Josh Kelly’s and his team “must be real confident to risk someone so young” against former world champion Carlos Molina.
Who says so? Only Molina himself ahead of the WBA international welterweight championship match in Cardiff on Saturday night.
The 10-round duel on Matchroom’s undercard of Anthony Joshua-Joseph Parker is a classic showdown of young sharp-shooter Kelly against ageing gunslinger Molina.
Kelly (pictured above in a public work-out in Cardiff on Wednesday) has started his career with five straight wins, the most recent four inside the distance, and has been described by coach, Adam Booth, as “the most talented fighter I’ve ever worked with”.
Molina is very much at the other end of the scale, having fought 38 times, with 28 victories and two draws, his highlight being the capture of the IBF light-middleweight title.
The 34-year-
old is tough with a capital T and is vowing Saturday’s fight at the Principality Stadium is “going to be the start of the greatest comeback in boxing history”.
It’s some statement from the Mexican known as ‘The King’.
“When they first mentioned it I was happy to hear about a fight opportunity but then they said he had five fights and I thought I wasn’t going to get the fight,” said the Mexican in an interview with badlefthook.com.
“They must be real confident to risk someone so young!”
Molina did not sound impressed with the Sunderland star.
“What does he do when he’s not doing all that slick stuff?” questioned the man from
“But he is fast and has good reflexes. I feel everything he does will not work on me. And there is pressure on him.”
Molina is correct. There is pressure on the 24-yesar-old to live up to his billing but the 2016 Olympian has not put a foot or glove wrong yet.
There is pressure too on the man from Patzcuaro, who surely can’t have many chances left.
Molina has returned to his hometown after spells in Mexico City and Chicago before going back to his roots.
“I started training hard like I used to in Chicago, got back to what always worked for me, which is training in my schedule, my way of training,” he said.
Read badlefthook.com’s full interview with Molina here
“And being a peaceful town surrounded by mountains I was able to train comfortable, and it showed in the work I was doing at the gym.
“The king is really back! And this fight is going to be the start of the greatest comeback in boxing history.”
Words: Roy Kelly. Picture: Lawrence Lustig/ Matchroom
