#12 WBC heavyweight contender Eric Molina (23-2) is being mentioned as a possible opponent for the first title defense of new WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (33-0) in June.
Molina, 33, is riding a five-fight win streak after getting knocked out in the first round against Chris Arreola in 2012. Molina started the round off strong, hurting Arreola with a straight right hand. However, he got overanxious, and Arreola made him pay with the counter left-hook. Stunned, Molina was on the ropes and had nowhere to hide, eating an overhand right that ended his evening.
Over the course of his five-fight win streak, he has faced a couple of known fighters, including Tony Grano (20-3) and Raphael Zumbano Love (36-10). The Grano fight was for the NABF heavyweight title, in which Molina won via unanimous decision but was also knocked to the floor in the final round. In January of this year, he stopped Love inside the eighth round. Love is an experienced fighter, but he hasn’t been anything more than just a stay busy opponent for fighters moving their way up. Love fights Anthony Joshua (11-0, 11 knockouts) on Saturday, May 9 in the United Kingdom.
On the same foot, Molina has had his fair share of non-entity opponents, including Andrew Greeley, who had an incredible record of 14-39-3 before their June 2012 clash.
Deontay Wilder is a knockout artist. He has 32 knockouts in 33 fights and Molina comes straight at his opponents. There is no doubt in my mind that Wilder is going to have his hand raised by knockout in the first round.
A fight between the winner of the Povetkin-Perez WBC eliminator against Wilder would be far more intriguing, but would still likely be an easy victory for the dexterous 29-year-old.
