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00:00The following is a presentation of HBO Sports.
00:30The Warrior, we love him because he's heroic.
00:37Not just because he brings the fight, but because of what he does when the fight is brought
00:41to him.
00:42Morales landing, five or six, big right hand, what a fight!
00:47It's the choice he makes to risk it all, his career, his life, and he must make that choice
00:54over and over and over again.
00:57Always, he's chosen the heroic path of most resistance, but that does not mean he always
01:04will.
01:05The next moment of truth inevitably comes, always one punch away.
01:08What was true yesterday may not be today.
01:15Having tasted success, has he taken his preparation for granted?
01:22Has his belief in himself finally been beaten out of him?
01:27Can his spirit will his flesh to victory, or is it his spirit finally too weak?
01:35The warrior might lose to a better man, but to lose the battle with himself is to become
01:42the fallen hero.
01:44Can he rise?
01:45Can he rise?
01:46Can he rise?
01:47Can he rise and keep rising?
01:51Can he rise his glory apart?
01:52Is it him?
01:53What does he give you a keiner?
01:54Can he rise, ajed, cards of gold and fail, past him, trip.
01:55Let's listen to him.
01:56Let's listen.
02:57Two-and-a-half-year hiatus from the sport.
02:59Tonight, Morales faces Philadelphia native Danny Garcia.
03:03Undefeated in 22 fights, 24-year-old Garcia looks to make a name for himself
03:08in the talent-rich 140-pound weight class with a win over Morales tonight.
03:13Hello again, everybody.
03:15I'm Jim Lampley.
03:16You have already seen and heard from Max Kellerman.
03:19Very shortly, we'll be joined at ringside by our expert commentator, Emanuel Stewart.
03:23Tonight, in the main event later on, Eric Morales looks for another moment of glory
03:28in what amounts to his second career.
03:30Glory, I should call that.
03:32While, of course, Carlos Molina, a tough guy, a hard guy, is in the ring now to face James Kirkland,
03:38Danny Garcia will be fighting in the main event against Morales.
03:41And now let me turn my attention to Molina.
03:43He's one of those tough guys with a record that seems to be a little bit misleading.
03:48Four losses on the record.
03:50He says, I'm really a one-loss fighter.
03:52A lot of people in the sport seem to tend to agree with him.
03:54He has an opportunity tonight against one of the most enigmatic fighters in boxing,
03:59James Kirkland, who rebounded from a stunning loss last year in his last fight in November,
04:05took on rough, tough Alfredo Angulo down in Cancun, fighting against a Mexican in Cancun.
04:11Kirkland wound up in one of the most hellacious first rounds in recent memory.
04:19I come in throwing punches.
04:21I see that he's vulnerable.
04:23Yes, I see certain shots are landing.
04:26Then, boom, I get caught with a right hand.
04:29I fall backwards.
04:31I go down, and all I'm telling myself is I'm not hurt.
04:36You know, I still have that drive, that motivation.
04:39I look in his eyes, and when he got up,
04:41it's a little shake he has, and just the little mannerisms that he has
04:45that I knew he wasn't really hurt.
04:48All I tell myself was, man, you know what I came to do.
04:52Once I got to touch him, I said I would never allow his brain to get back focused.
04:58Angulo was on a rope, so you couldn't see the right hand, so he threw it, he threw it perfect.
05:01But the best thing in the world, man, you know, is heart, heart dedication, and a true warrior,
05:09and that's what I am, and I, you know, it shows.
05:11Nearly gone in round one in Cancun.
05:19Kirkland wound up with the TKO victory over Angulo.
05:22Now his career is on the rise again.
05:25Let's go to ring announcer Michael Buffer for the official introductions.
05:29Ladies and gentlemen, good evening, and welcome to Reliant Arena, Houston, Texas, USA,
05:37where tonight, Golden Boy Promotions proudly presents an evening of world-class professional
05:44boxing for your entertainment, live on HBO.
05:47Sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
05:54DeWalt Power Tools, guaranteed tough.
05:57AT&T, get it faster.
05:59With AT&T, rethink possible.
06:02These bouts are sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
06:06This first bout presented in association with Warriors Boxing and Promotions.
06:10At ringside, the three judges scoring on the 10-point system are Dave Moretti,
06:16David Sutherland, and Gail Van Oy.
06:19And inside the ring, in charge of the action at the bell, your referee, John Shoreley.
06:25And now, this is 12 rounds of boxing for the WBC Intercontinental's
06:31America's Super Welderweight Championship.
