(PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD) – Light welterweight Javier Molina (Commerce, Calif.) boxed his way to a first round victory over Brazil’s Myke Carvalho on Thursday night at the Americas Olympic Qualifier in Port of Spain, Trinidad..
The bout was a cat-and-mouse affair throughout with both boxers looking for holes in their opponent’s defense. Neither scored a point in the first round of the low-scoring contest, but it was Molina who got on the board first. He scored the lone point in the second round of action, and held a 1-0 lead as the bout moved into the final two rounds. Molina continued his slick boxing in the third, finding the mark and moving of harm’s way. “Every time I rolled under, he was off balance, and he didn’t come back with anything,” Molina said. “He kept doing the same thing so it made the defense easier because he kept doing the same thing over and over.”
The 18-year-old continued his shutout through the first six minutes of boxing, and enjoyed a 3-0 lead as the final round began. Carvalho came flying out in the fourth round, throwing several flurries but Molina managed to out maneuver the oncoming Brazilian. “We knew he was going to do that (come flying out in the fourth round), but he just kept getting more wild,” Molina said. “That just made it easier for me to keep turning and making him miss.”
Molina held Carvalho to only one point in the eight minutes of boxing, winning a 4-1 final decision.
“I wanted it to be a low scoring match because he hasn’t boxed since November. We’ve watched this guy, we saw him in the Pan Am Games,” USA Boxing National Director of Coaching Dan Campbell said. “We know what he likes to do; we know that he’s very aggressive. If the score is low, then Javier has a better chance of winning because he’s such a good boxer and a very defensive boxer. I thought it played out very well.”
He will face Matthew Robinson of Barbados in quarterfinal competition on Saturday, March 15.
Light heavyweight Christopher Downs (Fort Carson, Colo.) is the only U.S. boxer competing in Friday’s quarterfinal competition, taking on Cuba’s Julio de la Cruz Peraza.
U.S. Result
141 lbs/64 kg: Javier Molina, Commerce, Calif./USA dec. Mike Carvahlo, BRA, 4-1
Javier Molina quotes
“It felt good. The guy was a little wild, he kept throwing a looping right hand so I was ready for it every time. I either blocked it or just kept rolling under it. I think I could have done a little more but its all right.”
“I’m ready, it feels good to get the first one out of the way. I have to step it up on Saturday and get him out of there.”
“I felt a little ring rust but I was able to overcome it and get the victory. “