All photos by Art Hernandez/RBRBoxing
Adrien Broner (30-1, 22 KOs) scored a unanimous decision victory over John Molina Jr. (27-6, 22 KOs) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 12-round Junior Welterweight fight opened the inaugural telecast of Al Haymon‘s Premier Boxing Champions, which tonight aired on NBC and NBC Sports in the U.S.
Broner, of Cincinnati, Ohio won easily on all scorecards as he was too fast and intelligent for Molina to land significant punches.
The judges scored the fight 120-108, 120-108, and 118-110 for Broner. RBRBoxing.com also had it 120-108 for Broner.
“I had to do what I had to do to get my victory,” said Broner, “he wanted me to sit there and bang with him but why would I do that?”
Indeed, this was the case in the later rounds when Broner used his footwork and his boxing skills, but it was Molina, of Covina, CA, who began the fight tentatively.
Molina struggled to close the distance in the early rounds and showed a little too much respect for Broner.
Molina found a home for his right hand in Rounds 3 and 4, but could not let his hands go enough to land significant punches.
Indeed, Molina only threw 249 punches and landed 54 of them (41%), while Broner threw 502 and landed 219 of them (22%), according to CompuBox.
In the later rounds, Broner adjusted even more to Molina’s style and even began boxing Molina–throwing jabs, moving his legs, and landing an occasional combination. It was the adjustment we needed to see–he cannot win significant fights from a stationary shoulder roll stance.
Nevertheless, it didn’t lead to a pleasing fight for the crowd here at the MGM.
“He did what he had to do.” said Molina. “He boxes well, but he doesn’t exchange well”
Although that may have been the case, Molina’s biggest mistake was in not pushing the action earlier and allowing Broner to get too comfortable in the ring.
Molina takes yet another devastating loss, while Broner continues his rise in the 140-pound division.
“This is my first time on NBC so..Anybody can get it, Africans, Mexicans…,” said Broner, before abruptly getting cut off.
Adrien Broner may be ready to fight on network TV, but he surely isn’t ready to talk on it.
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