06:35Fighting out of the blue corner, wearing white, officially weighing in at 153,
06:44three-quarter pounds.
06:46His professional record, 19 victories, including six knockouts, four defeats,
06:50and two draws from Michoacan, Mexico.
06:54Here is King Carlos Molina.
07:01And fighting out of the red corner, wearing black with red, official weight,
07:09also 153, three-quarter pounds.
07:12His professional record, 30 victories, including 27 knockouts, only one defeat.
07:19He's the defending WBC, Continental America's Super Welderweight Champion,
07:25the fighting pride of Austin, Texas, James Mandingo Warrior Kirkland.
07:34Molina.
07:45Molina.
07:56Molina.
07:58Come here, son.
07:59Molina.
08:00Kirkland.
08:01Come on.
08:02Come on.
08:04Okay, fellas, for the WBC title, give me a good, clean fight.
08:10Obey my commands to protect yourselves at all times.
08:12Touch gloves.
08:13Good luck.
08:14Carlos Molina has been brought in as the opponent throughout his career
08:18and has upset the apple cart time and again.
08:23James Kirkland has been upset, but is back knocking on the door to stardom.
08:28These are two highly motivated, world-class junior middleweight contenders.
08:34Let's go, let's go.
08:40Let's drop this.
08:43Ready?
08:45Ready?
08:45Seems like there's always something unusual going on in Kirkland's career.
08:50Before the fight in the dressing room, at first the Texas State Commission told him if he could not deliver a urine sample,
08:56he couldn't wrap his hands.
08:58Then they let him wrap his hands.
08:59Then they said if he couldn't deliver a urine sample, he wouldn't be allowed into the ring to fight.
09:03He still has not delivered the urine sample.
09:05The new pressure is his purse will be withheld at the end of the fight if he isn't able to deliver a credible urine sample following this action.
09:13Meanwhile, he's got more on his mind than that as he goes in against Molina.
09:18Well, you know, Kirkland is the type of a guy that puts a lot of pressure on his guys.
09:23And, you know, he's on the borderline of using the word warrior slash animal to some degree.
09:27But mentally, he puts, he's so strong and then physically.
09:31But skill-wise, I still like Molina.
09:34And I know Molina very well because he's worked with Andy Lee when Andy was preparing for his fight with Brian Vero.
09:41And three years ago, he was a sparring partner for Kermit Citron, who he came back and beat just recently.
09:46But Molina's a very balanced out fighter in a lot of ways.
09:49Kirkland's one-of-a-kind trainer, Ann Wolfe, seemed at great pains to help her fighter understand that he's in against a tough challenge,
09:59that Molina is a skilled counterpuncher, not just a journeyman,
10:03and that Kirkland cannot go right after him the way he has against some opponents in the first round.
10:08Well, you know, I was very impressed with listening to her speak.
10:10She is a lot more respectful, Molina, than I expected.
10:13And she is preparing her fighter for a 12-round fight, possibly.
10:17Here's the question.
10:19Do they have too much respect for Molina, and will that take away some of Kirkland's aggression?
10:25Molina's having a good round so far, and Emmanuel looks partly because Kirkland is not fighting as aggressively as he normally fights.
10:33And is boxing with Molina at this point.
10:38Molina's doing very well right now, but I'm just concerned about he himself, who normally is a slow starter.
10:43He's starting out a lot faster than he normally starts off.
10:45And I don't know if he'll be able to maintain this as the fight goes on, this pace that he's at.
10:51We probably have some viewers who did not see the battle between Kirkland and Angulo in Cancun in November,
10:59and maybe the last time they saw Kirkland was when he was coming a cropper
11:03in a stunning first-round knockout loss to Nobuhiro Shida on the undercard of a fight in Vegas last summer.
11:09That was at a moment when he was not being trained by Ann Wolfe.
11:13Molina has started to tee off on Kirkland.
11:19Yeah, Molina must be wondering, where's the wild, hyper-aggressive James Kirkland I used to watch on TV?
11:24Molina is getting to Kirkland's body here in round number one.
11:32And pushing him backwards at times.
11:40Kirkland with one of the most powerful bodies in the 154-pound weight class.
11:45Molina is the kind of strong that doesn't necessarily show up in your sights.
11:50You're fighting them beautiful, beautiful.
11:59Just don't lunge in on them.
12:00Just don't lunge in on them.
12:01Watch out for that uppercut.
12:03Understand?
12:06Give me the Vaseline.
