Jose Zepeda and Ivan Baranchyk are scheduled to meet in a 10-round 140-pound bout Saturday inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas.
Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor, each of whom holds two of the four major 140-pound titles, are expected to fight soon to establish supremacy in that division.
The way Jose Zepeda sees it, though, he’s as good as any junior welterweight – including Ramirez and Taylor.
And why wouldn’t he feel that way?
Zepeda, who fights Ivan Baranchyk Saturday inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas, gave Ramirez all he could handle when they fought in February of last year. The Los Angeles-area fighter outboxed Ramirez much of the fight, although the titleholder rallied in the later rounds.
Ramirez ended up winning a majority decision – 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113 – but Zepeda was among those who wasn’t convinced.
Even Ramirez, when interviewed immediately after the fight, acknowledged that he had been pushed to the limit.
Jose Zepeda (left) and Ivan Baranchyk follow COVID-19 protocol while trying to gain a psychological edge over one another at a news conference Thursday. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
“He was very tough, very crafty,” Ramirez said. “It took me a while to close the distance. It was a very close fight.”
The setback didn’t change the way Zepeda looks at himself. He now looks back on that fight and his unanimous-decision victory over Jose Pedraza last September as learning experiences that only made him better.
“I feel like I’m the number one at 140,” he said. “I did think the Ramirez fight was pretty close, and a lot of people saw me winning. I think he is one of the best in the Top 5. Both of us right here, together with Ramirez and Josh Taylor, are in the Top 5.
“It’s very exciting. We are all good at certain things, and that makes for a very exciting division.”
Of course, Baranchyk (20-1, 13 KOs) feels he belongs among the best too.
The Oklahoma-based Russian won a vacant 140-pound title when he stopped Anthony Yigit after seven rounds in October 2018 but lost it to Taylor in his first defense, going down twice and losing a clear decision.
However, he was competitive with the talented Scot when he was on his feet. He’s hungry to to get another shot at a belt.
“In my training camp, I’ve been going harder and harder and harder,” he said. “I feel great. I’m ready to fight all rounds. I can go 10, 12 or 20 rounds. I’m very hungry. You will see a good fight Saturday night.
“… This is the best division. This fight is very important for me because it will be my next step towards a world title opportunity. If we win this fight, maybe I can get the chance to challenge Ramirez.”
Zepeda and Baranchyk have waited a long time for this fight, which was scheduled for July 7 but postponed because of the coronavirus. For one of them, it will have been worth the wait.
Jose Zepeda and Ivan Baranchyk are scheduled to meet in a 10-round 140-pound bout Saturday inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas.
Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor, each of whom holds two of the four major 140-pound titles, are expected to fight soon to establish supremacy in that division.
The way Jose Zepeda sees it, though, he’s as good as any junior welterweight – including Ramirez and Taylor.
And why wouldn’t he feel that way?
Zepeda, who fights Ivan Baranchyk Saturday inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas, gave Ramirez all he could handle when they fought in February of last year. The Los Angeles-area fighter outboxed Ramirez much of the fight, although the titleholder rallied in the later rounds.
Ramirez ended up winning a majority decision – 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113 – but Zepeda was among those who wasn’t convinced.
Even Ramirez, when interviewed immediately after the fight, acknowledged that he had been pushed to the limit.
Jose Zepeda (left) and Ivan Baranchyk follow COVID-19 protocol while trying to gain a psychological edge over one another at a news conference Thursday. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
“He was very tough, very crafty,” Ramirez said. “It took me a while to close the distance. It was a very close fight.”
The setback didn’t change the way Zepeda looks at himself. He now looks back on that fight and his unanimous-decision victory over Jose Pedraza last September as learning experiences that only made him better.
“I feel like I’m the number one at 140,” he said. “I did think the Ramirez fight was pretty close, and a lot of people saw me winning. I think he is one of the best in the Top 5. Both of us right here, together with Ramirez and Josh Taylor, are in the Top 5.
“It’s very exciting. We are all good at certain things, and that makes for a very exciting division.”
