By Eric Thomas: In a little less than two weeks, #1 WBC ranked heavyweight contender Chris Arreola (34-2, 29 KO’s) will be facing little known #11 World Boxing Council ranked contender Eric Molina (18-1, 14 KO’s) in a scheduled 10 round bout on SHOWTIME at the American Bank Centre, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The 30-year-old Arreola’s team said that he would be facing an exciting top contender but little did anyone know that they were talking about Molina, a guy that few boxing fans have ever heard of before outside of the hardcore boxing fans that follow the heavyweight action closely.

Arreola has won six straight fights and can’t afford to lose this one if he wants to get a fight against IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko or his brother WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko. Obviously, Molina, 6’5”, was picked out for a couple of reasons: #1, he’s Mexican and will help draw Mexican fans to Arreola’s fight in Corpus Christi, Texas. And #2, Molina has a nice record at first glance with his 18-1, 14 KO’s record.

However, if fans were to take a close look at the guys that Molina has fought, they wouldn’t be so impressed. But those kinds of things aren’t going to happen with casual boxing fans. They’ll here the record mentioned on SHOWTIME or will read about the fight and figure it’ll be a good fight. It probably won’t. Molina is slow, and not a huge puncher despite all the KO’s that he’s accumulated against B and C level opposition.

Arreola has to win this fight because another loss will likely lead to him having to wait two to three more years before he gets another shot at a title. By that time, Arreola will be getting up there in age and might no longer be relevant in the heavyweight division.