SC orders late promoter’s heirs to pay former boxing champ’s purse

January 19, 2020

It took 22 years, but former world boxing champion Luisito Espinosa finally got his prize money for defending his WBC featherweight title against Carlos Rios of Argentina in a title bout in Koronadal City, South Cotabato on December 1997.

 The Supreme Court on Saturday ordered the heirs of late boxing promoter Rod Nazario to pay Espinosa  $130,349 or P6.6 million with interest in beating Rios.

In a decision released on Saturday, the SC denied the petition filed by the Nazarios and upheld the Court of Appeals’ decision that reversed a 2015 ruling by a Manila City

Nazario’s estate includes his wife, former Supreme Court justice Minita Chico-Nazario, and children Roderick Nazario, Rommel Nazario, and Karen Patricia Nazario-Couzaid. Rod Nazario died in 2009.

“This case has been pending for many years and the Court would like to put the whole matter to rest. The scheduled fight pushed through and the respondent has not been given his prize money too long to be ignored,” the SC said.

 “From the time of their agreement on Oct. 16, 1997 to the present, it has already been 22 years but respondent has not received the full amount of the prize due to him. Thus, the long delay entitles respondent to the payment of interest to compensate for the loss of income due to his unpaid earning,” the high court added.

The SC ruled that Espinosa was entitled to an annual interest of six percent from May 26, 1998, until full payment.

Espinosa, the country's best boxer in the 1990s who was  nicknamed “Lindol” due to his powerful blows, was guaranteed by promoters $150,000 for the fight, plus $10,000 for training expenses.

Despite demands, Espinosa was not paid, prompting him to file a complaint against promoters Rodolfo Nazario and Joselito Mondejar, and South Cotabato Governor Hilario de Pedro III.

The Manila City Regional Trial Court Branch 173 dismissed Espinosa's case in 2011, but the Court of Appeals reversed it upon appeal filed by Espinosa.

Espinosa, 52, who finished his career in 2005 with 47 wins and 13 loss, including 26 by KO, had several jobs in California and as a boxing trainer in Hong Kong. DMS