Photo edit by @FightGauge/RBRBoxing
What happens when two fighters known for theatrics get into a ring? My guess is one hell of a show. There’s no title on the line, but this fight will mean plenty to the careers ahead of Adrien “The Problem” Broner and John Molina Jr. (no alias).
Broner has been steadily working his way back after a disastrous loss to Marcos Maidana in 2013, and a less than impressive tune-up fight a few months later against Carlos Molina. Broner managed to win a unanimous decision over that Molina, and win the same over Emmanuel Taylor last September. Molina, having suffered two losses in a row, needs to win this fight if he wants to be considered a serious contender in his division.
Broner vs. Molina seems not quite a stepping-stone for Broner, and not really a tune-up fight either. The best word to describe this fight is appropriate. This feels like the kind of fight suitable for the pace Broner should have been going at before he fought Maidana and before he was hyped to be the next Floyd Mayweather.
Broner showed us more of his technical side against Emmanuel Taylor and his trademark showboating was noticeably absent. Though we got to see a more mature Broner, he has a history of underestimating his opponents. Molina is the kind of guy you should not underestimate, and you certainly cannot count out when the going gets tough.
Tale of the Tape
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In the case of Broner vs. Molina, the tape tells us this matchup should be a competitive one. Broner (29-1, 22 KOs) is coming to the ring at 5’6 ½” and with a 69½” reach, while Molina (27-5, 22 KOs) will be walking in much taller at 5’10½” with a 71” reach.
Statistically speaking, Broner and Molina are not much different from one another. They have the same stance, are closely matched in the number of rounds boxed and have comparable knockout percentages (Broner, 70.97 percent; Molina, 68.74 percent).
Stylistically, however, the two are worlds apart. Style is a huge part of the tale that the tape doesn’t tell us, though it is often said that styles make fights.
For example, Molina has a reach advantage of almost two inches. This would be an ideal leg up for taking on an outside fighter like Broner but Molina severely underutilizes his jab (as in not really at all). Broner is four inches shorter, so Molina’s body should be open season. Yet, Broner is known more for his outside work than going toe-to-toe on the inside.
In other words, the tape does not convey one man having a serious advantage over the other. A better story will be the mash-ups of Broner and Molina’s styles, in which at least one man will be pushed out of his comfort zone, and maybe to the edge.
Main Storylines
“Entertainment is everything,” Adrien Broner told The Ring magazine over the phone. It’s a small statement that reflects the Broner boxing fans have come to know, but Broner appears to have turned over a new leaf, keeping the trash talking at a minimum.
He also mentions that he is taking John Molina serious because, “You can never judge a guy by his record…A guy can be 0-12 but all 12 losses can be by top-level fighters, but just handle your business and you’ll be OK.”
Despite Broner’s newfound humbleness, his competitive spirit is still strong as ever (via RingTV.com):
[otw_shortcode_quote border=”bordered” border_style=”bordered”]“I am Mr. NBC and I’ll be on NBC all this year,” he says. “Four times you will see me in the ring on NBC and I’ll fight anybody who is willing to grab that rope and hang themselves.”[/otw_shortcode_quote]
Molina also refused to bad-mouth Broner. “He’s a great champion, and I’m not going to disrespect him in the way of talking bad about him. [This is] a fight I definitely want. It’s no secret he’s one of the main attractions at 140,” (via EsNews).
To him, this fight is far from taking rope to hang himself. “We need to go right after him,” Molina says, making his game plan known loud and clear. “I’m gonna bring the fight. I’m going in there to knock him out.”
Strengths for Each Man
Photo by Tom Casino
Adrien Broner
Adrien Broner’s biggest strength is his boxing intelligence, which is greater than John Molina’s. There is no reason (and it is highly unlikely) that Broner should leave the fight on Saturday having been outboxed by Molina.
His fighting style is much slicker and more refined than Molina’s, and he tends to take his time in the earlier rounds to figure out his opponent. In doing so, Broner looks to the find the right moment where he can step on the gas. He then employs optimum timing and power to outwork his opponent and control the pace.
