John John Molina
Encyclopedia
Juan Molina better known as John John Molina in the world
of boxing
, is a former boxer whose career transcended boxing in Puerto Rico
. A multiple time world champion, this boxer was also known as quite a socialite. Molina is a native of Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. His results were:
Molina won the amateur world boxing championships in 1985, by knocking out Kelcie Banks
in the finals. Upon returning to Puerto Rico, the 20-year-old youngster announced to Rafael Bracero
on tv
he would be ready to fight professional world Featherweight champion Victor Luvi Callejas within a year. That wasn't to happen, however.
. Among the people he beat during that span was Victor Aponte, who was a stablemate of both Alberto Mercado
and Juan Carazo
. Aponte got knocked out by Molina in the 10th and final round. During this period of his career, Molina received much television exposure in Puerto Rico, many of his fights being shown on TV by producer and fight commentator Ivonne Class and her Video Deportes company.
Then, he faced Lupe Suarez, losing for the first time, when he was knocked out in the ninth round. Immediately after suffering his first loss, he embarked on a five-fight win streak, including a disqualification win in four rounds over former Hector Camacho
world title challenger Rafael Solis
, and a knockout in eight over Miguel Medina. After those two wins, he was ranked as the number one challenger by the IBF
.
On October 27, 1988, Molina was at The Arco Arena in Sacramento
, to challenge the IBF super featherweight champion Tony Lopez
, in what marked the beginning of a three-fight rivalry between Molina and Lopez. Molina dropped Lopez in round two, but Lopez went on to retain the title by a split decision.
In his next fight, April 29, 1989, the WBO put him and former WBC
featherweight champion Juan Laporte
against each other for the vacant WBO super featherweight title. Molina became a world champion by beating Laporte by a 12-round unanimous decision at Roberto Clemente Coliseum
in San Juan
. Then, in September of that year, he returned to Arco Arena to resume his rivalry with Lopez. Molina added the IBF belt to his WBO crown by knocking Lopez out in the tenth round.
On January 28, 1990, he avenged his loss to Suarez by knocking him out in the sixth round to retain the belt, but then, on May 20 of that year, he and Lopez met for their rubber match, this time in Reno
. Lopez dropped Molina and won a unanimous decision to recover his status as world Jr. Lightweight champion.
Between then and 1992, Molina won five straight fights, four by knockout. And so, after Brian Mitchell (who had beaten Lopez), left the IBF title vacant due to retirement, Molina travelled to South Africa
, where he met Jackie Gunguzula for the vacant world title. He knocked Gunguzula out in the fourth round to become world champion once again, and, days later, he was the object of a large welcoming at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
in San Juan. During this period of his reign, Molina made seven defenses, beating challengers like Bernard Taylor
, Floyd Havard
, Wilson Rodriguez
, former world Featherweight champion Gregorio Vargas
and future world Featherweight champion Manuel "Mantecas" Medina
, among others.
Around then, he became quite known by the mainstream Puerto Rican
public, becoming one of the first boxers ever to be portrayed on the cover of Vea
magazine, and dating a famous model.
Molina then moved up in weight to challenge the WBO lightweight
champion Oscar De La Hoya
, losing by a majority decision in 12 rounds in an HBO Boxing
televised event.
After that, Molina engaged in a series of fights against mostly lower-level opposition for the next two years, and he grew frustrated over the fact that his opposition level was being downgraded by promoters after the fight with de la Hoya. He won his next nine bouts, but the only two opponents that can probably be called respectable names in his list of opponents during that span were Jaime "Rocky" Balboa, beaten by decision in ten, and Isaac Cruz, beaten by a disqualification in four.
On May 9, 1998, Molina was given a second chance at a world lightweight championship, when he met IBF champion Sugar Shane Mosley
, in Molina's second HBO
fight. Mosley retained the title by a knockout in the eighth round, and Molina went back to the super featherweight division.
His next fight was also for the world title, but he had to wait nine months for that fight. In February 1999, he faced IBF super featherweight champion Roberto Garcia
, dropping the champion in their pay per view event but losing a 12-round decision in what turned out to be his last world title fight.
Molina wasn't done with boxing, and he went on to win seven more fights in a row, including two decision wins that were televised by the USA Network
: over Emanuel Burton and future Kostya Tszyu world title challenger Ben Tackie
.
His last fight was a T.K.O. loss to Mexican
Juan Lazcano
, Molina retired from boxing after the fight.