12:08Yeah, you're fighting them good.
12:10You're fighting them damn good.
12:11You're giving them the angles, everything there.
12:13Watch for that.
12:13See where he's at?
12:16Getting his ass.
12:18You hear me?
12:20Relax.
12:25Use your jab.
12:26Even if you've got to work with him, you've got to throw punches with him.
12:30You've got to throw more than one.
12:31I'm going to have to tighten it up.
12:32Stand up.
12:33Relax.
12:33Stay relaxed, though.
12:35You hear me?
12:36Stay relaxed.
12:37All right.
12:37Check this out.
12:38Copybox numbers found a big round for Molina in round one.
12:41He was 21 of 67.
12:42That's high accuracy.
12:43He had 18 power connects.
12:45That's a lot.
12:46And Kirkland only landed six out of 33 punches.
12:48You heard Ann Wolfe say throw-in combination.
12:52And incidentally, our graphic identified for you that Molina's trainer is Victor Mateo.
12:56But the guy who was talking to him in the corner is the guy who was his trainer earlier in his career
13:01and now works with Mateo, Lou Askinet.
13:04So I guess both of those guys play a big role, Emmanuel, in the corner.
13:09And if Askinet's going to talk to him all night long, that's the kind of consistency a fighter wants.
13:13Yes.
13:14You know, it's very important to have one voice that you're listening to.
13:17Great.
13:18Maybe at the end of the respiration, you may have someone make a little input.
13:23But to have two people speaking at the same time is the worst thing that could happen for a fighter between rounds.
13:27Certainly, there's only one voice in James Kirkland's corner.
13:31The relationship between Kirkland and Wolfe is as bonded when they are getting along as any in the sport.
13:38Stop.
13:38Stop.
13:38Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh.
13:39When he was training with Kenny Adams in Las Vegas,
13:42it was partially because he had thought that he wanted to get away from Man Wolf.
13:45You know, Kirkland unable to give a urine sample before the fight looks dry compared to Molina,
13:52who has a good sweat worked up and came out fast in the first round
13:55and won the first round decisively.
13:58Well, you know, I'm hearing different sides of the story about the Las Vegas players.
14:03Kirkland lands his first effective punch. Keep going, Emmanuel.
14:05I think a lot of it, I was told, was not so much the trainer, Kenny Adams,
14:08just that the life, Las Vegas lifestyle was too much for him.
14:11And he got caught up in a Las Vegas lifestyle,
14:14so maybe he's better off than in Austin, Texas.
14:17Although in Austin, where he's had two separate prison stints,
14:21he has to be careful to stay away from difficult and troublesome contacts there
14:26by his own admission.
14:27Stop. Stop. Let's go, Phillips.
14:32Kirkland, who wins a lot of his fights on determination,
14:36is facing a Molina, a guy who has special stuff on the inside, too.
14:40And Molina, with barely any amateur background...
14:43Let him go. Let him go right there.
14:44Let him go right there.
14:45...thrown to the wolves early in his career,
14:46has been tough for everyone he's ever fought,
14:49has either beaten them or lost very closely and controversially.
14:52So not only is Kirkland facing a technical problem here...
14:57Let him go. Let him go. Let him go.
14:58...getting a little bit of a boxing lesson so far,
15:01but also in against an equally, maybe, determined fighter.
15:05But you watch very carefully.
15:06Molina's is doing a lot of clenching, too.
15:08He's smothering a lot of punches,
15:10and after Kirkland works to get into position,
15:14Molina's pushes in a lot and smothers him a lot.
15:19And Wolf is very concerted between rounds,
15:22urging Kirkland to relax.
15:24He has looked tight up until the middle portions of this round,
15:29seemingly just getting on track within the past minute or so.
15:32Let him go. Let him go. Let him go.
15:36And Molina is trying to blunt that progress...
15:38Let him go.
15:39...with a firm hold over Kirkland's right arm with his left,
15:43and referee John Shirley was on the other side.
15:46He's not just smothering him, Emmanuel.
15:48He's walking him backwards.
15:49Yes.
15:50You're gonna have to look.
15:55You're gonna have to look.
15:57That motherfucker falling in.
15:59You hear me?
16:00He falling in, and he wrapping you up while he pulling out.
16:03You're gonna have to use your jab, move your head,
16:05and keep your hands in tight, and dig to the body.
16:08You allow him to wrap you up.
16:09Don't allow him to tie you up.
16:11Use your jab till he's an awkward ass motherfucker.
