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Jose Pedraza vs. Javier Molina & Efe Ajagba vs. Jonnie Rice on ESPN + Saturday
CLICK HERE to access Zoom Presser
(Courtesy: Top Rank)
LAS VEGAS (September 17, 2020) — Junior welterweight contenders Jose Pedraza and Javier Molina have shared history. Both were 2008 Olympians in Beijing, with Molina representing the United States and Pedraza fighting for Puerto Rico. As professionals, Pedraza has won world titles at junior lightweight and lightweight, while Molina has taken a more circuitous route to a main event.
Pedraza and Molina will square off in the 10-round headliner Saturday evening from the MGM Grand “Bubble” (ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET), with the winner positioned for a potential world title opportunity.
Pedraza is a little more than two months removed from a lopsided decision win over Mikkel LesPierre, while Molina has won four fights since signing with Top Rank in early 2019. Molina, following a pair of defeats, took more than two years off from the ring and worked the overnight shift at a Southern California warehouse to pay the bills. Following an upset win over Amir Imam on the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury II undercard, he now faces the most accomplished fighter of his 11-year pro career.
Two days before their “Bubble” main event, Pedraza and Molina met the media for a Zoom press conference. This is what they had to say.
Javier Molina
“I’m cool with being the underdog. There is a reason I’m seen that way, and it’s because I haven’t shown my full potential. Fans haven’t seen all I can do in the ring. Like I said, I’m alright with being the underdog. I’m going to surprise a lot of people on Saturday.
“There were some tough times where I thought about not fighting anymore, but I have so much to give in the sport. That’s why I decided to turn my career around. I have dedicated myself to the sport, and that’s why I’m this position right now.
“By beating Pedraza, I put myself in a good position to challenge for a world title. I know that a victory against a great name like Pedraza will bring me closer to that opportunity to become a champion.
“We have answers for anything he brings. I can adapt to whatever he does the ring. If he wants to brawl, we’re going to brawl, and if I have to box and move around, that’s what I will do to win the fight.
“Pedraza looked good against LesPierre, but I’m not LesPierre. He is flatfooted and I’m not. We have been studying all his recent fights and my game plan is similar to what Lomachenko and Zepeda did against him. If they think I’m going to be outgunned this Saturday, they are in for a big surprise.”
Jose Pedraza
“I have my sights set on a world championship at 140. My goal is to join the select club of three-division world champions from Puerto Rico. That’s why this fight against Molina is so important. I know that a big win on Saturday will put me a step closer to that opportunity of challenging for a world title in the junior welterweight division. It’s a must-win for me.
“I know that I’m very close to a world title opportunity, but my total focus is on the fight I have in front of me. I know Molina is a good fighter. I have never overlooked him. I have prepared with that in mind and that’s why I have trained very hard for this fight. I’m ready to send a message to the two champions and all the contenders in the division.
“He says he’s “El Intocable'”(The Untouchable), but I’m the ‘Sniper’ and I come with great precision to erase the nickname “El Intocable” that Javier Molina has. This will be another chapter in the historic rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico. It will be a great fight.
“From my end, I have never overlooked him. He is a great fighter. With that in mind, I have prepared myself for a tough opponent. I know he believes he’s the underdog, but I know he’s a great fighter.”
Use the hashtag #PedrazaMolina to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside. |
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Efe Ajagba-Jonnie Rice heavyweight battle to headline Saturday evening show LIVE on ESPN+ (7:30 p.m. ET)
LAS VEGAS (September 14, 2020) — Heavyweight knockout artist Efe Ajagba will make his Top Rank on ESPN debut Saturday, Sept. 19 against veteran Jonnie Rice in a 10-rounder as the co-feature to the Jose Pedraza-Javier Molina junior welterweight main event from the MGM Grand Las Vegas.
On the undercard, a pair of newly signed 17-year-old Top Rank prospects who are co-promoted by Antonio Leonard Promotions, welterweights Jahi Tucker and Kasir “Mazzi” Goldston, will see action in separate four-round contests. Goldston, from Deer Park, N.Y., will fight Isaiah Varnell (3-2, 2 KOs), while Tucker will face Deandre Anderson (1-1).
The undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the co-feature scheduled to begin at approximately 10 p.m. ET.
“I am delighted that Efe Ajagba will make his Top Rank debut as he continues his march to the top of the heavyweight division,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Kasir Goldston and Jahi Tucker are two major talents, and we are excited to see their professional journeys begin here in Las Vegas.”
Ajagba (13-0, 11 KOs) resumes his heavyweight world title quest with a new promoter, manager (James Prince) and head trainer (Kay Koroma). Now living in Houston, Ajagba last fought in March, knocking out former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu in nine rounds. At 6’6 and 240-plus pounds, the 26-year-old former Nigerian Olympian is one of the division’s youngest contenders. Rice (13-5-1, 9 KOs) measures 6’5 and often tips the scales at more than 260 pounds. He is known for his durability, as his only two knockout defeats have come against previously unbeaten foes in the seventh and 10th rounds, respectively.
“To all my fans, the wait is finally over. I am ready to get back in the ring and do what I do best,” Ajagba said. “I haven’t fought since March 7, and I’ve been looking for someone to devour. On September 19, I finally get to do it. Tune in to ESPN+. You don’t want to miss it.”
Goldston, from Albany, N.Y., won three consecutive National Junior Olympic titles from 2015-2017 and back-to-back Junior Open Championships in 2017 and 2018. Last year, at the prestigious Bornemissza Tournament in Eger, Hungary, he took home a silver medal after a split decision loss to a Hungarian boxer.
Tucker, from Deer Park, N.Y., was ranked first in the nation at 138 pounds after winning the 2018 USA National Boxing Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah. A high school sophomore at the time, Tucker aimed to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics. He picked up his first international gold medal last June at the Bornemissza Tournament and elected to turn pro rather than wait for the Olympics.
In other undercard contests:
- Two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez (4-1, 3 KOs), who avenged his lone pro defeat via shutout decision over Adan Gonzales on July 2, will fight Felix Caraballo (13-2-2, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder at featherweight. Caraballo last fought June 9, losing via sixth-round knockout to former featherweight world champion Shakur Stevenson, the man Ramirez edged in the 2016 Olympic gold medal match.
- Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Leo Ruiz (7-0, 5 KOs), winner of four straight by knockout in three rounds or less, will fight an opponent to be named in a six-rounder.
- Bryan Lua (5-0, 2 KOs), from California’s Central Valley, will fight for the first time in more than two years against an opponent to be named in a six-rounder at lightweight.
- Puerto Rican junior lightweight prospect Frevian Gonzalez (3-0, 1 KO), who won a decision inside the “Bubble” on June 18, returns to fight Carlos Marrero (2-3-1) in a four-rounder.
Use the hashtag #PedrazaMolina to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.
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