Esparragoza Keeps His Title but Villasana Fights to Draw

Faced with looping hooks and frequent low blows, defending champion Antonio Esparragoza tried to cut through the attack of challenger Marcos Villasana in a 12-round World Boxing Assn. featherweight title bout Thursday night in the Sports Arena.

But Esparragoza, perhaps dulled by an 11-month layoff, was not able to put away Villasana with short, sharp punches.

Finally, nobody won. Esparragoza, of Venezuela, held onto his title with split-decision draw against Villasana, of Mexico.

The champion, who has a 25-1-4 record with 24 knockouts, previously fought last July, when he scored a 10th-round knockout of Pasqual Aranda.

Villasana (47-6-3, 40 KOs) was making his third try at the title, having lost twice before to World Boxing Council champion Azumah Nelson.

Early in Thursday night’s bout, Esparragoza appeared to be in control. But Villasana frustrated the champion with his awkward style and rallied in the middle rounds.

Villasana lost a point in the fifth round for his illegal blows and was warned infrequently after that.

Toward the end of the fight, the boxers traded wild punches. Esparragoza’s right eye was bloodied.

This was Esparragoza’s second title defense. He won the championship with a 12th-round knockout of Stevie Cruz in March, 1987.

And this fight figured to be close. Both boxers train with the same manager, Ricardo Maldonado. The California State Boxing Commission forbade Maldonado from visiting either fighter’s camp the past two weeks, or from sitting any closer than five rows from the ring during the bout.