Do or die time for John Molina Jr. and Ivan Redkach

Between them, John Molina Jr. and Ivan Redkach have won 49 of 59 professional fights. Both started their careers fast, winning 18 bouts in a row before suffering defeats.

This Friday night at the Pioneer Event Center in Lancaster, CA, Molina and Redkach will meet at a crossroads in their respective boxing lives. For each, a win is a must.

Molina,34, has reached as high as number two in junior welterweight rankings. He’s never met a fight he didn’t like. A few years ago, he delighted boxing fans with come-from-behind, knock-out victories over highly-ranked boxers Hank Lundy and Mickey Bey. Molina has also captured two lineal titles during his 11-year professional career.

The Covina, CA, resident cemented his standing as a “Rocky Balboa” tough guy four years ago. Molina engaged in a knock-down, drag-out brawl with Lucas Matthysse that had boxing fans yelling themselves horse.The battle was intense from the opening bell.

Underdog Molina started fast, winning the first round and scoring a knockdown in the second. Matthysse battled back, but in round five, Molina floored him again. Matthysse was rocked a few minutes later, but scored a knock-down of his own in round seven.

The war waged on. Molina was battling, but the hard-hitting Matthysse was coming on strong. Finally in round 10, a combination of blows put Molina down. The exhausted warrior survived to the bell.

A round later, the bout was over, with Matthysse declared the winner.

Last year, Molina surprised many by boxing his way to a 12-round decision over Russian tough guy Ruslan Provodnikov. He then challenged WBO and WBC champion Terence Crawford and was stopped in eight rounds. His bout with Redkach is his first since his loss to Crawford. It’s sudden death for his career, and Molina knows it.

“In boxing every fight is most important," Molina told me on the phone last week. “It’s a ‘what have you done for me lately?’ sport.”

Redkach, a native of Ukkraine who lives in Los Angeles, Is in a similar tight spot—only worse. One setback can be devastating in boxing nowadays. Redkach, 31, has dropped three of his last six bouts.

When he faces Molina on December 15, Redkach will be fighting to stay relative. Another setback and he’ll drop down to journeyman status—and basically be fed to the young lions in the division.