Of course, Baranchyk (20-1, 13 KOs) feels he belongs among the best too.
The Oklahoma-based Russian won a vacant 140-pound title when he stopped Anthony Yigit after seven rounds in October 2018 but lost it to Taylor in his first defense, going down twice and losing a clear decision.
However, he was competitive with the talented Scot when he was on his feet. He’s hungry to to get another shot at a belt.
“In my training camp, I’ve been going harder and harder and harder,” he said. “I feel great. I’m ready to fight all rounds. I can go 10, 12 or 20 rounds. I’m very hungry. You will see a good fight Saturday night.
“… This is the best division. This fight is very important for me because it will be my next step towards a world title opportunity. If we win this fight, maybe I can get the chance to challenge Ramirez.”
Zepeda and Baranchyk have waited a long time for this fight, which was scheduled for July 7 but postponed because of the coronavirus. For one of them, it will have been worth the wait.
Jaron Ennis and Jose Pedraza gave strong performances on separate cards Saturday night.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
Juan Carlos Abreu couldn’t stay on his feet against fearsome Jaron Ennis. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
Jaron Ennis doesn’t need any undue pressure at this stage of his career. He’s only 23. And I hesitate to read too much into his knockout victory over Juan Carlos Abreu on Saturday because the Dominican’s limitations are obvious.
Still, I have to say it: Ennis reminds me of one of his role models, Roy Jones Jr.
Ennis’ style is similar to Jones’ when the latter was at his peak, fighting patiently – with his hands down much of the time – and then exploding with unusual speed and power to overwhelm his opponents.
I didn’t particularly like when Jones’ hands were at his waist but he had the reflexes to get away with it when he was at his best. Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) will be OK for the time being.
Abreu, who came in three-plus pounds overweight, didn’t know what hit him. The look on his face the first few times he ate Ennis’ uber-quick, hard shots said to me, “What the hell is this?” The underdog was as durable as billed for four-plus rounds and then he became too familiar with the canvas.
Ennis, a fiery finisher, put Abreu (23-6-1, 21 KOs) down once in the fifth and twice more in the sixth – all three knockdowns coming within little more than a minute – to end the slaughter.
How dominating was Ennis? I don’t rely too heavily on CompuBox statistics but sometimes they provide a valuable perspective on certain fights. Consider the numbers in this one:
Ennis outlanded Abreu overall 117-23. That’s as one-sided as it gets. He landed 39.3% of his punches (298), Abreu 14.6% (157). Even more striking were the power punches: Ennis landed 92 of 165, 55.8%, which is off-the-charts accuracy.
And Ennis became the first to knock out Abreu, who went the distance in losses to Humberto Soto, Jamal James, Alex Martin, Egidijus Kavaliauskas and Alexander Besputin. That’s a big statement.
In other words, Ennis couldn’t have performed much better than he did on Saturday.
That doesn’t mean he’ll perform on that level when he steps up his opposition. He probably won’t dominate the top 154-pounders, gifted fighters like Jermell Charlo, Jeison Rosario, Erickson Lubin, Julian Williams and Tony Harrison.
Probably.
It remains to be seen whether he’s the next Jones, which is an extremely high bar. I believe he’s special, though. And I won’t be the least bit surprised if he ends becoming one of the top fighters in the world.
BAD
Jose Pedraza is on a roll after back to back victories over Mikkel LesPierre and Javier Molina. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
You have to feel for Javier Molina. The 2008 U.S. Olympian rebuilt a broken career and seemed to be on the verge of realizing his potential only to lose a wide decision and his momentum against Jose Pedraza on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Molina (22-3, 9 KOs) is only 30. I hope he learns from the setback and gets back to work. The talent is still there and he’s relatively fresh. It would be a shame for him to give up now.
Pedraza? Well, he’s just a bad man.
The former two-division titleholder from Puerto Rico seemed to be in decline when he was stopped by Gervonta Davis and lost decisions to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jose Zepeda in a span of seven fights between 2017 and last year.
Some thought he was finished as an elite fighter.
