LUISITO ESPINOSA is not losing hope that he would still get his purse for a world title fight against Arentina’s Carlos Rios staged at the South Cotabato Stadium in Koronadal City more than 10 years ago.

Espinosa defeated Rios inside six rounds to keep his World Boxing Council featherweight belt, but up to now he has yet to receive the balance of a $150,000 purse despite a long-drawn court case against the fight promoters.

Based on records, Espinosa is going after the balance of $130,000 that was not given him after a big snafu regarding the television coverage and the revenues that were supposed to be raised.

Espinosa stayed in the US for more than 10 years after that fight, and is back in the country, aided by some friends, to pursue the case and recover what is due him.

In a rare appearance on Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Shakey’s United Nations Avenue, Espinosa, now 40, said he is hopeful that reopening the case that was filed a decade ago would lead to better results.

“I’m back to pursue the case and get what I truly deserve,” said Espinosa, who was accompanied to the public forum by Games and Amusements Board chairman Eric Buhain, the former swimming star.

“The case is still alive,” he said.

In fact, the boxer said he was asked to appear before the Regional Trial Court in Manila on Thursday so he could establish that he is still pursuing the case that has dragged on for years.

Espinosa is after promoters Rod Nazario and Lito Mondejar and former South Cotabato Gov. Hilario de Pedro.

“Luisito is trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild his life after settling down in the US and going through a lot. But he lives a decent life. He is here to get what he truly deserves,” said Buhain in the same session sponsored by Shakey’s, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Accel, Brickroad Gym and Aspen Spa.

Buhain accompanied Espinosa to Malacañang on Friday to look for new avenues on how he could pursue the case. Lawyer Ramon Maranilla is the one helping the former world champion.

“There may be some light at the end of the tunnel,” said Buhain.

Marquez: I’m here to demand, not beg

DETHRONED super-featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez on Tuesday clarified he came to Manila not to beg for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, but to demand for one.

Louie still believes he can get hands on $0.13M

LUISITO ESPINOSA is not losing hope that he would still get his purse for a world title fight against Arentina’s Carlos Rios staged at the South Cotabato Stadium in Koronadal City more than 10 years ago.

ADAMSON University kept its composure, then leaned on guest player Neriza Bautista in the third set as the Lady Falcons hacked out a shocking  25-22, 25-21, 25-23 victory over fancied San Sebastian College (SSC) to seize the solo lead in the Shakey’s V-League Season 5 at The Arena in San Juan Tuesday.

Patrick Gregorio, the first to be named executive director of the powerful Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP), is contemplating stepping down from his post, a source said.

THE conference is barely two weeks old and yet the Coca-Cola Tigers are already making quite a noise.

HAPEE Toothpaste needed a strong first half in repulsing Burger King, 100-85, for its third-straight win Tuesday night in the 2008 Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

BACOLOD CITY—Defending national women’s champion University of Visayas (UV) easily disposed of University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) to open its back-to-back bid on a high note and lead the opening-day winners of the 12th Nestea Beach Volley Visayas Eliminations Tuesday at the University of St. La Salle sand courts.

Mercedes-Benz, the worldwide leader in luxury vehicles, is taking an aggressive stance in promoting golf in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region for 2008.  The German auto giant had recently signed a three-year deal as the Asean Golf Tour’s title sponsor.

THERE’S the saying “a sound mind, a sound body.”

No matter what is one’s religious persuasion, there’s no doubt that positive thinking, or faith for some, does wonders. Not because things would magically turn in one’s favor, but because positive thinking is a matter of changing one’s perspective.