In his last fight against Emmanuel Taylor, Broner’s willingness to exchange on the inside, at least more than we’re used to seeing, indicated that he could be a more diverse fighter. This could potentially be an asset to Broner when he faces Molina, a guy who is not afraid to come forward and exchange on the inside.
John Molina
John Molina is a wildcard, to say the least. Though he is far from a sophisticated fighter, he has enough heart, and power in his right hand, to be taken seriously.
He can surely take a punch, which means Adrien Broner cannot base his entire game plan on knocking Molina out.
An enigma would be the best word to describe Molina. He is not a technically sound fighter, and maybe even a bit sloppy. Yet somehow he manages to give his opponents some of their toughest fights, even when he doesn’t come out on top.
If Molina loses, he won’t go down without a fight. If he wants to win, his best bet will be pressing the action and not letting up against Broner.
Weaknesses for Each Man
Photo by Naoki Fukada
Adrien Broner
People often compare Adrien Broner’s style to the likes of Floyd Mayweather. I find this to be a fairly shallow observation, but if there is one thing the two have in common, it’s that being against the ropes is not a good look for either of them. Broner is at his best in the center of the ring and when he is backing his opponent into a corner.
One of the worst mistakes Broner could make with Molina is retreating to the ropes on purpose, and hoping the Philly shell will save him. If he retreats, Molina will be ruthless, and Broner will pay the price.
Broner should also be strategic in his handling of an aggressor like Molina. He tends to take his time figuring out his opponent in the earlier rounds, meaning he typically doesn’t throw high volumes of punches starting off. This would be an ideal tactic if Molina was a pure boxer, but he is the complete opposite. Molina will want to fight, so Broner cannot settle for standing in place, and leaning back on that dreadfully flat right foot. Figuring out Molina should not take very long, but Broner will need to keep his activity level up, and chin down in the mean time.
John Molina
John Molina’s style is one that clearly comes off as untamed and primitive. One downside to the lack of sophistication in Molina’s style is his inability to make his strengths as effective as they could be with a few simple boxing principles.
For example, Molina severely underutilizes his jab. He packs a lot of power in his right hand, but he could set it up much better, as well other punches, by using his jab.
Also, Molina has a terrible habit of fighting with his hands down, and dropping them even further when an opponent is pushing him backwards. Bottom line is Molina is cut from a brawling cloth. Broner packs power, but he’s not going to exchange with Molina the way he wants him to.
This is often a source of frustration for pure fighters when they meet pure boxers. Molina’s wild style is made for more competitive bouts against similar guys like Lucas Matthysse. Molina should know going into the ring that Broner is a different kind of animal. He’s going to make this a difficult fight for him, and not in the way Molina is used to.
The Winner and Why
Photo by Stephanie Trapp
Adrien Broner’s initial comeback from the Marcos Maidana fight did not show the results of fine-tuning (he hardly looked like he went to Bali to find himself).
While he did not display a dramatic transformation in the Emmanuel Taylor fight, he did reveal a more humbled Broner that seemed to do more than rely on his natural talent to prepare for the fight. If Broner approaches the fight against John Molina with the same amount of focus and preparation, he should be able to snag this win without much trouble.
There is no question that this bout will make for an interesting match up of styles. When it comes down to whose style will prevail the most, Broner is the most solid choice. What makes the fight with Molina so exciting is that we’ve seen Broner fold under the power and pressure of a ruthless fighter like Maidana.
Ultimately, we’re eager to see what will happen when Molina goes at Broner with absolutely no chill.
I predict that Broner will need to adjust to Molina’s pressure, and will do so very early on in the fight. The holes in Molina’s game are so obvious that if Broner continues to stay composed, he can find perfect timing and placement without much difficultly.
The self-proclaimed “Mr. NBC” will also find himself being “The Problem” for Molina in what’s sure to be competitive bout this Saturday.
Winner: Broner
