Marlon Espinosa: A first look at an up and coming Amateur standout
On Saturday May 14 at the LA Boxing gym in Paramus New Jersey, Proud parents, brothers and sisters, uncles, cousins and close family friends all gathered to watch the youth in the New York Metro area step in to the ring (many for the very first time) and put their own stamp on the sweet science. Featured on the bout sheet is 125lb amatuer boxer Marlon Espinosa (1-0).
The reason Marlon is featured on the bout sheet and in this article is because Marlon trains at the NY Mixed Martial arts gym in College Point NY, Which happens to be the same gym that "Yours truly" trains in. Over the past few months, I`ve gotten to know Marlon a little bit. Marlon is a 15 yr old Venezuelan Queens native, and Like any other 15 yr old kid, Marlon goes to high school and plays video games, but Marlon does something else exceptionally well, He boxes. I know this because I see it every time I`m in the gym with him. Tonight I wanted to see all the hard work he puts into his training to good use in the ring. I missed Marlon`s first amateur bout when he scored a third round stoppage, I would not be missing this one.
First of all, LA Boxing in Paramus did an excellent job with Saturday nights event. The gym looked great and all in attendance seemed to be enjoying the action and atmosphere. Luckily for Us, We didn`t have to wait long for "Our Boy" because Marlon`s fight was first to kick off the evening. Speaking with Marlon`s coaches Butch Rinaldi (NY MMA Owner and Operator) and Amanda "Tyson" Isaac (2009 Women`s 132 lb Golden Gloves Champion) before the bout, I asked what type of game plan do they put together at such an entry level point in Marlon`s career? Coach Amanda "Tyson" told me they tried to concentrate on controlled aggression, pressure and punch volume.
As the bell rang for round one Marlon came out with the intensity that was asked for by his coaches. Both fighters landed punches in bunches but it seemed early on that Marlon was controlling the ring more and getting the better of his opposition. About mid-way thru the first round Marlon`s opponent`s head snapped back from well timed punches 2 or 3 times in a row causing the referee to give him a standing 8 count. Less than a minute later, Marlon again found a home for a straight right hand that rocked his competitor as the ref came over to give another standing 8. At the end of round 1, Marlon easily had a comfortable lead, which is exactly what Coach Amanda didn`t want Marlon to feel, comfortable.
Marlon started round 2 the same way he ended round 1, in control. Halfway thru round 2 the comfort zone disappeared as Marlon was hit hard with a looping left hook that dazed him and now it was Marlon on the receiving end of a standing 8 count. Coaches Butch and Amanda yelled instructions from the corner as Marlon cleared the cobwebs, settled himself and got back into the fight. Round 2 ended with Marlon probably still up on the judges scorecards but his coaches urged him to use the game plan and close the show.
Round 3 began and Marlon, with his feet back under him, took control again. Coach Butch Rinaldi found a hole in the opponent`s defense and wanted Marlon to start throwing the uppercut. Marlon once again rocked "that other kid" (Sorry, I didn`t get his name) and the ref came over to issue another standing 8 count to Espinosa`s counterpart. Both fighters gave it their all towards the end of the fight and left it all in the ring as the crowd applauded the effort. Now it was up to the judges!
Because they dont give scores in Amatuer boxing, I`ll give you guys my tally round by round. Round 1 was an easy 10-7 round for Marlon after scoring 2 standing 8 counts vs his opponent. Round 2 could`ve been a 10-8 round for the other kid because of the standing 8 count against Marlon, but I didn`t think the kid won the round so I scored it an even 9-9 (Ok, so what, I`m biased). Round 3 was a good competitive round but Marlon took it 10-8 because he scored another standing 8 count. 29-24 was my final score in favor of Marlon Espinosa. Team NY MMA stayed around for a while to watch some of the other competition and Marlon had the pleasure of signing his first autograph for a young fan in the crowd. Great fight and Congratulations Marlon, 2-0!! We`ll work on a nickname at the gym!
Joey Santana can be reached at theboxingkidd@verizon.net
