The big punching former world title challenger Eric Molina (25-3, 19 KOs) picked up a career best win tonight in defeating Tomasz Adamek (50-5, 30 KOs) in stopping him in the 10th round in front of his own Polish fans at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland. Molina was trailing in the fight going into the 10th, when he came alive and knocked Adamek out with a right hand to the head.
Today’s heavyweight showdown between former light heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion Tomasz “Goral” Adamek (50-4, 30 KOs) of Poland and Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina (24-3, 18 KOs) Raymondville, Texas in Kraków at the Kraków Arena for the IBF Intercontinental Heavyweight Title will be distributed in North America by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 2 pm ET/11 am PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view.
Kraków, Poland: Former light heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion Tomasz “Goral” Adamek (50-4, 30 KOs) returns to native Poland to face Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina (24-3, 18 KOs) in Kraków on Apr. 2 at the Kraków Arena for the IBF International Heavyweight Title. The fight will be telecast live in Poland on pay-per-view as part of Polsat’s Boxing Night series and presented by Polsat, Main Events and Don King Productions.
How much has Polish hero and former light-heavyweight and cruiserweight ruler Tomasz Adamek got left? We may find out on April 2nd when Adamek, 50-4(30) will face recent WBC heavyweight title challenger Eric Molina.
Molina, 24-3(18) impressed and surprised a number of people in equal measure with his brave challenge of Deontay Wilder back in June. Stunning the defending champion, who was making the first defence of his WBC belt, and also taking Wilder’s best shots again and again until finally being TKO’d in the 9th-round of a fun fight, Molina showed what he is made of. Now he wants to earn a second shot at a major title and aims to do so at Adamek’s expense.
I was off the grid at the weekend so had to catch up on all the action that I had missed on Monday, including Deontay Wilder’s hometown 1st defence of his WBC heavyweight title against Texan, Eric Molina.
And boy, words failed me as those 9 rounds unfolded. Who expected it to last that long?
The dust has settled on the fight and as far as I can see, a few things are pretty apparent. And they are sentiments shared by a majority of the boxing press.
British heavyweight David Price (19-2, 16 KOs) may have failed in the past in a pair of losses to Tony Thompson, but he feels he’s more than good enough right now to take the strap off WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (34-0, 33 KOs) if the two of them meet up in the near future. Price, 6’8” had the chance to see Wilder’s fight last night against Eric Molina (23-3, 17 KOs), and Price didn’t see too much in Wilder’s performance that impressed him.
Right now there are a lot of boxing fans and members of the media who have serious doubts about WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (34-0, 33 KOs) being able to hold onto his WBC heavyweight title for very much longer. Wilder’s performance last night against Eric Molina (23-3, 17 KOs) was arguably one of the worst performances by a heavyweight world champion in many years.
In the first title fight in the state of Alabama, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (34-0, 33 KOs), had to work harder than expected before dismantling Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina (23-3, 17 KOs) with a ninth round knockout Saturday night in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® live on SHOWTIME.
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (34-0, 33 KOs) looked like a novice amateur tonight in having to work harder than expected to stop a very limited Eric Molina (23-3, 17 KOs) in the 9th round at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Wilder took the 33-year-old Molina out with a chopping right hand to the head in the 9th.
This was one of four knockdowns that Wilder scored in the fight. Referee Jack Reiss stopped the fight at 1:03 of the 9th when it was clear that Molina was too hurt to get back to his feet.
Interestingly enough, the fight was actually competitive at times. Molina buzzed Wilder with a left hook to the head in the 3rd round, and he was in the position to finish Wilder off if he’d put some punches together after hurting him.
When Deontay Wilder steps through the ropes on Saturday to make the maiden defence of his WBC heavyweight title, those who follow boxing with a little bit more fervour than the man-in-the-street, will realize they are about to witness what should be nothing more than routine business for the big-punching Alabama born man.
Fighting in his home state, which will incidentally be hosting it’s first ever world title fight, “The Bronze Bomber” has promised his hometown fans that they will see a knockout performance from the man who has stopped all of his opponents – with the exception of Bermane Stiverne back in January.