16:14You gotta find him with that jab.
16:16Boom, boom, boom, boom.
16:17And you got to throw more than one shot.
16:21He know when you're coming.
16:23Remember I tell you about the deer?
16:25He know when you're coming.
16:26Put your hands in and start moving your head.
16:27Boom, boom, boom. Send that uppercut.
16:30Even though Kirkland is an aggressive fighter,
16:33and most of the clean punches are coming,
16:35for the most part, from Molina.
16:37Molina lands her clean punches, and then he smothers Kirkland
16:40often before Kirkland can do anything back.
16:42Well, we've seen how open Kirkland can be
16:45to the right hand, and you saw Molina delivering
16:47two straight rights in that replay.
16:49CompuBox numbers in round two.
16:50Kirkland was seen to be six connects and only 54 punches.
16:54Molina threw even fewer, 37, but landed 11.
16:58We go to the third round, and Carlos Molina is off to
17:00an effective management start against James Kirkland.
17:17Good left hook by Molina, as he backed up.
17:28Here we go, let him go, let him go.
17:29Don't let him push your head down.
17:31Give me some paper cut.
17:32Uppercut.
17:36Go, let him go, let him pull left.
17:38Go, let him go.
17:52Bank.
17:56Kirkland seems to be very muscle bound, very slow.
18:00Even though he's aggressive, and he looks physically strong,
18:02He's just his punches are coming off way too slow,
18:04as if he's been lifting a lot of weights.
18:08Sometimes we saw this with Pacquiao and Marquez.
18:11Not that these guys fight on that level quite,
18:13but when you have so much respect
18:15for a guy's boxing ability coming in,
18:18and you blunt your own aggression,
18:20you mute your own aggression
18:21because you don't want to be too wild,
18:23you've already taken away your best weapon,
18:24and it looks like that may have been the case here.
18:32Well, I think what we saw down in Cancun
18:36is that James Kirkland has to be James Kirkland.
18:39It's a high-risk fight style.
18:41Stop, stop. I got you.
18:42Molina is doing a lot of smothering
18:44and pushing him and getting away with it,
18:46and the referee hasn't caught on to it.
18:47That's the way he fights.
18:48He smothers you a lot, keeps you from doing things,
18:51and then he gets back in here, a pot shot you did,
18:53he'll smother you again.
18:54I actually think Kirkland's having a better round.
18:56I'm not saying he's winning the round,
18:57but as he's gotten a little more warmed up,
18:59he's landed some more shots.
19:01And for about 10 seconds,
19:03Molina had Kirkland's right arm pinned again.
19:06Yes, he does that very effectively.
19:07Absolutely right. Let's see if he tries to do it again.
19:09He does it by getting the left arm
19:12over the right arm of Kirkland
19:13and bringing it down to pin Kirkland against his ribcage.
19:17There he goes, right there.
19:19A lot of pressure fighters take a couple rounds,
19:21traditionally, to get warmed up.
19:24One of the things that made Kirkland
19:26a little different as a pressure fighter
19:27is he normally jumped on his man from the opening bell.
19:31He's got a lot of pressure.
19:33Molina's punches are moving,
19:35coming off a lot faster, much more fluid.
19:37Stop, stop, stop.
19:38Kirkland's is a lot of effort,
19:40a lot of pushing with his punches.
19:43Crowd seems to be here to root for the Texan.
19:46Not certain of what they are seeing so far.
19:49It's been something of a route for Molina
19:52in the first three rounds.
19:53He's got a lot of pressure fighters.
19:56He's got a lot of pressure fighters.
19:58Tuesday, April 3, catch face-off
19:59of Max Kellerman, Mayweather Cotto.
20:01Max sits down with both fighters
20:02to discuss their upcoming May 5,
20:04154-pound championship fight.
20:06Thursday, April 12, it's the premiere
20:07of Portrait of a Fighter, Canelo Alvarez.
20:09We took our cameras to Big Bear, California,
20:11for the first few days of camp.
20:12As Canelo began his preparation for his May 5 date
20:15with Shane Mosley, who ironically trains
20:18just a few hundred feet away.
20:20Come back with that, yeah, come back with that left hook.
20:25Look at him, he's right for it.
20:26He's right for it.
20:27Now we're gonna look at him
20:28in the 4 minutes of the last round, okay?
20:30That's good, that's good, that's good.
20:31I'm gonna do that again.
20:33Switch water.
20:34All right. I'm good.