He obviously had a different perspective. He bounced back from the Zepeda loss to dominate both Mikkel LesPierre and Molina, thus repairing his credentials as a bona fide threat to the best 140-pounders.
Indeed, he looked terrific Saturday night in the MGM Grand “bubble,” outboxing and methodically wearing down a good all-around fighter in Molina. He looked like the young man who won major belts at 130 and 135 pounds.
Could Pedraza (28-3, 13 KOs) have similar success against, say, the winner of a projected title-unification fight between Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor? That’s hard to say. The 140-pound beltholders are among the best fighters in the world regardless of weight.
I wouldn’t put anything past the fighter we saw on Saturday, though. He looked that good.
“I do believe I’m ready for a world title opportunity,” he said after the Molina fight. “Whoever it happens to be between Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez, I want the winner of that fight.”
WORSE
Erickson Lubin (left) and Terrell Gausha didn’t get rolling until late in their fight. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
I don’t understand the way Erickson Lubin, Terrell Gausha and Tugstsogt Nyambayar fought Saturday night on Showtime.
Lubin, who fought Gausha in the main event, was the least egregious offender. He didn’t do much in the first seven rounds of the fight but he didn’t have to. He was winning. Then, when Gausha picked up his pace, so did Lubin.
That said, Lubin (23-1, 16 KOs) had hoped to show the world that he belonged in the conversation with the best fighters in the deep 154-pound division. You must fight with more fire than he did to accomplish that.
Lubin emerged victorious but he didn’t make the statement he had hoped to make.
Gausha? I’m still scratching my head. He threw an average of 31 punches per round in the first seven rounds, landing 4.3 per stanza. In other words, he wasn’t there. And it’s difficult to win a 12-round fight when you arrive in Round 8.
The former Olympian was in a title eliminator. A victory would’ve set up an opportunity to realize a dream. Gausha (21-2-1, 10 KOs) didn’t fight like it, at least not until it was too late.
Nyambar, fighting for the first time since he lost to a wide decision to Gary Russell Jr., also had hoped to demonstrate that is among the best featherweights. And he looked the part early in the fight, putting Cobie Breedy down in each of the first two rounds.
Then the hard-punching Mongolian allowed himself to be outworked the rest of the way by a more determined fighter in Breedy, who won six of the final 10 rounds on two cards and nine of 10 on the third.
The final scores were 114-113 and 114-112 for Nyambayar and 115-111 for Breedy. One just scored the first round 10-9 for Nyambayar in spite of the knockdown.
Like Lubin, Nyambayar (12-1, 9 KOs) had his hand raised. That’s the objective. However, even in victory, his stock might’ve slipped.
I can’t get in the heads of the fighters. I don’t know why some of them fail to throw punches at a rate that puts them in position to win or look good regardless of the result. I suspect many of them, after watching the fight on video that night or the next day, say to themselves or those around them: “Damn, I wish I had been a little busier.”
Jaron Ennis and Jose Pedraza gave strong performances on separate cards Saturday night.
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
Juan Carlos Abreu couldn’t stay on his feet against fearsome Jaron Ennis. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
Jaron Ennis doesn’t need any undue pressure at this stage of his career. He’s only 23. And I hesitate to read too much into his knockout victory over Juan Carlos Abreu on Saturday because the Dominican’s limitations are obvious.
Still, I have to say it: Ennis reminds me of one of his role models, Roy Jones Jr.
Ennis’ style is similar to Jones’ when the latter was at his peak, fighting patiently – with his hands down much of the time – and then exploding with unusual speed and power to overwhelm his opponents.
I didn’t particularly like when Jones’ hands were at his waist but he had the reflexes to get away with it when he was at his best. Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs) will be OK for the time being.
Abreu, who came in three-plus pounds overweight, didn’t know what hit him. The look on his face the first few times he ate Ennis’ uber-quick, hard shots said to me, “What the hell is this?” The underdog was as durable as billed for four-plus rounds and then he became too familiar with the canvas.
Ennis, a fiery finisher, put Abreu (23-6-1, 21 KOs) down once in the fifth and twice more in the sixth – all three knockdowns coming within little more than a minute – to end the slaughter.
