Tag: Amir Imam

Jose Pedraza vs. Javier Molina: Do-or-die for both of them?

Jose Pedraza and Javier Molina have both bounced back from difficult times to reestablish themselves as players in the 140-pound division.

Jose Pedraza and Javier Molina have both bounced back recently from difficult times to reestablish themselves as players in the junior welterweight division.

That’s what makes their fight Saturday inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas so important: One will take another step in the rebuilding process; the other might have to start over once again.

Pedraza (27-3, 13 KOs) lost to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jose Zepeda in 2018 and last year, raising questions about his future as an elite fighter.

However, the Puerto Rican rebounded to dominate Mikael LesPierre en route to a near-shutout decision in July, looking much like the two-division titleholder he had been. Now he’s thinking about the prospect of winning a world title in a third division, although neither he nor Molina is ranked.

“I have my sights set on a world championship at 140,” he said. “My goal is to join the select club of three-division world champions from Puerto Rico. That’s why this fight against Molina is so important.

[vertical-gallery id=13842]

“I know that a big win on Saturday will put me a step closer to that opportunity of challenging for a world title in the junior welterweight division. It’s a must-win for me.”

Molina (22-2, 9 KOs) has similar goals, which is remarkable given his disappointing career.

The 2008 U.S. Olympian turned pro with considerable fan fare but never quite lived up to the hype. He left boxing for 2½ years after a unanimous-decision loss to Jamal James in January 2016. Some people – including Molina – wondered whether he was finished.

Instead, the product of the Los Angeles area came back, rededicated himself and has had nothing but success. He has all five of his fights in his comeback, including a unanimous decision over former titleholder Amir Imam in February.

Could Molina finally realize his potential at 30?

“I’m cool with being the underdog,” he said. “There is a reason I’m seen that way, and it’s because I haven’t shown my full potential. Fans haven’t seen all I can do in the ring. Like I said, I’m alright with being the underdog. I’m going to surprise a lot of people on Saturday.

“There were some tough times where I thought about not fighting anymore, but I have so much to give in the sport. That’s why I decided to turn my career around. I have dedicated myself to the sport, and that’s why I’m this position right now.

“By beating Pedraza, I put myself in a good position to challenge for a world title. I know that a victory against a great name like Pedraza will bring me closer to that opportunity to become a champion.”

Pedraza is well aware of Molina’s capabilities.

“I know that I’m very close to a world title opportunity, but my total focus is on the fight I have in front of me,” he said. “I know Molina is a good fighter. I have never overlooked him. I have prepared with that in mind and that’s why I have trained very hard for this fight. …

“He says he’s “El Intocable'”(The Untouchable), but I’m the ‘Sniper’ and I come with great precision to erase the nickname “El Intocable” that Javier Molina has. This will be another chapter in the historic rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico. It will be a great fight.

“From my end, I have never overlooked him. He is a great fighter. With that in mind, I have prepared myself for a tough opponent. I know he believes he’s the underdog, but I know he’s a great fighter.”

Meanwhile, Molina couldn’t be more confident, at least publicly.

“We have answers for anything he brings,” he said. “I can adapt to whatever he does the ring. If he wants to brawl, we’re going to brawl, and if I have to box and move around, that’s what I will do to win the fight.

“Pedraza looked good against LesPierre, but I’m not LesPierre. He is flatfooted and I’m not. We have been studying all his recent fights and my game plan is similar to what Lomachenko and Zepeda did against him. If they think I’m going to be outgunned this Saturday, they are in for a big surprise.”

[lawrence-related id=13777,13482,11199]

Jose Pedraza vs. Javier Molina: Do-or-die for both of them?

Jose Pedraza and Javier Molina have both bounced back from difficult times to reestablish themselves as players in the 140-pound division.

Jose Pedraza and Javier Molina have both bounced back recently from difficult times to reestablish themselves as players in the junior welterweight division.

That’s what makes their fight Saturday inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas so important: One will take another step in the rebuilding process; the other might have to start over once again.

Pedraza (27-3, 13 KOs) lost to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jose Zepeda in 2018 and last year, raising questions about his future as an elite fighter.

However, the Puerto Rican rebounded to dominate Mikael LesPierre en route to a near-shutout decision in July, looking much like the two-division titleholder he had been. Now he’s thinking about the prospect of winning a world title in a third division, although neither he nor Molina is ranked.

“I have my sights set on a world championship at 140,” he said. “My goal is to join the select club of three-division world champions from Puerto Rico. That’s why this fight against Molina is so important.

[vertical-gallery id=13842]

“I know that a big win on Saturday will put me a step closer to that opportunity of challenging for a world title in the junior welterweight division. It’s a must-win for me.”

Molina (22-2, 9 KOs) has similar goals, which is remarkable given his disappointing career.

The 2008 U.S. Olympian turned pro with considerable fan fare but never quite lived up to the hype. He left boxing for 2½ years after a unanimous-decision loss to Jamal James in January 2016. Some people – including Molina – wondered whether he was finished.

Instead, the product of the Los Angeles area came back, rededicated himself and has had nothing but success. He has all five of his fights in his comeback, including a unanimous decision over former titleholder Amir Imam in February.

