“No Longer An Underdog!” Says Carson Fighter
Efrain Esquivias Jr. (17-2-1, 10 KOs) is a self-described “slow starter” in fights. Facing Rafael Marquez (41-9, 37 KOs) in last Saturday’s co-main feature at the Fantasy Springs Resort & Casino in Indio, California, the South Bay boxer was deemed the underdog against a much more experienced and future Hall of Famer in Mexico City’s Rafael Marquez, who along with older brother Juan Manuel Marquez have long made a name for themselves in the sport.
Esquivias had to beat the odds against the favorite while Marquez needed to beat “Father Time” and ring rust after not having fought since October 2012. This collision was a featherweight clash scheduled for ten rounds on the undercard of Seth Mitchell vs. Chris Arreola on Saturday’s Showtime Championship Boxing bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Efrain, promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions (TBP), was back with his amateur trainer Dennis Heffner while Rafa reunited with the legendary Nacho Beristain in his corner.
The former champ Marquez, at 38, was planning on cementing a victory in this comeback bout. Thirty-year-old Esquivias, in his last three matches, had a disappointing technical draw and two losses (against Rico Ramos and Jhonatan Romero) heading into this war against his idol, Rafael Marquez.
The stage was set. Could “The Pride of Carson” Esquivias pull of an upset? Not many people seemed sold on that idea. Moving up from 122 wouldn’t be a problem for Efrain. At the weigh-in, Team Esquivias remained calm and confident even after Efrain had to lose .4 on the scale. Coming back and weighing in at a solid 126, the underdog said he was ready to rock ‘n roll.
In front of his local fans, Esquivias still came in as the challenger. Marquez found success in the early rounds, opening up cuts on his opponent’s eyes. Efrain, used to being cut, kept pressing forward. As the minutes ticked by, the ex-champion faded while Esquivias found another gear–and a home for his clean right hands. Connecting with solid shots, the tide continued to turn in Efrain’s favor. Rounds seven and eight had the crowd roaring. Scoring a knockdown in the ninth, referee Raul Caiz Jr. had seen enough, stopping the bout for the victor Efrain Esquivias Jr.
Everyone loves a winner. And those in the crowd began to sing his praises.
Thompson stablemate and fellow fighter Artemio Reyes Jr. cheered for the win, saying, “That was a great clean right hand!” Female pro Seniesa Estrada also gave props remarking, “Great shot! That short right hand comes straight from his chin.” And manager Eddie Gonzalez picked out his favorite shot, “It was that uppercut to the navel!” The nine rounds of war lit up the Twitter universe making Marquez vs. Esquivias one of the night’s trends.
And with the win, a floodgate of emotions came forth for the Esquivias camp. Celebrating with his promoter Ken Thompson and TBP General Manager/Matchmaker Alex Camponovo, trainer Dennis Heffner, his cornermen and manager Eddie Gonzalez, Efrain could not hold back the tears. Standing at 5′ 4″ Esquivias stood tall Saturday night, soaking in the taste of glory mixed with the salt of bittersweet tears.
While critics will say Efrain beat a battle-scarred and shopworn Marquez, this win in Indio means all the world to Esquivias. It has been a long and rocky road for the self-described “late bloomer.”
And as they say, “30 is the New 20.” And “Orange is the New Black”…But that’s a whole different subject! While that hot new Netflix show continues to spark, Efrain says he’ll continue to prove his mettle and provide fireworks in the ring.
For the SoCal athlete, his time is now. He’s paid his dues on local shows and now he wants to prove he’s nobody’s “opponent” any longer. While many people were having trouble pronouncing his name in the days leading up to the match, new fans are now riding this wave of victory with him.
“They have to take me seriously now,” he told me after the rumble. “I’m not always gonna be the underdog. I’m not ‘just’ an opponent anymore; I know that’s how they thought of me.”
Team Esquivias had many friends and family watching the fights at Fantasy Springs. After the win, Efrain met his longtime supporters in the casino’s hotel. When their hero stepped out to greet them, a huge roar echoed across the floor. This celebration was a longtime coming.
