(Getty)
Adrien Broner outpointed John Molina Jr. in a co-feature fight on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Broner picked apart a game but ineffective Molina to earn himself almost-shutout scores of 120-108, 120-108, and 118-110.
Molina came in eager to impose his brawling style on the Cincinnati native. But his lack of activity and ability to get off against the faster and more precise Broner left him eating leather throughout the bout and offering no answers in return.
Broner completely dominated Molina with his accurate jab and speed. He timed Molina from the opening bell and kept the pressure on until the final round. Despite not getting a knockout and having to endure boo’s from the bloodthirsty audience, Broner was satisfied with his tactical gameplan.
“The environment I’m in today, a lot of them were not on my side, but at the end of the day the last time I fought for the crowd I took my first loss,” Broner said. “So, no disrespect to everyone that came to see me fight today, I had to do what I had to do to get my victory today.”
With the win, Broner’s record improves to 30-1, with 22 KOs. The 25-year-old was coming off back to back victories over Emmanuel Taylor and Carlos Molina after suffering his only defeat to Argentine Marcos Maidana in December 2014. Broner has registered wins over top-level opponents Paulie Malignaggi, Daniel Ponce de Leon, and Antonio Demarco.
32-year-old John Molina Jr. (27-6, 22 KOs) was previously in action in September 2014, losing to Humberto Soto by unanimous decision. Before facing Soto, Molina had been stopped by Lucas Matthysse in the 11th-round of their vicious 2014 ‘Fight of the Year’ at the StubHub Center in California.
Coming off this victory, Broner will likely continue campaigning in the junior welterweight division before making another attempt at 147 pounds, where he met his demise at the hands of Maidana.
The loss for Molina will mean a tumble down the rankings and a chance to reassess. This is his third defeat in row and John Molina Jr. will likely be relegated to a gate keeper role until he can get his game back together and make another run as a contender.
Off to the next fight: Keith Thurman faces former two-division titleholder Robert Guerrero. Click here for that fight’s round-by-round updates at the conclusion of this bout.
Adrien Broner vs John Molina Jr. (Scores are not official)
(Refresh this page for updates throughout the fight)
Round 1: We’re off! Broner in a leopard-skin skirt, Molina wears bronze trunks. The fighters meet in the middle of the ring and begin measuring each other. Broner measuring his jab. Molina slowly working the perimeter a minute in. Both cautious. Molina swings wide right. Jab from Broner lands. Broner jab looking food. Molina inactive. One minute left Broner feinting, looking for information. Molina warned about head lock. Feeling out round. 10-9 Broner
Round 2: Meet in the middle, Broner jab to the body. Another tactical start, Molina back to circling slowing. 1-2 from Broner. Jab Broner. Nothing from Molina a minute in. Broner sharp shooting his jab. Ref warns Molina about coming in with his head low. Broner keeps landing jabs. Feints to head, goes to body. Broner gets inside and lands right hand. Broner timing Molina. 20-18 Broner
Round 3: Broner closing the distance right off the bat. Left hook Broner. Right hand Molina. Broner jabs followed by right hand. Broner jab keeps working it. Molina misses with big right. Halfway point. Big right from Molina. And another. Broner jabs to the body. 1-2 from Broner, partially blocked. Big right hand and combo from Molina. Molina jab. Jab-hook Broner. Molina misses big. 29-28 Broner
Round 4: Broner comes out more active. Working the hook. Left from Molina. Jab from Broner. Minute in. Both vying of openings. Broner jabbing well again. Molina showing confidence, but back to inactivity. Minute in good jab from Molina. Molina in a head lock. 10 secs left. 39-37 Broner
Round 5: Jab hook, Broner. Broner jabbing, Molina watching. Molina overwhelmed a minute in. Back to vying, watching, Broner jabbing. Molina misses another round house. Big hook from Molina, wakes Broner up. Minute left in the round. Molina misses big right. Looking to land the big one. Tied up, clinching with 20 secs left. Back at. Left hook from Broner. 49-46 Broner
Round 6: Three in a row land for Broner. Right to the body from Broner. Broner 1-2. Jab, right to the body from Broner. Broner jabs. Left right from Broner answered by right from Molina. Broner moving backwards. Minute left, Broner taking a breather. They clinch and break. Two 1-2s from Broner. Molina inactive. Jab to the body from Broner. 59-55 Broner
Round 7: Half way through the fight: Broner in control with a sick jab. Broner moving more. Jab from Broner. Pace picking up, Molina misses with left and right. Molina chasing Broner, Broner on the balls of his feet. Tied up on the ropes. Back to the middle of the ring. Another missed right from Molina. Jab to the body, Broner. Broner moving, Molina getting nothing done. Big right from Broner. Show boating. 69-64 Broner
Round 8: Milling left hand from Broner, landing jabs at will. Boys clinch in the middle, and break. Broner seems to have Molina figured out. Stiff jab from Broner. Right hand from Molina. Molina jab. Broner back on the balls of his feet, working Molina with his jab and showing his footwork. Right from Broner. 79-73
Round 9: They clinch and release. Molina getting frustrated. They clinch and whisper encouragements into each other’s ear. Broner jab. Ref warns both about antics. Left hook from Molina. 3 punch combo from Molina. Good round for Molina, but not enough. 89-82
Round 10: Broner looks so confident. Jab. 1-2 from Broner. Broner picking Molina apart as they taunt each other. Nice combo from Broner ends with a big right. Broner’s speed and accuracy too much, Molina running out of time. Big right from Molina finally lands. Hook from Broner. Then right to body. Molina tries to counter jab, but misses. Right hook, left from Broner. Nice flurry from both to end the round. 99-91
Round 11: The championship rounds. Broner humps Molina (?). Jab to, then to the body from Broner. Double jabs from Broner. They tie up with a minute left. Back to the center of the ring. Right to the body Molina. Right from Molina. Hook from Molina. Broner ties up. Jab to head then body from Broner. Jab jab right, Broner. Broner putting combinations together. Showing good variety. Molina misses with right. Left hook, Broner. 109-100 Broner
Round 12: Last round! Do or die for Molina. Misses with right. They clinch and break. 3-punch combo from Broner. Molina still unable to get off. Lands a soft left hook. Stalking Broner. Jab to the body from Broner. Uppercut from Broner. His jab still working. Minute left in the fight. Hook from Broner. Broner on his toes. Molina stalking, Broner running out the clock. 119-109 Broner.
