BoxRec

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=004792

I saw him on KOTV a few weeks back and have been meaning to post about him sinse..but keep forgetting.

They showed his fight against Ike Quartey..it was Espana's first and opnly defeat. He absolutely schooled Quartey for 10 rounds like no else has done before getting caught by the big punching Ghanaian in the 11th.

Just wanna know more about him, he looked very impressive, yet i've hardly heard his name mentioned. He also holds a good 8th round KO win against Meldrick Taylor.

He retired a 31, and based on what i saw of him, i thought he could of achieved more in his career.

Yeah I saw that Quartey fight as well. He was damn good, lots of fast combinations. He would have been a nightmare for Trinidad to fight because of his speed and movement.

was he the fella who fought out of barney eastwoods stable?

He was a very good operator indeed. Meldrick was never the same after his first loss to JC Chavez though and had been blitzed by Terry Norris before Espana beat his shadow.

Yes, can't remember the circumstances but he fought most of his career out of Northern Ireland. Typically, and unlike the exiles who are, for example, Germany-based, mainland Britain never really took him to their hearts.

Seem to remember he was quite a clever, fast, in and out boxer. In fact, I might have seen him box in London but I forget. Every time I go to London, I get drunk.

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:He was a very good operator indeed. Meldrick was never the same after his first loss to JC Chavez though and had been blitzed by Terry Norris before Espana beat his shadow.

Yes, can't remember the circumstances but he fought most of his career out of Northern Ireland. Typically, and unlike the exiles who are, for example, Germany-based, mainland Britain never really took him to their hearts.

Seem to remember he was quite a clever, fast, in and out boxer. In fact, I might have seen him box in London but I forget. Every time I go to London, I get drunk.

not guilty you didnt know me then

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:He was a very good operator indeed. Meldrick was never the same after his first loss to JC Chavez though and had been blitzed by Terry Norris before Espana beat his shadow.

Yes, can't remember the circumstances but he fought most of his career out of Northern Ireland. Typically, and unlike the exiles who are, for example, Germany-based, mainland Britain never really took him to their hearts.

Seem to remember he was quite a clever, fast, in and out boxer. In fact, I might have seen him box in London but I forget. Every time I go to London, I get drunk.

I'll attest to that fact....

Espana or 'claws' as he was known at the time was a pretty phenomenal looking fighter. Tall and rangy with devastating power, seem to remember he had a fantastic uppercut with either hand. He looked like he might go on to be the business, before Quartey got to him. Mind you, a loss to Ike is hardly shameful.

Espana v Quartey just oozes quality all the way through. Two fine athletes.

Crisanto was the brother of Ernesto Espana, WBA lightweight champ back in the 80's and another long-armed dangerous exponent. Watched Crisanto against Donovan Boucher the other day. Boucher had come over here and licked the likes of Mickey Hughes, Gary Jacobs and Kirkland Laing, but Espana took him apart.

Cristano had a huge reach if I remember rightly, I remember him on the Eubank vs Benn II show, looked very impressive back then.

He was an excellent fighter, very heavy handed. His arms were so long the other fighters in the gym used to swear his hands could touch the floor without bending over.
He had the bad luck to run into Ike Quartey, one of the best welterweight champs we'd seen in the last ten years. Quartey v Trinidad was a fight I always wanted to see. Ike was hard enough to have maybe beaten even Tito at 147.
I think Espana married a local Irish girl. Not sure if he still lives there, but it was surprising to see him pack it in so early.

Espana stopped fighting as he got a detached retina on his eye during his fight against Ike Quartey. He fought under the Irish board in his last fight on the Eubank Collins undercard in Cork, Ireland. But his heart was not in it and the risk to his eye sight was too much. Any wonder.

He lived in Bangor Co Down, he does not live there now and has moved back to Venezuela. I also think he married a girl from Northern Ireland also.

I know this due to talking with his trainer John Breen who I know well and he spoke to me in lenght about Espana. You could tell how much he ment to him and how he treasured the memorys, he talked about him for a good hour with me.

Interesting story, sad thing is John who was so close to him has lost contact with Espana and he said to me that he wishes he would be able to contact him.

Theres a classic photo on the gym wall of John with Espana and the WBA world title.

thanks for the info guys.

Brutal Ko from Quartey. Oscars lucky he didn't face a prime Quartey and not the one that was coming of a very long layoff, Trinidads just plain lucky, both 50-50 fights imo.

Lefthookhappy19 wrote:Brutal Ko from Quartey. Oscars lucky he didn't face a prime Quartey and not the one that was coming of a very long layoff, Trinidads just plain lucky, both 50-50 fights imo.

i saw Quartey-Phillips the other day. Entertaining fight for as long as it lasted. Phillips threw over 100 punches in each of the first 2 rounds, but still lost both before being taken out in the 3rd.

The Phillips KO was great as well, he had him all over the place.