How dominating was Ennis? I don’t rely too heavily on CompuBox statistics but sometimes they provide a valuable perspective on certain fights. Consider the numbers in this one:
Ennis outlanded Abreu overall 117-23. That’s as one-sided as it gets. He landed 39.3% of his punches (298), Abreu 14.6% (157). Even more striking were the power punches: Ennis landed 92 of 165, 55.8%, which is off-the-charts accuracy.
And Ennis became the first to knock out Abreu, who went the distance in losses to Humberto Soto, Jamal James, Alex Martin, Egidijus Kavaliauskas and Alexander Besputin. That’s a big statement.
In other words, Ennis couldn’t have performed much better than he did on Saturday.
That doesn’t mean he’ll perform on that level when he steps up his opposition. He probably won’t dominate the top 154-pounders, gifted fighters like Jermell Charlo, Jeison Rosario, Erickson Lubin, Julian Williams and Tony Harrison.
Probably.
It remains to be seen whether he’s the next Jones, which is an extremely high bar. I believe he’s special, though. And I won’t be the least bit surprised if he ends becoming one of the top fighters in the world.
BAD
Jose Pedraza is on a roll after back to back victories over Mikkel LesPierre and Javier Molina. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
You have to feel for Javier Molina. The 2008 U.S. Olympian rebuilt a broken career and seemed to be on the verge of realizing his potential only to lose a wide decision and his momentum against Jose Pedraza on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Molina (22-3, 9 KOs) is only 30. I hope he learns from the setback and gets back to work. The talent is still there and he’s relatively fresh. It would be a shame for him to give up now.
Pedraza? Well, he’s just a bad man.
The former two-division titleholder from Puerto Rico seemed to be in decline when he was stopped by Gervonta Davis and lost decisions to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jose Zepeda in a span of seven fights between 2017 and last year.
Some thought he was finished as an elite fighter.
He obviously had a different perspective. He bounced back from the Zepeda loss to dominate both Mikkel LesPierre and Molina, thus repairing his credentials as a bona fide threat to the best 140-pounders.
Indeed, he looked terrific Saturday night in the MGM Grand “bubble,” outboxing and methodically wearing down a good all-around fighter in Molina. He looked like the young man who won major belts at 130 and 135 pounds.
Could Pedraza (28-3, 13 KOs) have similar success against, say, the winner of a projected title-unification fight between Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor? That’s hard to say. The 140-pound beltholders are among the best fighters in the world regardless of weight.
I wouldn’t put anything past the fighter we saw on Saturday, though. He looked that good.
“I do believe I’m ready for a world title opportunity,” he said after the Molina fight. “Whoever it happens to be between Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez, I want the winner of that fight.”
WORSE
Erickson Lubin (left) and Terrell Gausha didn’t get rolling until late in their fight. Amanda Westcott / Showtime
I don’t understand the way Erickson Lubin, Terrell Gausha and Tugstsogt Nyambayar fought Saturday night on Showtime.
Lubin, who fought Gausha in the main event, was the least egregious offender. He didn’t do much in the first seven rounds of the fight but he didn’t have to. He was winning. Then, when Gausha picked up his pace, so did Lubin.
That said, Lubin (23-1, 16 KOs) had hoped to show the world that he belonged in the conversation with the best fighters in the deep 154-pound division. You must fight with more fire than he did to accomplish that.
Lubin emerged victorious but he didn’t make the statement he had hoped to make.
Gausha? I’m still scratching my head. He threw an average of 31 punches per round in the first seven rounds, landing 4.3 per stanza. In other words, he wasn’t there. And it’s difficult to win a 12-round fight when you arrive in Round 8.
The former Olympian was in a title eliminator. A victory would’ve set up an opportunity to realize a dream. Gausha (21-2-1, 10 KOs) didn’t fight like it, at least not until it was too late.
Nyambar, fighting for the first time since he lost to a wide decision to Gary Russell Jr., also had hoped to demonstrate that is among the best featherweights. And he looked the part early in the fight, putting Cobie Breedy down in each of the first two rounds.