Wearing sunglasses to protect his swollen and bloodied eyes, Esquivias was swallowed up in the mass of well wishers. As I witnessed the triumphant greeting, I chatted with Efrain’s cousin Mike Gonzalez. As his cousin was swarmed by friends and new fans, Mike got teary eyed, happy that Efrain’s hard work paid off. The two live together and Mike says he’s seen Esquivias go through so much. Now they all got to enjoy the fruits of the prizefighter’s labor.
But there was one very important–the most important–person missing in his father Efrain Esquivias Sr., who passed away from Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) in 2004 before his son began his pro career.Efrain Jr.–the son and namesake–has dedicated his entire career to his beloved dad.
The Esquivias family has been through a lot; the highs and lows of the sport that each fighter experiences. After a successful amateur career and winning a 2006 National Golden Gloves championship, the Carson puncher was signed by Thompson Boxing Promotions in 2010. After working with the famed Freddie Roach and veteran coach Manny Robles, Efrain came full circle in returning to his first coach Dennis Heffner, a name not many in the boxing mainstream were familiar with.
“I was 16 years old and boxing in his backyard,” Efrain remembers with a laugh, as I caught up with the pair after the victory. “Oh man, I would be working out and his dogs would be running around in between us. Remember that?”
As he looks to his coach, Heffner chuckles, remembering their humble beginning. And now to see his student knockout Marquez is a win the two will savor. As word spread that night that Rafael was taken to the hospital for a broken orbital bone, Efrain tells me he feels bad his idol may be maimed permanently.
“He is one of my heroes–and he still is,” Esquivias comments of Rafael Marquez, known for his classic wars against Israel Vazquez. “I really hope he’s okay.”
And now having, arguably, stole the show on Saturday night’s Showtime broadcast, the team plans to ride the momentum.
“That’s how we Thompson fighters are!” a smiling Efrain tells me. “Josesito was the underdog and beat Victor Ortiz and beat the odds too!”
So what’s next for the scrappy fighter who has just two defeats on his ledger?
Efrain pauses a bit, looks at his trainer and reveals, “If I had stayed with Dennis during my career, I wouldn’t have had those losses.”
Meaning no disrespect to any past camps, Efrain said he’s very happy to be back with Heffner, someone he knew as a young teen. The duo have endured a lot on their road to their latest victory. As I chat with his coach Dennis, I mention what Efrain says about wishing he had remained with Heffner all along. Upon hearing that, Dennis’ eyes well up with tears. The emotion and joy was still raw for the team.
“I started boxing at 15 on my own,” Efrain explains. “My dad bought me a bag and I was just working out on my own. And then I started training with Dennis.”
This is a new chapter for the duo. A stream of friends and fighters join the group in celebrating the victory including boxers George Faavae (stablemate of Efrain’s), Johnny Reyes (former sparring partner) and more.
“All the struggles I’ve been through and I never gave up. You can never count me out,” the pugilist says. “And now I’m so excited about the future; I’m excited beyond belief!”
I followed up with the team today to hear any new developments since last weekend’s win. When will he fight next and will it be at 122 or 126?
“I’m hoping to fight again within two to three months,” Efrain replies. “We haven’t decided yet if I’ll stay at 126.”
As for future plans, the warrior has some key names he’d like to face. “I’d like to fight Leo Santa Cruz, Kiko Martinez, and I had wanted a rematch with Jhonatan Romero (before he lost),” he tells me. “But now I want Kiko ’cause I want his belt! He stands in there; we both pretty much go forward so I think that would be a great fight. And of course, I’d love to fight Leo.”
How have things changed for him after his biggest career win to date? He laughs. “I’ve never had so many requests in my life!” he answers. “Interviews, calls, texts and this week I’ve had so many new followers on Instagram. It’s crazy!”
While he is enjoying all the newfound support, the humble boxer wants to give a shout out to those who have by his side through the thick and thin of his career. Times were lean he confesses when he was living paycheck to paycheck. “But there have been people there for me that no one ever notices,” he shares. “The ones on the sidelines who NEVER get any credit–it’s those people who make me stronger and better!”
Cruising on this newfound momentum, this so-called “late bloomer” hopes to continue on this winning path.
“We are all very proud of Efrain and his excellent win over Marquez,” TBP Founder/President Ken Thompson stated. “Marquez was a gentleman in defeat but on Saturday, Esquvias was stellar. He paved the road to a bright future.”
And as they say, sometimes the future’s so bright you gotta wear shades!
Photos by Michele Chong