But Molina told Maxboxing before his workout last week, "I haven’t been 130 since I’ve been 16, 17 years old. But y’ know what? I can try, but we’ll see. I’m comfortable at 135, but if I can get down to 130, I know I’ll be a lot stronger. "Espinoza, who also manages junior featherweight stalwart Israel Vazquez, along with the likes of Abner Mares, Ronny Rios and Luis Ramos, would settle for Molina being a lightweight. He just doesn’t want to see him at 140. "I feel that his weight should be 135. He shouldn’t be any higher than that," is his opinion.
Either way, he’s happy with his fighter’s development.
"Yes I am. He’s progressing well; it’s a learning experience. He’s 9-0 and I feel good the way he’s been coming along," said Espinoza.
Molina admits that with his fan-friendly style, it would serve him well to perform at as light a weight as possible. "If I can get down naturally to that weight without being weak, then yeah, it probably would be the best thing," he says. "Like I said, I’ll try and get down. As long as I don’t feel weak, I would be a lot stronger."
At age 24, he should have gained his “man’s strength,” as they say. By this stage, fighters, for the most part, begin the process of settling into a weight, not moving down.
"I think I’m widening out now; kinda branching out a little bit. So I think I’ve matured that way," says Molina; who does have a wide back on his 5’ 6” frame.
They say punchers are born, not made. But you can get a boxer to punch with more force and leverage, which is precisely what his trainer, Clemente Medina, is working on. They are hoping to find the proper medium between keeping up his high work-rate and throwing meaningful shots. Medina says, "I’m trying to work on his power. Carlos remembers I was with [Francisco] ’Panchito’ Bojado. He was fast, sharp, had movement- but with power. I’m working on setting up punches. Hard punches."
And can Medina feel a difference as he works the mitts for Molina?
"Oh, sure, you can feel them."
This is all part of the process of making the full adjustment to the professional game, where it’s the quality of punches, not quantity, that matter.
"In the beginning, when I just had made my debut, I still kinda had an amateur style; still jumping around a lot. Now that I made the move with Clemente, he’s made me sit down more on my punches, utilize more of my jab and study my opponent while I’m in the ring," says Molina, who signed on with Golden Boy Promotions, along with his stablemates in the Espinoza Boxing Club over the summer.
As for the weight issue, his trainer says, "I think his best weight is 135. But he’s a short guy, he’s stronger, he’s got a big body. I think 135 is perfect." Of his future prospects, he says of Molina, "I think ‘Carlitos’ puts his heart into boxing. He can be a world champion."
Everyone is on the same wavelength as it relates to 2010.
"Our plan is to keep him active. He hasn’t fought since August," said Espinoza, who pointed out that an October fight was scratched. "At that particular time, his opponent had a heart problem, so the fight fell out. So he couldn’t make that fight. Then, at the end of the year, of course, everything slows down in December. So he’s had to wait, but we’re happy now to be fighting in January and we’re looking for a good year for Carlos."
That road map suits Molina perfectly.
"My goal is to just try and get as many fights as I can this year," he stated. "Stay active and hopefully, by the end of this year, I want to fight some names out there."
GOLDEN UPDATE
I had a chance to catch up to Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer on Monday afternoon and we discussed a few things:
- On their recent signing, Saul Alvarez: "He’s actually scheduled to fight, I believe, the first week of March in Mexico and then after that, if everything goes well, the idea would be to have him- if this fight with Mayweather and Mosley happens- to have him on the May 1st card."
- About the immediate future of WBA junior welterweight champion, Amir Khan: "There are currently different fights which are being discussed with Amir and, so again, I don’t want to get into who I’m negotiating with. Not once has something good come out- not once- when I say I’m negotiating with this guy, that guy. Let me get it done.
"Amir made it clear to me he wants big fights and meaningful fights against names who are recognized here in the U.S.” said Schaefer. “Some of these names would be a Paulie Malignaggi, Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz. Basically, names which mean something here in the United States and, frankly, globally, as well. And so, we’ll see. I have been told Malignaggi is going to fight Andre Berto, is what I’ve heard. So I don’t think anything is official but that’s the rumor. So we’ll see, but I’m diligently working on Amir’s next and having discussions with HBO."
Schaefer added that Khan’s next outing would "most likely" take place stateside.
- On the talks for the highly anticipated bout between IBF bantamweight champion Yonnhy Perez and Abner Mares: "They’re going well. As a matter of fact, I’m going to be meeting, I think, this afternoon with Eric Gomez and Frank Espinoza. So that’s coming along well. I talked today with Ken Hershman from Showtime, so he’s excited about this fight. I think it’s a great addition to this card (on May 22nd, which features the fourth chapter of Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez). So I anticipate that this fight is going to happen."
ESPY BOXING CLUB
So when are Rios and Ramos back in action?
"Ronny Rios will be fighting on the same card as Carlos. He’ll be fighting on January 29th at the Hard Rock, also," said Espinoza. Luis Ramos is coming back in the third week of February, the 25th. He’ll be fighting at the Club Nokia on the 2010 “Fight Night Club” season-opener…
I can be reached at k9kim@yahoo.com... twitter.com/stevemaxboxing.com…
