Espnioza remains unbeaten, captures featherweight title belt in front of pro-Ramirez crowd

Rafael Espinoza spoiled Robeisy Ramirez’s “party” and now returns to his native Mexico with a world title belt.

Espinoza suffered an early bout foot injury and middle-round knockdown. Yet, the setbacks didn’t deter Espinoza as he scored a late knockdown of his own and won a majority decision over defending champion Ramirez on Saturday night at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines. The victory earned Espinoza the World Boxing Organization featherweight title.

A native of Cuba and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Ramirez wanted to make his first South Florida appearance as world champion another legacy-enhancing occasion. And the predominantly Ramirez crowd of 2,500 erupted in cheers when he floored Espinoza with a right hook to the head late in the fifth round. Ramirez’s backers sensed another successful defense and eventual celebration.

But Espinoza (22-0) recovered and became the busier fighter in the final three rounds. Espinoza then sealed his win, dropping a tiring Ramirez (13-2) with a flurry of combinations in the final minute of the fight.

Judges Benoit Roussel and Steve Weisfeld scored the fight for Espinoza 114-112, and 115-111, while Efrain Lebron had it 113-113.

“All my dreams have been realized,” Espinoza said. “I came here to his backyard, in front of his people, who appreciate him so much, and was able to do it.”

Espinoza struggled to reach his feet as the bell sounded to end the fifth. Ramirez maintained the pressure after the knockdown and scored with solid rights and lefts to the head. But Espinoza withstood the shots and gradually regained strength.

Espinoza connected with short combinations to the head in the 10th round as Ramirez’s punch arsenal lessened. The challenger increased the pace and punch output before he finally found the opening to drop Ramirez.

“People didn’t believe that I could do it,” Espinoza said. “I left it all in God’s grace and the support from my corner. I kept saying to myself, ‘I don’t know how but I am going to fulfill my goal of becoming a world champion.’/”

After the bout, Espinoza said he sustained the foot injury in the second round.

“I had to continue giving everything I had,” Espinoza said. “Nothing was going to stop me.”

The loss ended Ramirez’s reign after two defenses.

“I thought the fight was won,” Ramirez said. “But he got his second wind. I tried to catch mine. But I’ve got to give him credit. He came after me. He got the knockdown. I didn’t think it would determine the result, but that’s what the judges decided.”

Ramirez was the busier fighter in the first round before the 6-foot-1 Espinoza began establishing distance and connecting with lead left jabs and rights to the head.

In the co-main event, Sunrise resident and junior-middleweight contender Xander Zayas remained unbeaten with a fifth round knockout victory over Spain’s Jorge Fortea.

Making his first hometown appearance since turning professional four years ago, Zayas overwhelmed the veteran Fortea from the opening round. The 21-year-old Zayas (18-0, 12 KOs) immediately dictated pace by connecting with left jabs and follow-up combinations to the head. In the closing seconds of the first, Zayas dropped Fortea with a left hook to the body.

Although Fortea survived the knockdown, he could not shake off Zayas’ continued, yet measured, pressure in the ensuing rounds. Midway through the fifth, Zayas stopped Fortea in his tracks with a right to the body. Fortea (24-4-1) grimaced, fell to the canvas in a delayed knockdown and was counted out by referee Sam Burgos at 1:37 of the round.

“We knew he was going to survive,” Zayas said. “He knows what he has to do. I just felt it was a matter of time to get him out of there.”

Zayas, who was born in Puerto Rico but moved to South Florida when he was 10, stopped by different areas of the venue to shake hands and pose for photos with spectators.

“It was beautiful - everybody waving the flag and cheering for me,” Zayas said. “It’s something I’m not going to forget.”

In other bouts: featherweight Bruce Carrington scored a technical knockout over Jason Sanchez at 2:59 of the second round; heavyweight Richard Torrez scored a TKO over Curtis Harper at 2:33 of the eighth round; junior-middleweight Jahi Tucker and Francisco Veron fought to a majority draw; junior-welterweight Rohan Polanco scored a TKO over Keith Hunter at 2:56 of the sixth round; junior-welterweight Tiger Johnson won by split decision over Jimmer Espinoza; heavyweight Damian Knyba won by unanimous decision over Michael Coffie.