Deontay Wilder vs. Eric Molina possible for June

By Boxing News - 05/04/2015 - Comments

deontay4444By Scott Gilfoid: #12 WBC Eric Molina (23-2, 17 KOs) is one of the names that is being mentioned as a possibility for the first title defense for WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs) this June, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.

Molina, 33, is a good serviceable heavyweight with a five-fight winning streak going for him. He had some difficulties three years ago when he stepped it up a level to face Chris Arreola in 2012 and was subsequently knocked out in the 1ast round. But since that fight, the 33-year-old Molina has turned things around with five straight wins with his last three coming by knockout.

“One of the names I am told is in the running to challenge @BronzeBomber in June is Eric Molina. #boxing,” Rafael said on his twitter.

Molina would be the perfect showcase fight for Wilder in order for boxing fans to see Wilder’s power front and center. Molina will likely come straight at Wilder, and that will make it easy for Wilder to land his shots. Molina isn’t like Bermane Stiverne, who had his gloves glued to his head all night long in their fight last January.

Molina is only ranked by the World Boxing Council at this time. Obviously, he needs some better wins than the ones that he’s been cranking out lately for him to get ranked high by the other sanctioning bodies. Molina has good size at 6’4” and first rate punching power. He staggered Arreola in the 1st round of their fight in 2012. The one area that Molina needs work with is his chin. He folded up way too quickly against Arreola for him to be considered a high level opponent.

Molina is coming off of an 8th round knockout win over Raphael Zumbano Love last January. Before that, Molina stopped Theo Kruger and DaVarryl Williamson.

I’d rather see Deontay, 6’7”, face some higher quality contenders rather than Molina. He’s not the ideal opponent you want to see the talented Wilder in with if the idea is to win him more fans. I think someone like Carlos Takam, Andy Ruiz, Lucas Browne, Vyacheslav Glazkov, Tony Thompson, Arreola or Artur Szpilka would be better opponents for Wilder. At least those are guys that get mentioned every so often by boxing fans.

Deontay won the WBC heavyweight title last January against Bermane Stiverne in an exciting back and forth fight. Stiverne did a good job of taking Wilder’s best shots, and keeping alive for the full 12 rounds.



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