Molina Scores Second Win Over Raygosa, What’s Next?

 There was little build for former IBF Jr. Middleweight world champion Carlos Molina’s bout against veteran Juan Carlos Raygosa on Friday, September 24^th in Patzcuaro, Mexico. This was due to Molina facing a fighter with whom he had already scored a ten round unanimous decision over in November of last year, but also perhaps due to Raygosa having a less than stellar record as he entered the bout with a record of 17-17-3, with 6 Knockouts compared to Molina’s 37-12-2, with 12 Knockouts. Although this had all the appearance as this observer said in previewing the bout as a “Stay Busy” bout for Molina as he looked to bounce back from a defeat earlier this year to Middleweight contender Sam Eggington, this fight did have a basic storyline to it.

Despite his experience against at or near top level competition throughout his career as a former world champion, there is always a question of whether or not a fighter can bounce back from a setback regardless of the perceived caliber of the opposition standing across the ring from them. After fifty professional fights in an eighteen year pro career, it is logical to ask how much more a fighter might have left in them in terms of their in ring career. In fairness, Carlos Molina has not shown any signs of a fighter that is in decline though his record is an illustration of someone who has spent quite an amount of time inside the Boxing ring.

While some may not look at a fight such as the one he had against Juan Carlos Raygosa with much regard, the thing that always interests me going into a fight like this even though Raygosa’s record may not appear to offer much in terms of his overall level of competition is, as I said in the prelude to the fight, fighters like Raygosa are often the most active in the sport because of their willingness to go into fights under varying conditions regardless of who the opposition might be. Given that this was Raygosa’s second opportunity to share a ring with Carlos Molina after giving a good effort in defeat in their first encounter, I wondered what type of adjustments he might be able to make this time around.

As the two fighters entered the ring at the Posada Hotel Don Vasco before a limited crowd of spectators due to the ongoing circumstances of the global COVID-19 epidemic, Raygosa did attempt to bring the fight to Molina by showing a willingness to not only stand and trade punches, but also apply pressure on the former world champion. What was noticeable about Raygosa’s approach was he was a bit more aggressive as compared to the first fight where Molina was able to outwork him over the course of ten rounds.

Although Raygosa was the more aggressive of the two fighters throughout this rematch, he was not tactical in his aggression and left opportunities for Molina to counter punch, which he did capitalize on. Molina may not have overwhelmed Raygosa with activity, but he was very compact with his offense in that he would at times land two or three punches in combination and then step back and await his next opportunity in allowing Raygosa to lead throughout.  While not a complicated fight to describe, it was Molina’s taking advantage of opportunities presented to him, compact offense that was often the cleaner of the punches landed between the two fighters, in addition to making his opponent miss that ended up being the story of this fight as Molina was able to box his way to another ten round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Raygosa.

While this fight was frankly simple to describe for the reader, some might choose to be critical in the sense that Molina did not stop Raygosa. This observer will not be one to criticize because fights like this do serve a purpose for a fighter that is looking to get back in the mix and going ten rounds at a consistent pace is likely more beneficial than if he had gone a shorter distance and gotten a quick stoppage or knockout victory.

The question now becomes what will happen next for the former world champion and promoter Carlos Molina as he continues to campaign in the 160lb. Middleweight division.  For now I feel the key is to try and stay as active as possible. This of course is easier said than done due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, but there are two things that Molina does have in his favor as he looks to position himself for another opportunity to fight for a world title. One he has a plethora of experience and while he may not be viewed as a marquee name by some, a fighter with the amount of experience that Molina brings to the table is always going to be in the discussion of potential challengers for a world champion even if those who promote said champion are looking to him as a would be “Tune-Up” for a potentially more lucrative fight to come. Second, in addition to his experience, Molina is a former world champion and should have some name recognition clout to be able to get into a position where a world championship fight is at least an option on the table for him. The fact that he did become a world champion should serve as an indicator to any promoter with a top contender or a world champion in their stable to not take him lightly because all a fighter really needs is one impressive victory against a notable opponent to stir buzz.  For now however, Molina needs to stay as active as he can and look to make the best argument possible for an opportunity down the road.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Can Molina Get Back In The Win Column

 

There are some stories in Boxing that are go hand and hand with the sport. One of the most common is the story of a former world champion continuing on with their career in search of another opportunity at a world championship. Former IBF Jr. Middleweight world champion Carlos Molina is one such tale of a former champion that has continued on in hopes of getting another opportunity at a world title. Some may recall Molina winning the IBF crown from Cory Spinks in February 2013 in winning a twelve round unanimous decision to take the title from the former two-division world champion. After a successful title defense over former world champion Ishe Smith later that year, Molina lost his crown to Cornelius Bundrage in October 2014.

