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Stick and Move -
"Freeway" Frank Espinoza |
By Ricardo Lois
FightNightNews Staff Writer
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Driving
down the 105 Freeway from the Los
Angeles International Airport to my
home in South Gate during the 5:00
o'clock rush hour is maddening. When
I am lucky, Natalie, my two year old
daughter, takes a nap and I call
boxers, managers, or whoever else
might entertain me.
Today's victim was "Fearless" Frank
Espinoza, manager of current junior
featherweight top perro Israel
Vazquez. FightNightNews boss man
Michael Marley coined Frank,
"Fearless", but I like to call him
"Freeway" Frank. |
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In a sport where some of its best
athletes, such a Jermain Taylor or
Floyd Mayweather Jr., are not
recognized by the average Joe
walking down the street, Espinoza's
clients are recognized by millions
of Los Angeles commuters.
"Freeway" Frank, a true visionary,
took out a billboard on a stretch of
the 710 Freeway (one of the busiest
routes in the country, if not the
world) and put Israel Vazquez's mug
on it a few years back. Oh, let me
not forget, Frank appeared on the
advertisement as well.
You cannot publicize the Espinoza
Boxing Club without Espinoza in the
picture, right?
I picked up the cell phone, grasping
it from my dozing daughter's
fingers, and dialed the string of
familiar numbers.
"Hey Frank, guess who?"
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"Today I
am only answering calls for people
whose name starts with the letter
‘R,' so you are in luck," responded
the quick witted Espinoza.
"Hell, with all the success and
popularity you have gained in recent
months, I am surprised you answered
at all," I jab back.
Vazquez's knock-out victory over
Jhonny Gonzalez had been declared
Fight of the Year by The World
Boxing Hall of Fame the previous day
and I figured the ever humble
Espinoza deserved a few comments. |
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Less than two years ago, when the
jury was still out on Vazquez's
abilities, Espinoza believed in his
fighter. Every time I spoke to the
man, he was touting Israel's
abilities, work ethic, and strong
character.
"You know, even when people were
down on Israel -- remember after his
defense with Armando Guerrero, a lot
people were dogging him -- but I
believed in him. I have always had
confidence that Israel Vazquez was
going to do great things in boxing.
He is a great boxer and great man.
Now he is on one of the hottest
streaks any fighter has had in
recent years!"
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Vazquez won
the IBF
championship
at the famed
Olympic
Auditorium
against Jose
Luis
Valbuena
during Mar.
2004; he
then
defended the
strap
against Art
Simonyan and
Armando
Guerrero. He
went on to
destroy
Oscar Larios
in December
of 2005,
picking up
the WBC
championship
and knocked
out Jhonny
Gonzalez
last month,
after
tasting the
canvas two
times. "That
was one of
the most
unbelievable
moments in
boxing; it
was an honor
just to be
there and
see it,"
Guerrero
added. |
What
does the future hold for Israel
Vazquez?
Hot shot bantamweight Rafael Marquez
is contemplating a move up in weight
and a fight with Vazquez would seem
to be the logical opponent.
"We are open to fight Marquez, if
the money is right," stated
Espinoza.
Hell, the money has to be right,
renting out billboard space on the
710 Freeway is an expensive
proposition.
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