Rafael Espinoza ‘stamped’ as Mexican hero in first fight vs. Robeisy Ramirez

Every man yearning for greatness reaches the moment when that opportunity is before him. Seize it, as Rafael Espinoza did one year ago, and the challenges that follow aren’t nearly as imposing.

Mexico’s Espinoza, 30, will return to previous business Saturday night in the co-main event on a card full of quality rematches, meeting Cuba’s Robiesy Ramirez in the repeat of their gripping battle that Espinoza won by virtue of a 12th-round knockdown.

It ranked as one of the most heartfelt showings of the year, and his countrymen have responded with adoring reviews.

“One thing I noticed is my mind is stronger than my body,” Espinoza said. “I just kept going. I knocked him down. I was on him.”

“That,” said Hall of Fame former champion Marco Antonio Barrera, “stamped him as a Mexican.”

Espinoza, 25-0 (21 KOs), and Ramirez, 14-2 (9 KOs), renew acquaintances at Footprint Center in Phoenix, a fight-mad locale especially appreciative of fighters who brawl for the red, white and green flag of Mexico.

“Espinoza has become a Mexican hero,” Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum said. “Based on the way he came back in that first fight,” overcoming an early dislocated ankle to post a 12th-round knockdown that was needed to claim a 115-11, 114-112, 113-113 majority decision triumph in Florida on Dec. 9, 2023, “people want to see him again because they know he’ll give a great performance.”

Earlier this year, Espinoza trainer Manny Robles said the emotional turning point came when the fighter returned limping to the corner after the ankle injury.

“I broke my ankle,” Espinoza told his cornermen upon returning to his stool after getting dropped by Robeisy Ramirez’s hard right hand to the head, which caused Espinoza’s right ankle to twist gruesomely as he fell near the end of the fifth round.

“Do you want us to stop it?” Robles asked.

Espinoza knew all the trappings of that question: Did he possess the mettle to win a belt?

“No, I don’t want to stop!” Espinoza roared to Robles. “I’m going to be champion of the world!”

Espinoza displayed elevation from that bout by knocking down countryman Sergio Chirino Sanchez three times en route to a fourth-round TKO in July in Las Vegas.

And as he has prepared for this rematch with better sparring partners while fully healthy, his corner is predicting a more convincing victory.

Espinoza said it’s all connected to the boost he took from pressing through the fatigue, the stakes and the gritty opponent to win that first bout.

“Without a doubt, I’m bringing the same energy [from the 12th round] to this second fight, because that’s what made me win the championship,” Espinoza said.

He declined to identify which technical advances he has made since, except to give a general statement on the matter.

“I can tell you, I’m a better fighter than the last fight,” Espinoza said. “In training camp, we prepared for every kind of change he could make. I’m ready for any kind of change he brings.”

As for Arum forecasting that Espinoza is awaking the echoes of featherweight greats before him from his country, like Barrera, the champion said, “After this Saturday, you’ll see that’s who I am.”

Winning will be monstrous, considering that undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue, of Japan, is expected to fight in his division for the final time on Christmas Eve and turn to featherweight. Arum is Inoue’s American promoter.

“I need to start to unify the [130lbs] belts, to work toward being the next guy in line for [Inoue],” Espinoza said. “No one’s really mentioning it now. I know I need to win on Saturday, and then we’ll see what happens.”