Could Molina finally realize his potential at 30?

“I’m cool with being the underdog,” he said. “There is a reason I’m seen that way, and it’s because I haven’t shown my full potential. Fans haven’t seen all I can do in the ring. Like I said, I’m alright with being the underdog. I’m going to surprise a lot of people on Saturday.

“There were some tough times where I thought about not fighting anymore, but I have so much to give in the sport. That’s why I decided to turn my career around. I have dedicated myself to the sport, and that’s why I’m this position right now.

“By beating Pedraza, I put myself in a good position to challenge for a world title. I know that a victory against a great name like Pedraza will bring me closer to that opportunity to become a champion.”

Pedraza is well aware of Molina’s capabilities.

“I know that I’m very close to a world title opportunity, but my total focus is on the fight I have in front of me,” he said. “I know Molina is a good fighter. I have never overlooked him. I have prepared with that in mind and that’s why I have trained very hard for this fight. …

“He says he’s “El Intocable'”(The Untouchable), but I’m the ‘Sniper’ and I come with great precision to erase the nickname “El Intocable” that Javier Molina has. This will be another chapter in the historic rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico. It will be a great fight.

“From my end, I have never overlooked him. He is a great fighter. With that in mind, I have prepared myself for a tough opponent. I know he believes he’s the underdog, but I know he’s a great fighter.”

Meanwhile, Molina couldn’t be more confident, at least publicly.

“We have answers for anything he brings,” he said. “I can adapt to whatever he does the ring. If he wants to brawl, we’re going to brawl, and if I have to box and move around, that’s what I will do to win the fight.

“Pedraza looked good against LesPierre, but I’m not LesPierre. He is flatfooted and I’m not. We have been studying all his recent fights and my game plan is similar to what Lomachenko and Zepeda did against him. If they think I’m going to be outgunned this Saturday, they are in for a big surprise.”

[lawrence-related id=13777,13482,11199]

Emanuel Navarrete dominates, stops Jeo Santisima in 11

Emanuel Navarrete may not be long at junior featherweight, but he defended his title with an 11th-round TKO of Jeo Santisima.

In his fifth fight in nearly nine months, junior featherweight titleholder Emanuel Navarrete appeared sluggish at times against Jeo Santisima on the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury II card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. But the 25-year-old Mexican outworked the Filipino challenger and eventually stopped him in the 11th round of with a barrage of unanswered combinations.

Navarrete, one of the more active titleholders in the sport, started out slow and seemed to grow fatigued in the middle rounds, but he laid down a considerable beating of Santisima. Navarrete had Santisima hurt in Round 5, but took the next round off. There also appeared to be an issue with Navarette’s right hand, which he explained afterward was the result of a slight injury.

“I hurt him weirdly with my right hand and hurt my thumb but I had to plough through it,” Navarrete (31-1, 27 KOs) said.

Navarrete turned it up in Round 10, tagging Santisima (19-3, 16 KOs) with strafing punches from pillar to post. Referee Russell Mora stopped the bout at 2:27 of Round 11.

There have been whispers that Navarrete may look to move up to the featherweight division for his next fight.

Also on the undercard, junior middleweight Sebastian Fundora may be a physical freak of nature, but he is still clearly very much a a work progress. The six-foot-six prospect was tested by Aussie Daniel Lewis in a scheduled 10-rounder en route to a unanimous decision win.

Scores were 97-93, 98-92, and 99-91.

Lewis was outmatched from the start, but he succeeded in making the fight a phonebooth affair, thus partially negating Fundora’s remarkable height. Lewis landed overhand rights and left hooks that had Fundora bleeding from the nose in Round 2.


“I don’t want to make excuses, but I had the flu,” Fundora (14-0-1, 9 KOs) said afterward. “That’s why my nose bled.”

Still, it was Fundora who controlled the action and landed the harder shots. He consistently landed the right uppercut as Lewis (6-1, 4 KOs) tried to bulldoze his way inside. By the mid rounds, a purple mouse was visible under his right eye.

In a mild upset, Javier Molina (22-2, 9 KOs) outpointed Amir Imam (21-3, 18 KOs) over eight rounds in a junior welterweight bout.

Scores were 79-73, 78-74, and 78-74.

It was a closely contest bout, but Molina, who fought primarily off the backfoot, was a bit craftier. Imam showed little creativity on offense as he simply walked towards Molina trying to land his right hand.

For nearly seven rounds, welterweight Subriel Matias had his way with Petros Ananyan, landing one thudding  power shots after another. A stoppage seemed imminent. But in the waning moments of Round 7, Ananyan, bruised and bloodied, connected on four consecutive overhand rights and then a left hook that sent Matias reeling into the ropes. Referee Robert Byrd issued a standing eight count, and just like that, the scheduled 10-rounder instantly turned. Matias never truly recovered, as Ananyan, the decided underdog, pushed the pace en route to a unanimous decision upset.

Judges scored it 96-93, 95-94, and 95-94, all for Ananyan (15-2-2, 7 KOs).

This was just the third bout for Matias (15-1, 15 KOs) since his tragic bout against the late Maxim Dadashev, who passed from ring injuries sustained during that fight.