A more subdued (until after the fight) Adrien Broner (30-1, 22 KOs) dominated John Molina (27-6, 22 KOs) over 12 rounds to win a unanimous decision Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The judges scored the fight 120-108 (twice) and 118-110 for Broner.
Maxboxing and Doghouseboxing had Broner winning the fight by a 119-109 tally.
In the opening stanza, Broner tatooed Molina Jr. with a number of jabs and hooks. Molina was cautious. He landed one blow in the three minutes.
In rounds two and three, Broner continued to attack to the head and body. Molina connected with a hard overhand right. Broner, the quicker fighter, cuffed Molina with shots. A looping right hand connected. Molina was trying to time Broner. One right hand missed. A few seconds later, the same punch connected. Broner jabbed, but Molina snapped his head back with two shots.
Broner was more active in round four. He went to the head and body. He feinted Molina out of position. Molina was looking for a spot to unload his heavy right. He probed with his jab. A big blow at the end of the round missed.
In rounds five and six, Broner fired combinations. Molina pursued Broner, but wasn’t throwing enough punches. Broner worked his left and moved ever-so-slightly.
Molina’s huge right missed by inches.
That seemed to be his strategy-land a home run punch and change the fight.
Broner caught Molina with a stinging combination in round seven. Molina absorbed the blow and missed with a counter shot. Broner, a counter puncher, opened up in the last seconds of the heat.
A few blows bounced off Molina‘s chin.
Broner outworked Molina in rounds eight and nine. He clipped Molina with a left. A big right also landed, but Molina took the punches. Broner was feeling his oats. Molina was still looking to land his game-changing right. But Broner knew what was coming.
Broner was comfortably ahead on this writer(')s scorecard. A Broner right knocked Molina back a few steps in round 10. Molina clipped Broner with a good shot. He went to the body. Broner landed a straight right.
The last two rounds were more of the same. Broner outboxed Molina. A sweeping right connected. He kept Molina on the inside.
Molina needed a knockout. If he had any doubts, his corner made the made the point crystal clear. Molina chased Broner, but couldn’t land anything of significance. Broner used the ring and stayed away.
The crowd didn’t like it, but the fight was his.
“I jabbed and took everyshot he threw,” said Broner in the ring after the fight.“ John Molina is a great fighter. I stayed sharp. I knew he was going to go for the gusto.”
“Adrien did what he had to do to win,” said Molina. “He got the victory.”
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