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
of boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, is a former boxer whose career transcended boxing in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. A multiple time world champion, this boxer was also known as quite a socialite. Molina is a native of Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
Amateur career
Molina represented Puerto Rico as a BantamweightBantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. His results were:
- 1st round bye
- Defeated Jarmo Eskelinen (Finland) 5-0
- Lost to Pedro NolascoPedro NolascoPedro Nolasco was a Dominican boxer, who won the bronze medal in the men's bantamweight category at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States....
(Dominican Republic) 2-3
Molina won the amateur world boxing championships in 1985, by knocking out Kelcie Banks
Kelcie Banks
Kelcie Herron Banks is a retired boxer from the United States, who competed in the featherweight division. As an amateur he won the gold medal at the 1986 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Reno and at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. Inducted to the USA Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993...
in the finals. Upon returning to Puerto Rico, the 20-year-old youngster announced to Rafael Bracero
Rafael Bracero
Rafael Bracero is a famous Puerto Rican sportscaster. Bracero graduated from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez then known as Colegio de Artes Mecánicas with a degree in civil engineering, and then he joined Puerto Rico's Perez Perry Channel 11 to cover sports as their main reporter.The...
on tv
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
he would be ready to fight professional world Featherweight champion Victor Luvi Callejas within a year. That wasn't to happen, however.
Pro career
Molina started as a professional on February 25, 1986, beating Job Walters by a decision in four. His first three fights were decisions. He won his first 14 bouts, nine of them by knockoutKnockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
. Among the people he beat during that span was Victor Aponte, who was a stablemate of both Alberto Mercado
Alberto Mercado
Alberto Mercado was a Jr. Featherweight boxer who was on the verge of fighting for a world title at least twice in his career....
and Juan Carazo
Juan Carazo
Juan Carazo is a former boxer from Caguas, Puerto Rico.Carazo was considered to be a boxing reincarnation of Wilfred Benítez or Wilfredo Gómez by many of his fans, and he won his first five professional bouts by knockout in 1984...
. Aponte got knocked out by Molina in the 10th and final round. During this period of his career, Molina received much television exposure in Puerto Rico, many of his fights being shown on TV by producer and fight commentator Ivonne Class and her Video Deportes company.
Then, he faced Lupe Suarez, losing for the first time, when he was knocked out in the ninth round. Immediately after suffering his first loss, he embarked on a five-fight win streak, including a disqualification win in four rounds over former Hector Camacho
Héctor Camacho
Héctor Camacho , nicknamed "Macho Camacho", is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. His son, Héctor Camacho Jr., is also a boxer.- Early life and amateur career :...
world title challenger Rafael Solis
Rafael Solis (boxer)
Rafael Solis is a former light middleweight boxer from Puerto Rico. He was raised in the barrio of Camito...
, and a knockout in eight over Miguel Medina. After those two wins, he was ranked as the number one challenger by the IBF
International Boxing Federation
The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
.
On October 27, 1988, Molina was at The Arco Arena in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, to challenge the IBF super featherweight champion Tony Lopez
Tony Lopez
Tony "The Tiger" Lopez , is a former professional boxer from Sacramento, California. He was a 3-Time World Boxing Champion. He is remembered for his victory in the 1988 The Ring Fight of the year by decision over Rocky Lockridge. He fought against Julio César Chávez in 1994 in Monterrey. He lost...
, in what marked the beginning of a three-fight rivalry between Molina and Lopez. Molina dropped Lopez in round two, but Lopez went on to retain the title by a split decision.
In his next fight, April 29, 1989, the WBO put him and former WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
featherweight champion Juan Laporte
Juan Laporte
Juan Laporte is a former boxer who was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico.-Amateur career:Juan Laporte won the 1976 112 lb New York Golden Gloves Sub-Novice Championship. He defeated Long Island's Ricky Brown in the finals. Laporte was defeated by Joseph Nieto of the Police Athletic Leagues Lynch...
against each other for the vacant WBO super featherweight title. Molina became a world champion by beating Laporte by a 12-round unanimous decision at Roberto Clemente Coliseum
Roberto Clemente Coliseum
The Roberto Clemente Coliseum is a sporting events and concert arena in San Juan, Puerto Rico.It was, for many years, Puerto Rico's largest indoor event facility, and it continues being one of the largest....
in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. Then, in September of that year, he returned to Arco Arena to resume his rivalry with Lopez. Molina added the IBF belt to his WBO crown by knocking Lopez out in the tenth round.
On January 28, 1990, he avenged his loss to Suarez by knocking him out in the sixth round to retain the belt, but then, on May 20 of that year, he and Lopez met for their rubber match, this time in Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. Lopez dropped Molina and won a unanimous decision to recover his status as world Jr. Lightweight champion.