Since then, Molina’s career inside the ring has seen the ups and downs that many fighters experience over the course of a long career. Along the way, Molina has taken a route that some boxers have in choosing to take a true entrepreneurial approach to his career by becoming a promoter and choosing to compete under his own promotional banner. In more recent times, this has included staging cards in his native Mexico in the midst of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic in being one of the first promoters that was able to resume staging events even if it came under circumstances where no spectators have been allowed to attend. Molina has also taken advantage of ever evolving technology by using the power of the internet to stream his events to a worldwide audience including through Facebook among other platforms.

After building an unbeaten run of eight bouts in which he scored knockouts in four of those fights, Molina traveled to Coventry, England in May of this year where he lost a twelve round unanimous decision to former European Welterweight champion Sam Eggington in a Middleweight bout. Although he came out on the losing end of the decision in that fight, Molina showed his veteran know how in pushing Eggington throughout and gave a good account of himself in defeat.

Now with a record of 37-12-2, with 12 Knockouts, Molina now prepares to take a step forward in an effort to bounce back as he will face Juan Carlos Raygosa on Friday, September 24^th at the Posada Hotel Don Vasco in Patzcuaro, Mexico in a card promoted by Molina’s King Carlos Promotions and streamed globally by digital combat sports network and pay-per-view platform FITE TV.

This will be a rematch of a fight that Molina and Raygosa had in November of last year in which Molina was able to score a ten round unanimous decision. Although Raygosa can be described by a term that this observer does not like to use, as a “Journeyman”, as he will enter this rematch with Molina with a record of 17-17-3, with 6 Knockouts, he has only been stopped in four of those seventeen career defeats and has not been stopped in his last eight bouts stretching over the last two years. 

While this frankly has all the appearance of a “Stay Busy” and a “Bounce Back” fight for Molina given his opponent’s record and the fact that Raygosa will enter having lost two of his last five including the loss to Molina, the bottom line is fighters like Raygosa do serve a role in the sport that can be underappreciated by some fans, a fighter who is willing to get in the ring on a frequent basis, at times on short notice, regardless of who the opposition might be. As a result, despite the appearance that a record like the one Raygosa will have going into this fight, these type of fighters are often the most active in the sport because if nothing else, they almost always give a solid effort win or lose and their willingness to fight as often as possible, will often make them an asset to many promoters who look to fill out their cards.

What this fight does boil down to for Molina at least in terms of his career as a fighter is whether or not he will be able to bounce back from a setback earlier this year and continue the overall momentum he has been able to build in recent years even if the majority of his victories in recent times has come against opposition that some may hold in little regard. Much like Raygosa, Carlos Molina is a veteran of the Boxing ring and the bottom line is the more active a fighter is, the better that fighter’s odds of being ready to step into an opportunity whether that comes in the form of a world championship bout, or a bout against a rising or top contender is. The more active a fighter is, the more that fighter is able to win, the better the chance that the phone will ring with the next potential opportunity.

Whether or not an opportunity will come for the former world champion to challenge once more for a world title remains to be seen. Molina does have one thing going for him in that he does have himself set up to continue in the sport after his career inside the ring is over. Something that frankly all fighters regardless of their standing in the sport, the level in which they compete on, should all learn from.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Molina vs. Raygosa II takes place on Friday, September 24^th at the Posada Hotel Don Vasco in Patzcuaro, Mexico. The fight as well as it’s full undercard can be seen globally on digital combat sports network and pay-per-view platform FITE TV beginning at 8PM ET/5PM for $9.99 (U.S. Time.) For more information on FITE, including schedules and for instructions on how to download the FITE app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, please visit: http://www.FITE.TV. To order Molina vs. Raygosa II download the FITE app or click the following link:  ▷ "King" Carlos Molina vs Juan Carlos Raygoza II - Official PPV Live Stream - FITE. For more information on King Carlos Promotions please visit King Carlos Promotions Official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KingCarlosPromotions.

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