By Cliff Rold (photo (c) USA Boxing)

Team USA’s undefeated run at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics ended in their second contest as the youngest member of the team, 18-year old Light-Welterweight Javier Molina of Commerce, California found himself outgunned by 25-year old 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist Boris Georgiev of Bulgaria 17-1.  It was man versus boy.  Contested one pound above the professional Jr. Welterweight limit of 140 lbs., Georgiev will move forward as a legitimate threat to medal at his second Olympics.

In the immediate post-fight interviews, Molina did everything he could to keep his head up, clearly disappointed.  Television commentators Teddy Atlas and Bob Papa both made reference to the similar quick exit of 2008 Flyweight favorite Rau’shee Warren at the 2004 Athens Games and Molina’s expression was a reminder of the hurt Warren expressed four years ago.

While that hurt won’t be easily erased, Molina will one day be able to look back at his loss to Georgiev as a valuable learning experience where, while suffering an inarguably clear and decisive loss, Molina performed better than the scoring indicated.  

In the first round, he fell behind by a score of 6-0 but, if the ridiculous Olympic failure to score landed body punches could be erased, he could easily have had to clean points.  It also appeared that he had landed a clean left jab and, later, a clean right hand.  Of course, it also appeared that Georgiev had at least two clean blows not scored in his favor.  More liberal scoring probably wouldn’t have changed the outcome, but it almost certainly would have improved the aesthetic value of the contest.

That value was severely lacking as the bout wore on but blame is difficult to assign.  Georgiev, who was circling the ring so much and so fast he forgot to punch, was warned in round three for refusing to engage and fight but under Olympic open scoring rules he had no reason to risk his lead.  When he did re-engage, he expanded his lead as Molina followed and walked into multiple counters.

Obviously Molina’s negatives outweighed the positives in the contest.  Lacking experience at the international level and showing signs of his youth, Molina began the fight on the wrong foot and made the wrong adjustments in terms of erasing a scoring deficit.  Attempts early at lead rights to the head and body left Molina hanging over his front foot and out of position as the Bulgarian fired slashing counters from a more upright posture.  Georgiev was looking to move and counter from the outset and Molina didn’t fight to offset the strategy.  Molina’s teammate Shawn Estrada opened up his first round bout playing often off of the back foot, forcing an opponent with the same outlook as Georgiev to come forward against his wishes.

Conversely, Molina pursued from bell to bell.  As the scoring hole got deeper, his offense became less disciplined, forced, and desperate.  He gave the appearance of a fighter in over his head and without answers…probably because he was.  Seven years on the calendar and likely hundreds of rounds fought separated the two men in the ring.

There were positives as well.  Molina fires his jab straight down the pipe, keeps his hands in good defensive position and, several times, got off short left hook counters which just missed landing in flush scoring fashion.  Also to his credit, while Molina never gave up, showing the sort of guts and character it took for a young man his age to make it all the way to the Beijing stage.

It wasn’t a great or victorious performance but there were enough signs to indicate greater days ahead in the future of Molina.

Round One Grade: C

Molina’s quest for Gold in the 2008 Games is at an end.  Where his future lies will be debated off stage.  Like Warren, he would be in great position to make a more serious run at the Gold four years from now, allowing his body and game to mature along the way. 

There will also be the lure of the dollar.  Californian…Latino…Olympian…these are sellable commodities no matter the round of Olympic exit.  Molina has some tough choices in the days and months to come. 

More on Team USA and “The Quest for Gold”

Round One
Day One Results 
https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15327 
Middleweight Report Card – Shawn Estrada https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15332
 
Day Two Results
https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15336;
https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=15337
Welterweight Report Card – Demetrius Andrade - Coming Soon

Coming Tomorrow
Raynell Williams (Featherweight); Sadam Ali (Lightweight)

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Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com