Molina: Look at My Wilder Fight, I'll Raise Hell Against Joshua!

By Edward Chaykovsky

Eric Molina (25-4, 19KOs) is crossing his fingers and hoping to get selected as the next opponent for IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17KOs), who is scheduled to defend his world title on December 10th in Manchester

Molina, as confirmed to BoxingScene.com by Showtime's Stephen Espinoza, is a frontrunner to face Joshua on the date.

Molina has been out of the ring since his sensational knockout of former two division champion Tomasz Adamek in April. And last July, he had WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on wobbly legs in the third round - before Wilder recovered and stopped him in the ninth.

Molian has been officially approached by Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport. At the moment nothing has been signed. Olympic bronze medal winner David Price is also being considered for Joshua.

The planned opponent was former unified champion Wladimir Klitschko, who on Monday revealed that he suffered a minor calf injury. Joshua vs. Klitschko is now being planned for March of next year.

Molina has promised to test Joshua, and his chin, in the same manner that he tested Wilder last year.

Molina told Sky Sports: "I'm crazy enough to take this fight no matter what, but this is even pushing my envelope already. Something has got to give pretty soon. Eddie did contact us through email and he did throw a proposal out, but it was just something to get a feel of where he's at. I think if the fight is going to be made, we should have something by the end of the day. I haven't heard anything from Eddie Hearn what he's planning now or what, but every time I hear something there is a new name added to the list."

"You guys think that I can't go there and raise some hell? You guys are very mistaken. You look at the fight [with Wilder]. Knocked down four times, got up all four times. Fought five rounds with one ankle. Tried to win the fight until the absolute end. That's the type of fight that I'm going to bring. If it's me, they can expect that fighter and that type of fight. The whole world saw Wilder in spots that he's never been in before when he fought me.

"All those fighters I have shared the ring with, either in sparring or in a fight, have been in that spot before."