By Dan Ambrose: Former WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KO’s) won’t have to wait a long time like most fighters do after they get beaten in big fights. Canelo, who was beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jr. last Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada, is already received an offer for a fight by IBF junior middleweight champion Carlos Molina (22-5-2, 6 KO’s) if he wants to take the fight.
Molina just won the IBF 154 lb. strap in beating Ishe Smith on the undercard of “The One” last Saturday, and he’s now looking to cash in with a big money fight against Canelo or Miguel Cotto, whichever one says yes first.
Molina said “I want Canelo Alvarez or [Miguel] Cotto next. Beating either of those guys is the fastest way to Floyd Mayweather, so that’s who I want to fight.”
Molina is a pretty good fighter and capable of beating most of the guys in the 154 lb. division, but you have to draw the line with Cotto and Canelo. Those guys would seemingly have too much firepower for a guy like Molina to beat them, but you never know. Cotto is one of those guys that is hot or cold when he fights. He either looks good or he’s struggling. Molina would seem like a fighter that Cotto should be able to beat, but not if Molina chooses to box him the way that Mayweather and Austin Trout did in beating him.
Canelo needs a title belt, and the IBF strap might be the best option for him. If Canelo is going to perch himself at 154 so that he can pick off welterweights and an occasional junior middleweight, then it makes sense for Casnelo to capture the IBF title to hold for a while until he can no longer make weight for the division or until someone beats him again.
Molina might make it a tough fight for Canelo by making him miss and paying him back. Canelo did not look good in getting tagged by Mayweather last weekend, and Molina hits almost as hard as Mayweather. Who knows? If Molina can land enough power shots he might be able to trouble Canelo and expose him again.
Molina has victories over Cory Spinks, Kermit Cintron, Ed Paredes and draws against Erislandy Lara and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The draws against those two fighters were fights that Molina deserved the wins, but he ended up having to settle for draws against these guys.
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