By Allan Fox: Light middleweight contender James Kirkland (31-1, 27 KO’s) will be having arthroscopic surgery today to repair two small tears in his right shoulder from his recent 10th round disqualification victory over Carlos Molina last week. The surgery will be taking place in San Antonio, Texas. Kirkland injured his right shoulder somehow in the Molina bout and has been experiencing pain ever since the fight ended.

The surgery isn’t complicated. However, Kirkland will be out of action for a minimum of three months while he recovers and rehabilitates the shoulder.

According to Dan Rafael at ESPN, Kirkland has been experiencing a great deal of pain from the shoulder and this led to him being seen by a doctor.

Kirkland didn’t fight well in the Molina bout, having problems getting his punches off, missing a lot, and getting completely smothered by Molina’s inside attacks. Kirkland proved to have little in the way of inside fighting skills compared to Molina and never really adjusted. In the 10th, Molina was knocked down from either a push or a light shot when Molina was already off balance. The fight was halted moments later after Molina got back to his feet and one of his corner people stepped into the ring thinking the round had ended. The bell had sounded to end the round, but the referee was giving Molina a count.

Molina’s promoter Leon Margules has filed an appeal with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to have the fight result changed to a no contest. That seems highly unlikely to happen. Margules feels that the round should have been over after Molina was given the 10 count, as the 10 count was finished and the round had already ended before Molina’s corner person entered the ring.

The disappointing thing about the Molina fight is there likely won’t be a rematch. Kirkland’s promoters aren’t saying anything about wanting to put Kirkland back in with Molina again. Instead, it looks like Kirkland will be moved in another direction.