Then the hard-punching Mongolian allowed himself to be outworked the rest of the way by a more determined fighter in Breedy, who won six of the final 10 rounds on two cards and nine of 10 on the third.
The final scores were 114-113 and 114-112 for Nyambayar and 115-111 for Breedy. One just scored the first round 10-9 for Nyambayar in spite of the knockdown.
Like Lubin, Nyambayar (12-1, 9 KOs) had his hand raised. That’s the objective. However, even in victory, his stock might’ve slipped.
I can’t get in the heads of the fighters. I don’t know why some of them fail to throw punches at a rate that puts them in position to win or look good regardless of the result. I suspect many of them, after watching the fight on video that night or the next day, say to themselves or those around them: “Damn, I wish I had been a little busier.”
Jose Pedraza’s strong performance against Mikkel LesPierre in July was no anomaly. If anything, he looked ever better against Javier Molina on Saturday.
Jose Pedraza’s strong performance against Mikkel LesPierre in July was no anomaly. If anything, he looked ever better against Javier Molina on Saturday.
The former two-division titleholder continued his resurgence as an elite fighter, defeating Molina by a wide unanimous decision in a 10-round junior welterweight bout inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas.
Pedraza (28-3, 13 KOs) has now won two consecutive fights impressively after a stretch in which he was 1-2, with losses to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jose Zepeda that raised questions about the 31-year-old Puerto Rican’s future in the sport.
Pedraza outboxed Molina from the start and gradually wore him down, which allowed him to run away with the victory. He hurt Molina late in the final round but couldn’t finish the job.
The final scores were 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92, meaning Molina won one round on one card and two on the second and third.
Pedraza was ranked by any of the major sanctioning bodies but, after two strong performances and in light of his reputation, he’ll probably become a 140-pound contender.
Molina (22-3, 9 KOs) had built some momentum after a 2½-year hiatus from the sport, winning five consecutive fights. That included a unanimous-decision victory over former titleholder Amir Imam in February.
Now the former U.S. Olympian will have to rebuild again.
Jose Pedraza’s strong performance against Mikkel LesPierre in July was no anomaly. If anything, he looked ever better against Javier Molina on Saturday.
Jose Pedraza’s strong performance against Mikkel LesPierre in July was no anomaly. If anything, he looked ever better against Javier Molina on Saturday.
The former two-division titleholder continued his resurgence as an elite fighter, defeating Molina by a wide unanimous decision in a 10-round junior welterweight bout inside the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas.
Pedraza (28-3, 13 KOs) has now won two consecutive fights impressively after a stretch in which he was 1-2, with losses to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jose Zepeda that raised questions about the 31-year-old Puerto Rican’s future in the sport.
Pedraza outboxed Molina from the start and gradually wore him down, which allowed him to run away with the victory. He hurt Molina late in the final round but couldn’t finish the job.
The final scores were 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92, meaning Molina won one round on one card and two on the second and third.
Pedraza was ranked by any of the major sanctioning bodies but, after two strong performances and in light of his reputation, he’ll probably become a 140-pound contender.
Molina (22-3, 9 KOs) had built some momentum after a 2½-year hiatus from the sport, winning five consecutive fights. That included a unanimous-decision victory over former titleholder Amir Imam in February.
Now the former U.S. Olympian will have to rebuild again.
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.”
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.”
Terrell Gausha (right) is 1-1-1 in his last three fights, including a loss to Erislandy Lara (left). AP Photo / Steve Luciano
When: Saturday, Sept. 19 Where: Uncasville, Conn. TV: Showtime Division: Junior middleweight At stake: No titles Odds: NA Also on the card: Tugstsogt Nyambayar vs. Eduardo Ramirez, featherweights; Jaron Ennis vs. Juan Carlos Abreu, welterweights Prediction: Lubin UD Background: The talented Lubin stumbled badly when he was stopped by Jermell Charlo in the first round in October 2017. However, he has won four consecutive fights since — including victories over Ishe Smith and Nathaniel Gallimore — to rebuild his status as a welterweight contender. He’s ranked No. 1 by the WBC, whose titleholder is Charlo, and No. 4 by the WBA. Charlo faces Jeison Rosario in a title-unification fought a week after Lubin faces Gausha. Gausha was scheduled to fight Lubin on Oct. 26 but had to pull out because of a hand injury. The hand has healed. The capable 2012 U.S. Olympian is hoping to stay in the championship mix. He’s 1-1-1 in his last three fights, a unanimous, but competitive decision loss to Erislandy Lara, a first-round KO of Joey Hernandez and a split draw with Austin Trout in May of last year. He will have been out of the ring for 16 months.
