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The undercard for the rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana leaves a lot to be desired - perhaps the main event does, as well.
One bright spot on the card, however, comes in the Showtime "Free-view" portion of the evening. A crossroads bout between former two-division titlist Humberto Soto and perennial gatekeeper John Molina Jr. kicks off the televised coverage live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (Saturday, SHOWTIME, 7:00PM ET).
Proof that winning isn't everything can be found in the wave of momentum Molina (27-4, 22KOs) rides into Saturday's bout. The rangy Californian suffered a brutal knockout loss at the hands of Lucas Matthysse in April, a fight in which Molina scored two knockdowns and went tooth and nail with one of the most feared punchers in the sport before succumbing late in the fight.
The fight was the opposite of how most of the rest of his career has gone, in terms of relevant fights. Molina's biggest wins have come in fights where he was hopelessly trailing, such as his dramatic 11th round knockout of Hank Lundy in their July '10 ESPN2-televised lightweight bout, and more recently his knockout of Mickey Bey in the 10th and final round of their Showtime-televised bout last July.
Soto (64-8-2, 35KOs) enters riding a six-fight win streak, yet is generally viewed these days as a past-prime fighter who represents name recognition for the younger guns.
It's an odd perception, considering he only has one loss in his past 21 starts. The streak would be even longer, if not for a fluke disqualification loss to Francisco Lorenzo in June '08, a fight he was winning handily and emphatically avenged six months later.
The 34-year old enjoyed his first true breakout moment with a surprise win over then-unbeaten Rocky Juarez in 2005. Since then, the crafty Mexican has hovered near the top of three weight classes (126, 130 and 135 lb.) but never quite established himself as the best.
A chance to make some noise in the 140 lb. division came to a crashing halt in a June '12 technical knockout loss to Matthysse, a fight in which he was surprisingly competitive before the Argentine suddenly overwhelmed him to force the stoppage.
There is little at stake in the scheduled 10-round affair on Saturday, a status that would cause most fighters to avoid such a dangerous crossroads bout. It's a testament to the heart of both fighters that they're willing to accept the assignment for little more than bragging rights, and perhaps whatever noteriety comes with appearing roughly three hours before Mayweather is due to step foot in the ring.
Can Molina overcome the damage absorbed in his loss to Matthysse, and allow his fighting heart to once again prevail? Can Soto turn away the younger challenger, and continue his quest for at least one more title run?
Read on to see how the staff at BoxingScene.com believes the action will play out in Las Vegas. [Click Here To Read More]
One bright spot on the card, however, comes in the Showtime "Free-view" portion of the evening. A crossroads bout between former two-division titlist Humberto Soto and perennial gatekeeper John Molina Jr. kicks off the televised coverage live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (Saturday, SHOWTIME, 7:00PM ET).
Proof that winning isn't everything can be found in the wave of momentum Molina (27-4, 22KOs) rides into Saturday's bout. The rangy Californian suffered a brutal knockout loss at the hands of Lucas Matthysse in April, a fight in which Molina scored two knockdowns and went tooth and nail with one of the most feared punchers in the sport before succumbing late in the fight.
The fight was the opposite of how most of the rest of his career has gone, in terms of relevant fights. Molina's biggest wins have come in fights where he was hopelessly trailing, such as his dramatic 11th round knockout of Hank Lundy in their July '10 ESPN2-televised lightweight bout, and more recently his knockout of Mickey Bey in the 10th and final round of their Showtime-televised bout last July.
Soto (64-8-2, 35KOs) enters riding a six-fight win streak, yet is generally viewed these days as a past-prime fighter who represents name recognition for the younger guns.
It's an odd perception, considering he only has one loss in his past 21 starts. The streak would be even longer, if not for a fluke disqualification loss to Francisco Lorenzo in June '08, a fight he was winning handily and emphatically avenged six months later.
The 34-year old enjoyed his first true breakout moment with a surprise win over then-unbeaten Rocky Juarez in 2005. Since then, the crafty Mexican has hovered near the top of three weight classes (126, 130 and 135 lb.) but never quite established himself as the best.
A chance to make some noise in the 140 lb. division came to a crashing halt in a June '12 technical knockout loss to Matthysse, a fight in which he was surprisingly competitive before the Argentine suddenly overwhelmed him to force the stoppage.
There is little at stake in the scheduled 10-round affair on Saturday, a status that would cause most fighters to avoid such a dangerous crossroads bout. It's a testament to the heart of both fighters that they're willing to accept the assignment for little more than bragging rights, and perhaps whatever noteriety comes with appearing roughly three hours before Mayweather is due to step foot in the ring.
Can Molina overcome the damage absorbed in his loss to Matthysse, and allow his fighting heart to once again prevail? Can Soto turn away the younger challenger, and continue his quest for at least one more title run?
Read on to see how the staff at BoxingScene.com believes the action will play out in Las Vegas. [Click Here To Read More]
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