At 34, two-time world champion Luisito Espinosa is lacing up the gloves again — after he does the laundry and takes care of the kids, that is

By Cicero A. Estrella, Chronicle Staff Writer

The door of the white minivan slid open and four pint-size pre-schoolers scattered onto the asphalt parking lot ahead of Luisito Espinosa.

Don’t get the wrong idea, though. Espinosa is not a soccer dad. The Pacifica resident is a boxer, and he and his management team were not driving their kids to practice, but toting them along so that Espinosa might squeeze in an early afternoon workout at a Daly City gym.

Such is life for Espinosa, a two-time world champion. There are are no more hangers-on, no fancy modes of transport, no big-money contracts. Heck, there is not even a baby-sitter, so his 2-year-old daughter, Janica, as well as the son and two nephews of his manager, occasionally accompanies Espinosa to the gym.

The nontraditional boxing entourage suits Espinosa. He has twice reached the summit of his sport, but life is fine the way it is now as he starts from scratch at the age of 34 to rebuild his name and reputation within the what- have-you-done-lately boxing community.

The source of inspiration for Espinosa’s comeback is family. Not only his immediate family, but also the extended members, his management team, with whom he was recently reunited.

Back in the fold as adviser is Hermie Rivera, the man who discovered Espinosa in the Philippines and served as his first manager. Noel Rivera, Hermie’s son, has taken over as manager.
Hermie Rivera first brought Espinosa to the United States from Manila in 1986. He became close friends with Rivera’s sons, Noel, Andy and J.J.

“I’m happy because of my team,” Espinosa said through a translator in his native language, Tagalog. “I don’t worry about the people around me. If there was one person I didn’t get along with with former management teams, I got lazy. But now we’re complete.”

Full story in San Francisco Chronicle