JOSE PEDRAZA (27-3, 13 KOs)
VS. JAVIER MOLINA (22-2, 9 KOs)
Jose Pedraza celebrated after his one-sided victory over Mikkel LesPierre on July 2. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
When: Saturday, Sept. 19 Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas TV: ESPN+ Division: Junior welterweight At stake: No titles Odds: NA Also on the card: Efe Ajagba vs. Jonnie Rice, heavyweights
Prediction: Molina UD Background: Both fighters recently reestablished their credentials as potential contenders. Pedraza bounced back from decision losses to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jose Zepeda in 2018 and last year by dominating capable Mikkel LesPierre en route to winning a near-shutout decision in July. The Puerto Rican looked like the two-division titleholder of old. Molina, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, returned in 2018 from a 2½-year hiatus after a loss to Jamal James and has won five in a row, including an impressive unanimous-decision upset of former title older Amir Imam on Feb. 22 which resurrected hopes that he might realize his potential after turning 30. The winner could step into the sanctioning-body rankings. The loser could be in trouble.
Terrell Gausha (right) is 1-1-1 in his last three fights, including a loss to Erislandy Lara (left). AP Photo / Steve Luciano
When: Saturday, Sept. 19 Where: Uncasville, Conn. TV: Showtime Division: Junior middleweight At stake: No titles Odds: NA Also on the card: Tugstsogt Nyambayar vs. Eduardo Ramirez, featherweights; Jaron Ennis vs. Juan Carlos Abreu, welterweights Prediction: Lubin UD Background: The talented Lubin stumbled badly when he was stopped by Jermell Charlo in the first round in October 2017. However, he has won four consecutive fights since — including victories over Ishe Smith and Nathaniel Gallimore — to rebuild his status as a welterweight contender. He’s ranked No. 1 by the WBC, whose titleholder is Charlo, and No. 4 by the WBA. Charlo faces Jeison Rosario in a title-unification fought a week after Lubin faces Gausha. Gausha was scheduled to fight Lubin on Oct. 26 but had to pull out because of a hand injury. The hand has healed. The capable 2012 U.S. Olympian is hoping to stay in the championship mix. He’s 1-1-1 in his last three fights, a unanimous, but competitive decision loss to Erislandy Lara, a first-round KO of Joey Hernandez and a split draw with Austin Trout in May of last year. He will have been out of the ring for 16 months.
JOSE PEDRAZA (27-3, 13 KOs)
VS. JAVIER MOLINA (22-2, 9 KOs)
Jose Pedraza celebrated after his one-sided victory over Mikkel LesPierre on July 2. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
When: Saturday, Sept. 19 Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas TV: ESPN+ Division: Junior welterweight At stake: No titles Odds: NA Also on the card: Efe Ajagba vs. Jonnie Rice, heavyweights
Prediction: Molina UD Background: Both fighters recently reestablished their credentials as potential contenders. Pedraza bounced back from decision losses to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jose Zepeda in 2018 and last year by dominating capable Mikkel LesPierre en route to winning a near-shutout decision in July. The Puerto Rican looked like the two-division titleholder of old. Molina, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, returned in 2018 from a 2½-year hiatus after a loss to Jamal James and has won five in a row, including an impressive unanimous-decision upset of former title older Amir Imam on Feb. 22 which resurrected hopes that he might realize his potential after turning 30. The winner could step into the sanctioning-body rankings. The loser could be in trouble.
