LAS VEGAS – A 20-year-old junior welterweight prospect promoted by Canelo Alvarez almost eliminated another undefeated fighter on the Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin undercard Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
Fernando Molina dropped Aaron Aponte late in the fifth round and looked strong during the second half of their eight-round, 140-pound bout. However, Molina of Guadalajara settled for a split draw, as only one of the judges scored his back-and-forth fight for him.
Judge Ricardo Ocasio scored Molina the winner 76-74, but judge Chris Migliore scored the action 76-74 for Aponte. Judge Don Trella scored their competitive clash a draw, 75-75.
Aponte (6-0-1, 2 KOs), 21, of Hialeah, Florida, also sent Molina (8-0-1, 3 KOs) to the canvas late in the second round.
Aponte seemed tired in the later rounds, but Molina was unable to capitalize on the knockdown he produced at the end of the fifth round. Molina looked for the knockout in the final round, when Aponte almost always boxed on the back foot.
Molina landed a right hand 40 seconds into the eighth round and smiled at Aponte. A hard right hand to the side of Aponte’s head rocked him midway through the final round.
They then traded flush blows in multiple exchanges during the final 30 seconds of their fight.
A problem with Molina’s left glove caused a break in the action 1:15 into the seventh round. Once his trainer had duct-taped part of Molina’s glove, he resumed hitting harder and cleaner on Aponte.
An aggressive Molina nailed Aponte with a right hand just 1:20 into the sixth round.
Molina’s vicious right uppercut and then a right to the side of Aponte’s head sent him awkwardly to the canvas with 22 seconds left in the fifth round. However, Aponte got back on his feet and made it to the bell to end the fifth round.
Molina had Aponte walk away from him a minute after Molina landed several shots on the inside.
An accidental clash of heads caused Hoyle to call a short break in the action a minute into the fourth round. Aponte hit Molina with a right hand around 1:15 into the fourth round, but that punch only made Molina fight harder.
After suffering a knockdown late in the second round, Molina came out aggressive to start the third. He sometimes paid for that aggression, as Aponte landed several flush right hands and left hooks in that round.
Aponte caught Molina with an overhand right hand 55 seconds into the second round. An overhand right hand from Molina landed in an exchange with just under 1:15 left in the second round.
Less than 30 seconds late, Molina landed a left hook as Aponte surged forward.
Molina went down with 25 seconds remaining in the second round. Hoyle counted it as a fall, but Molina argued it was the result of his legs getting tangled up.
Aponte caught Molina with an inside left hook nearly 1:20 into the first round. A counter left hook from Aponte landed with just over 20 seconds left in the first round as well.
In the first fight on Saturday’s card, Anthony Herrera defeated Devin McKinley via technical decision.
McKinley was unable to continue after an accidental clash of heads brought him to his knees early in the sixth round. Referee Celestino Ruiz stopped the action 19 seconds into the final round of their six-round super flyweight bout.
Herrera (3-0-1, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles led by the same score, 50-45, on all three scorecards over five rounds. McKinley of New Orleans dropped to 4-4-1 (4 KOs).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
