Espinoza Boxing Club: In a League of Their Own

In the sport of boxing, as well as life, it is necessary to surround oneself with people that have your best interest at heart.

A champion has a burning desire to set their name apart from their opponents. Besides physical prowess, an athlete requires dedication, focus, intelligence, and work to be successful. A support staff is the ingredient that brings all of these traits together in order to build champions.

As Jack Dempsey once said,

“A champion owes everybody something. He can never pay back for all the help he got, for making him an idol.”

Few people realize that the sport of boxing is a team sport. However, a winner knows it’s a team sport. It takes a village of people with different job descriptions working together for good to build and maintain a champion.

There is one common denominator between winners. A person is only as good as his team. In boxing, a champion must have a team with a championship mentality; looking after his best interest. A boxer doesn’t need a team. A boxer needs a great team. Just as styles make fights, teams with chemistry make success.

I recently interviewed Los Angeles based, Espinoza Boxing Club. I spoke to them about their business, as well as the importance of a boxer having a good team. We discussed the culture of Espinoza, as well as the journey they’ve traveled managing some of boxing’s rising stars.

We also discussed the highly anticipated SHOWTIME Sports Bantamweight Tournament. Espinoza Boxing manages two of the four fighters competing in the single elimination tournament that begins Saturday, December 11, 2010, and continuing in the early part of 2011. Espinoza Jr. is confident in both fighters and says that the tournament is a great opportunity for these two young and talented fighters to realize their dreams.

As we discussed the past, present, and future of the Espinoza Boxing Club. I learned more about what the company brings to the sport of boxing. Great industry professionals are armed with an arsenal of skills to build a young prospect. The Espinoza Boxing Club has the skill and experience. They have the heart.

Like Mares and Perez, many sacrifice moments and opportunities in life to realize a dream that’s been etched in their heart and mind for as long as they remember. Research shows that if a lifelong dream never materializes, a paradigm shift can occur in one’s life; having the potential to change everything the person once knew. Unfortunately, life changing events occur, however, one can only do their best by following the advice of trustworthy people that are more experienced.

Espinoza Boxing Club is preceded by their reputation. After researching Espinoza Boxing Club and their unique style, followed by an in-depth interview with Frank Espinoza Jr., I found Espinoza Jr., to be eloquent, intelligent, and yet humble. He definitely knows how to take care of his boxers and cultivate relationships. His thoughts are conveyed seamlessly, whether he is speaking from a technical or psychological standpoint. It is refreshing in business, to see such a display of professionalism.

The Espinozas are a positive influence in the industry and good for the sport. In speaking to Espinoza Jr., the future of Espinoza Boxing Club, one can easily see that Espinoza Jr., is both a leader and a follower depending on the situation; a sign of a an intelligent professional with a great deal of self control. As the conversation progressed, Espinoza Jr., said,“ I learned the business from the best, my dad.” The power of two or more is a simple mathematical and life equation. A good business plan will ensure that a business can be operated by one of  the two at any given time.

Espinoza Boxing Club is second to none. Their culture is one that represents and exercises humanity, and all that implies. The Espinoza Team is well branded and is the indisputable pound for pound champion in their division of managing boxers.

Espinoza Jr., knows the business like the back of his hand, however, more impressively, he knows his fighters like the back of his hand. Espinoza Boxing Club treats their fighters as family. Just as a fighter must intelligently protect themselves at all times in combat sports, Espinoza Boxing Club protects their fighters.

Frank Espinoza Sr. launched Espinoza Boxing Club in 1991. The company has managed many talented fighters. Espinoza is well known for managing the impressive career of fan favorite, Israel Vázquez 44- 5- 0 (KO32) a Mexican professional boxer and former Super Bantamweight (also known as Junior Featherweight) world champion, having held titles at this weight from 2004 to 2008. He is perhaps best known for his series of fights with fellow Mexican Rafael Márquez and the fighter that you never count out of a fight.

Espinoza says he is often questioned regarding the career of Israel Vasquez. and his retirement.

“We care too much for Israel to let him continue on. Vazquez is more than a fighter to us. He’s family.”

Along with managing Vazquez, Espinoza also manages a young squad of talented and promising fighters composed of Luis Ramos, Carlos Molina, Abraham Lopez, Ronny Rios, Manny “Suavecito” Roman and Jesus “Pollo” Hernandez.
Among the world champions Espinoza has managed in the past are Martin “Gallito” Castillo, Enrique Sanchez, Isidro “Chino” Garcia, and “Mighty” Mike Anchondo.

It is no surprise that this family oriented management company is regarded as one of the best in the business and was awarded “The Manager of the Year” award from the World Boxing Hall of Fame and inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame. This company is a great icon for what’s good in the sport of boxing.

Just as still waters run deep, the success of the Epsinoza Boxing Club is more than meets the eye. Their deeply rooted culture is one that has been carefully formulated with professionalism and good will. Twenty-eleven will mark twenty years of doing things the Espinoza way. Congratulations to Espinoza Boxing Club on their upcoming 2oth anniversary.