Between then and 1992, Molina won five straight fights, four by knockout. And so, after Brian Mitchell (who had beaten Lopez), left the IBF title vacant due to retirement, Molina travelled to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where he met Jackie Gunguzula for the vacant world title. He knocked Gunguzula out in the fourth round to become world champion once again, and, days later, he was the object of a large welcoming at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico, three miles southeast of San Juan. Over 4 million passengers board a plane at the airport per year according to FAA reports . It is owned and managed by the Puerto Rico Ports...
in San Juan. During this period of his reign, Molina made seven defenses, beating challengers like Bernard Taylor
Bernard Taylor (boxer)
Bernard Taylor "The B.T. Express" is a retired boxer from the United States, who competed in the featherweight division.-Amateur career:...
, Floyd Havard
Floyd Havard
Floyd Havard is a Welsh former super featherweight boxer. He was twice British super featherweight champion, from 1988–1989 and 1994-1996. In 1994 he made an unsuccessful bid for the IBF super featherweight title against John John Molina....
, Wilson Rodriguez
Wilson Rodriguez
Wilson Rodriguez is a retired professional boxer, best known for his 1996 fight with Arturo Gatti and his reign as IBF Inter-Continental super featherweight titleholder, which he successfully defended 6 times.His career record was 48 wins, 10 losses, 3 draws...
, former world Featherweight champion Gregorio Vargas
Gregorio Vargas
Gregorio "Goyo" Vargas is a retired Mexican boxer.-Career:On April 28, 1993, Vargas won the WBC featherweight title from Paul Hodkinson by TKO in round 7. On July 11, 1998, he defeated Tracy Harris Patterson for the IBA super featherweight title by TKO in round 6...
and future world Featherweight champion Manuel "Mantecas" Medina
Manuel Medina (boxer)
Juan Manuel Rubio Medina is a boxer, who is better known as Manuel Medina. He is a five-time world featherweight champion...
, among others.
Around then, he became quite known by the mainstream Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
public, becoming one of the first boxers ever to be portrayed on the cover of Vea
Vea
Vea is a Puerto Rican gossip magazine that has been published weekly since 1968.As a periodical that reports on the lives and activities of many of the island's entertainment, sports, and political personalities, the magazine is no stranger to controversy...
magazine, and dating a famous model.
Molina then moved up in weight to challenge the WBO lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
champion Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
, losing by a majority decision in 12 rounds in an HBO Boxing
HBO Boxing
HBO World Championship Boxing is a sports television series, premiering in January 1973 that has shown a number of significant boxing events in the last three decades....
televised event.
After that, Molina engaged in a series of fights against mostly lower-level opposition for the next two years, and he grew frustrated over the fact that his opposition level was being downgraded by promoters after the fight with de la Hoya. He won his next nine bouts, but the only two opponents that can probably be called respectable names in his list of opponents during that span were Jaime "Rocky" Balboa, beaten by decision in ten, and Isaac Cruz, beaten by a disqualification in four.
On May 9, 1998, Molina was given a second chance at a world lightweight championship, when he met IBF champion Sugar Shane Mosley
Shane Mosley
“Sugar” Shane Mosley is an American professional boxer from Pomona, California who has held world titles in three weight divisions.-Amateur career:Mosley was an amateur standout, capturing various amateur titles, including:...
, in Molina's second HBO
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
fight. Mosley retained the title by a knockout in the eighth round, and Molina went back to the super featherweight division.
His next fight was also for the world title, but he had to wait nine months for that fight. In February 1999, he faced IBF super featherweight champion Roberto Garcia
Roberto Garcia Cortez
Roberto García Cortez, , is a retired Mexican-American professional boxer in the Lightweight division and is currently considered one of the best trainers in boxing. He is also the former IBF Super Featherweight Champion and was trained by his father Eduardo Garcia at the popular La Colonia Youth...
, dropping the champion in their pay per view event but losing a 12-round decision in what turned out to be his last world title fight.
Molina wasn't done with boxing, and he went on to win seven more fights in a row, including two decision wins that were televised by the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
: over Emanuel Burton and future Kostya Tszyu world title challenger Ben Tackie
Ben Tackie
Benjamin Wonder Tackie, , is a professional boxer. Tackie is known for his chin and his ability to throw a high volume of punches. All of his losses have come via decision.-Professional career:...
.
His last fight was a T.K.O. loss to Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
Juan Lazcano
Juan Lazcano
Juan Lazcano is a Mexican American professional boxer from El Paso, Texas, who is now based in Sacramento, California, USA....
, Molina retired from boxing after the fight.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions