Espino Climbs Off Canvas to Get Split Decision

A battered but relentless Cecilio Espino of Monterey Park overcame a slow start to win a split decision over Pepillo Valdez of Mexico in a bantamweight fight before a crowd of 5,432 at the Forum Monday night.

In defending his North American Boxing Federation title, Espino had to rally after being knocked down during the second round and suffering cuts over both eyes during the first half of the fight.

“It was a great fight, but my corner who worked my cuts were very good,” said Espino, who is ranked No. 13 by the World Boxing Council.

Valdez (40-5-1) controlled the opening rounds and would have led by more had he not lost a point for a late punch in the second round.

With blood around both eyes, Espino trailed on all three judges’ cards after the ninth round. He responded by punishing Valdez, a left-hander, inside and clearly hurt the veteran in the 10th.

After a series of hard combinations, Espino knocked down Valdez twice midway during the round but could not finish off the experienced one-time contender.

“I thought I had hurt him with my first couple of punches, but I just couldn’t get myself together,” said Espino (23-2 with 19 knockouts). “I started lunging and getting wild.”

Valdez withstood Espino’s charges and even rallied in the 12th round, but it was not enough to win the fight.

Espino won on points--113-112, 111-113 and 115-110.

“It was a good close fight, but I didn’t agree with the decision,” Valdez said. “But I’m happy anyway because the fans saw a great fight.”

Heavyweight Levi Billups of San Diego ended a three-month layoff with an impressive first-round knockout of journeyman Joel Humm of Erie, Pa.

Billups, former linebacker for the Los Angeles Express in the United States Football League, was inactive since losing a decision in February to 1988 Olympic gold medalist Lennox Lewis.

Against the 31-year old Humm (13-5), Billups dominated from the opening bell. He knocked down Humm with a right hook and finished him off with a left hook 1:24 into the round.

“That was one of the quickest knockouts I ever had,” said Billups, who outweighed Humm by 33 pounds and improved to 17-6 with 10 knockouts.

“When you have a power puncher against a boxer, it goes like that sometimes. I expected to go three rounds, but his corner should not have had him running in and throwing punches at me.”

In a cruiserweight fight, Tony Willingham of Los Angeles improved his record to 5-4-1 with a double right combination knockout over Billy Mitrus of Reseda 1:16 into the first round.