Guty Espadas

Gustavo Hernan Espadas Cruz or commonly known as Guty Espadas was a professional boxer who was born on December 20, 1954 in Merida, Yucatán, Mexico.

He started competing professionally in 1971 at the age of 17. He won his first WBA Flyweight title against the Panamanian, Alfonso Lopez in October 1796 in Merida, Mexico, knocking him out by the thirteenth round. He defended the title four times, defeating the Japanese, Jiro Takada in January 1977 in Tokyo, Japan; defeating Alfonso Lopez again by April of 1977, still in Merida, Mexico; then beating Alex Santana Guido from Nicaragua in November 1977 in Los Angeles, California; and Kimio Furesawa from Japan in January 1978 in Tokyo, Japan. He lost the title to Betulio Gonzalez from Venezuela by August 1978 in their match in Maracay, Venezuela.

Espadas continued to participate in local boxing matches in his hometown from 1979 to 1984, defeating Ruben Mancilla, Jose Luis Curz, Rodolfo Martinez, Rodolfo Ortega, Juan Diaz, Rau Valdez, and Elid Fernandez. He also fought for the title twice but failed to regain the success he had before.

His overseas matches that he won were against Bobby Ruiz by March 1979 held in Houston, Texas; Chan-Hee Park by December 1979 in Pusan, South Korea; and Franco Torregoza by August 1980 in Stockton, California.

He last recorded boxing match was against Payo Poontarat from Thailand, in March 1984 held in Bangkok, Thailand. Poontarat defeated him by a knockout in the tenth round of the bout.

After his third attempt to take the world title, he decided to hang the gloves and retire in 1984 at the age of 40.