Rafael Espinoza Zepeda (born April 21, 1994) is a Mexican
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...
who has held the
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing ...
(WBO)
featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling.
Boxing
Professional boxing
History
A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...
title since December 2023.
Professional career
Espinoza turned professional in 2013 and has compiled a record of 26–0. Before turning professional, Rafael Espinoza amassed only 11 amateur fights in his entire amateur career.
WBO Featherweight Champion
Espinoza vs. Ramírez
On December 9, 2023, at Charles F. Dodge City Center in
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Pembroke Pines is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is located 22 miles (35 km) north of Miami. It is a suburb of and the fourth-most populous city in the Miami metropolitan area. The population of Pembroke ...
, Espinoza defeated
Robeisy Ramírez
Robeisy Eloy Ramírez Carrazana (born 20 December 1993) is a Cuban professional boxer who held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title between April 2023 to December 2023. As an amateur, Ramírez won gold medals at the 2012 and 2 ...
in a major upset by majority decision to become a new WBO featherweight champion.
Espinoza vs. Chirino
Espinoza was scheduled to make the first defense of his WBO featherweight title against Sergio Chirino on June 21, 2024, at BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
. He won the fight by TKO in the fourth round, dropping the challenger three times in the first, third and fourth rounds.
Espinoza vs. Ramírez 2
Espinoza defeated
Robeisy Ramírez
Robeisy Eloy Ramírez Carrazana (born 20 December 1993) is a Cuban professional boxer who held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title between April 2023 to December 2023. As an amateur, Ramírez won gold medals at the 2012 and 2 ...
by TKO after six rounds when Ramírez sustained an eye injury during a rematch at
Footprint Center
The PHX Arena (formerly America West Arena, US Airways Center, Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix Suns Arena and Footprint Center) is a multi-purpose arena in Phoenix, Arizona. It opened under the name America West Arena on June 6, 1992, at ...
in
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
on December 7, 2024.
Espinoza vs. Vazquez
Espinoza is scheduled to make the third defense of his WBO featherweight title against Edward Vazquez at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 4, 2025.
Professional boxing record
See also
*
List of Mexican boxing world champions
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*
List of world featherweight boxing champions
Championship recognition
Public Acclamation: 1884 to 1921
Champions were recognized by wide public acclamation. A heavyweight champion was a boxer who had a notable win over another notable boxer and then went without defeat. Retirements from th ...
References
External links
*
Rafael Espinoza - Profile, News Archive & Current Rankingsa
Box.Live
{{DEFAULTSORT:Espinoza, Rafael
1994 births
Living people
Mexican male boxers
Boxers from Guadalajara, Jalisco
World featherweight boxing champions
World Boxing Organization champions
21st-century Mexican sportsmen