematch with former champion Robeisy Ramirez next month on December 7 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Lanky 6’1″ Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) has looked huge between fights, and it is clear that it will take a lot for him to cut weight to get down to a skeletal 126 lbs to defend his WBO belt.
Regardless of the outcome of his clash with Robeisy (14-2, 9 KOs), it makes sense for the 30-year-old Espinoza to move up to super featherweight because he could have a great lead day against the winner of the WBO rematch. 130-lb champion Emanuel Navarrete again Oscar Valdez.
The two will face each other in the main event that will be held on December 7th at the Footprint Center. So, that makes it an easy fight for Top Rank to match Espinoza with the winner.
Newly crowned WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster has said he wants to fight Navarrete-Valdez II winner, but his 12-round decision victory over Robson Conceicao in their rematch on November 2 was boring enough to see it as a bad idea. to Top Rank to let him be next. It would be very exciting for the fans to have Espinoza fight the winner.
The top spot should have Foster fight the #2 WBC Eduardo Hernandez because their clash last year on October 28 was full of drama, with O’Shaquie needing to come from behind to earn a 12th round knockout.
“He is applauded. He doesn’t have a great defense, and that will be a problem for him when he goes in with Robeisy. He knows he can hurt her. He put him on the canvas before [last year on December 9th, 2023]and I think he’s going to put him on the canvas again,” said Tim Bradley speaking to Probox TV about WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza’s potential defense as he faces a rematch with two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez on December 7 .
“He was hit on the chin by Robeisy Ramirez. If he struggles to make it to 126 lbs, he will get hurt. Trust me, Robeisy Ramirez wants his belt back. “I think it’s a fight, it’s whoever comes first, but I can bet that Robeisy will shoot and kill Espinoza,” said Bradley.
Espinoza looked good in his last fight against Sergio Chirino Sanchez, but he wasn’t fighting a talent like Robeisy. Things could be very different for him when he faces Cuban Robeisy on December 7, and this could be the end of his short title reign.
“This is not an easy fight vs. Robey Ramirez. You are very talented. Their first fight was a never-ending fight,” said Chris Algieri. “Espinoza had to pull that one out of the fire. He quickly fell [in round five]and it had to hit the knockdown in the end [in round twelve] to win the war. “
It looked like Espinoza was done when he was knocked down in the fifth round by Robeisy, but he got lucky with what happened in the closing minutes of that round. If this had happened earlier in the round, Espinoza would have been knocked out because he was out on his feet after getting up. All it would take is another big left hand from Robeisy to finish him off.
“Going to the rematch and letting everyone know that actually win, lose or draw, ‘I’m going up, means I have to go up.’ I am amazed that you have been able to stay at this weight for so long.”
Espinoza looked like a hungry skeleton in his fight with Robeisy last year and he had a similar look in his latest defense against Sergio Chirino Sanchez on June 21st. It must be hard for Espiniza not to appreciate the money he makes eating well between fights, and he’s not young.
At the age of 30, he will not be able to keep dropping to 126 like this unless he finds him, perhaps in his rematch with Robeisy on December 7.
“I don’t think he can do anything. I don’t know what took him so long. This guy is big at featherweight,” Paulie Malignaggi said of the 6’1″ Espinoza.
Espinoza might have stayed at featherweight for a while if it was a money fight, but nothing. No one is known for Espinoza getting the dough he could have by moving up to 130 to defeat Navarrete-Valdez 2 or wresting the WBC belt from the light-hitting Foster and fighting a unification bout against Oscar or Emanuel.
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