John Molina vs. Humberto Soto
As every hardcore boxing head and casual fan know by this point Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana will be fighting a rematch on Showtime PPV this Saturday. What some of the casual fans might not know is that along with the usual three undercard fights there will be a special fourth fight which will air on the Countdown Live show which will precede the actual PPV card. That special fight will be an action packed one between slugger John Molina and rugged Mexican Humberto Soto.
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| Molina went to war with Matthysse |
For a long time now Molina has been an exciting fighter who is like a home run hitter in baseball who either hits the ball 500 feet or strikes out. That is because it seems that Molina either wins his fight by knockout or gets knocked out himself. Molina is an orthodox puncher with a deadly left hook. Along with that left hook Molina also throws heavy leather with his overhand right but he doesn't have much of a jab. Also his defense is sorely lacking and he usually takes a tremendous amount of punishment. Still as he showed in his fight with Mickey Bey even if he loses every second of every round he can change it all in the final round with a single punch, which is what makes Molina so fun to watch.
Molina was 18-0 before he first loss as a professional and after that loss he went 6-0 before losing again. However that next loss which came against Antonio DeMarco was a bad one that saw him get stopped less then a minute into the first round. That was six fights ago and in that time Molina has been hit or miss going 3-3 while scoring three knockouts and getting knocked out twice himself. In his most recent fight he went to war with one of the heaviest punchers in the sport in Lucas Matthysse and even dropped the Argentine fighter twice before ultimately being stopped in the 11th round. Today Molina's record stands at 27-4 with a very impressive 22 knockouts but due to his kill or be killed style it seems as if every fight from here on out is a must win.
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| Soto has been in action fights since 1997 |
At 34 years old and having been fighting professionally since 1997 it is safe to say that Soto is well past his prime. That doesn't mean he still doesn't have the talent to beat quality fighters though. Soto fights with a typical aggressive Mexican style out of the orthodox stance and he can still take a punch. Soto likes to walk opponents down but does so without much of a jab. Instead he relies on his left hook to get inside where he likes to throw dangerous uppercuts with his left hand. One thing Soto doesn't do very well is go to the body and he often spends entire fights headhunting. However he should look to put in some body work early on the younger Molina to take some air out of his tires.
When it comes to experience Soto has plenty of it turning pro in 1997. He has always faced quality opponents and usually gives fans a good show. As a pro Soto has an impressive record for someone who has been fighting for so long that stands at 64-8-2 with 35 knockouts and only two of his eight losses have been by knockout. Clearly Soto will have the edge in experience but at 34 years old and having fought at a high level for seventeen years a fight against a slugger like Molina could be a dangerous one.
Of all the fights that will be a part of the Showtime PPV telecast this is the one that could steal the show. Both fighters don't like taking a backwards step and both know how to land heavy leather. While Soto hasn't lost since 2012 and Molina has three losses during that time Molina was facing a higher level of competition. This fight will be a step up for Soto when compared to his most recent opponents and if it turns out to be a war it will favor the younger Molina.
PREDICTION: Humberto Soto has had a long and successful career but Saturday night will not be a success for him. Soto and John Molina should provide fans with a good action fight but it will be Molina who lands the heavier leather on his way to a 9th round stoppage.
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