20:36Okay, settle down. Relax.
20:37Just fight him with your brains.
20:39Fight him with this up here.
20:40Carlos Molina in the first three rounds
20:42has been able to mix and match straight punches,
20:44occasionally delivering sweeping left hooks
20:46to the jaw of Kirkland, and has refused to allow
20:49Kirkland to get much of anything done.
20:51Harold, how do you have it 2-3?
20:53Okay, Jim, boy, is this guy good at what he does,
20:55talking about Carlos Molina.
20:573-0, 30-27, Carlos Molina.
21:00You know, Jim, he gets inside, he touches you,
21:03he scores points, and he grabs you.
21:05And he does it over and over and over again.
21:06And you don't know if he's gonna hit you with a left,
21:09you don't know if he's gonna lead with a right hand,
21:11but he gets off the first punch virtually every time.
21:13There he does it again.
21:14Goes downstairs with the right,
21:15comes upstairs with the left hook,
21:17and he just keeps piling up points time and time and time again.
21:21You can't take it away from him.
21:22Three to nothing, Molina.
21:23Catch a left uppercut from Kirkland.
21:26Go, Molina, let him go.
21:27Kirkland is landing, as Ann Wolfe has pointed out,
21:29one punch at a time.
21:31That time Molina wasn't able to get his right arm
21:34over the left arm of Kirkland.
21:36It's on the other side where he's done great work holding.
21:39You know, we were talking about, just as a bellender,
21:43that, you know, the crowd is really a pro Kirkland crowd, maybe.
21:47You know, it's still, to me, a Mexican crowd,
21:49for the most part, even though Kirkland is from Texas.
21:52So I think the crowd is pretty balanced out.
21:54Go right over here. Go over here.
21:56Get a mouthpiece.
21:57Second mouthpiece. You got that second.
21:59Where's the second one?
22:00Put the second one in.
22:03We talked about it. Time in.
22:09Another left hook for Molina.
22:11Straight right to the body.
22:12He's not a hard puncher at all.
22:14He's not trying to be.
22:15No, he's not, but he's a very smart fight,
22:17cagey fighter, and he knows how to win fights,
22:19and he knows how to clinch and tie a guy up
22:21and break up the rhythm, which he's doing a lot with Kirkland.
22:24Kirkland can't get a good, consistent rhythm
22:27or any type of a tempo of aggression going in this fight.
22:30Kirkland's going well, even if he's losing rounds.
22:33He's putting money in the bank to the body with pressure,
22:35with a lot of good hard shots,
22:37even if they're partially blocked.
22:38I don't see him putting that money in the bank here, Emmanuel.
22:41He's putting money in the bank here, Emmanuel.
22:44He's putting money in the bank here, Emmanuel.
22:46And I think Molina has, as a result,
22:49grown in confidence rounds around.
22:51You see...
22:52Kirkland has been trying for almost 20 seconds
22:55to land a punch,
22:56and he don't know where Molina's head is going to be at.
22:57Molina has given him a position,
22:59taking it away from him, moving again,
23:01and Kirkland, being slow in all of these muscles,
23:04can't get his punches out fast enough.
23:05Molina's fight very smart.
23:07He's laying one or two clean punches
23:08and head movement,
23:09and Kirkland can't keep up with him.
23:11Right, well, good right hand by Molina.
23:13Well, while Molina's moving his upper body
23:15and therefore his head...
23:16Kirkland is glitching.
23:16Molina's body is glitching.
23:18Molina's body is there,
23:19and Kirkland's not going to that effect.
23:21Good left hook by Molina.
23:22He's hitting...he's hitting...
23:23And another left hook.
23:24And another left hook.
23:25And now he's clamped Kirkland's right arm again,
23:27and he breaks away and body shots.
23:28Molina landing the harder shots here.
23:30Wow, he's just working, Kirkland.
23:32He's landing the deep punches for the most part.
23:34Kirkland isn't landing there.
23:35He's looking very strong and ineffective aggression.
23:37And because Molina's pushing him back on his heels,
23:41Kirkland is standing straight up,
23:42has no leverage on his punches,
23:43and it's just a short target.
23:44What, what, what, what, what, what?
23:46His body is there and Kirkland's not going to that effect.
23:49He's hitting, he's hitting,
23:50He's hitting, he's hitting...
23:52And another left hook.
23:52Oh, and another left hook.
23:53Touching him with his shoulders,
23:55hitting him and bumping him.
23:56And now he's clamped Kirkland's right arm again,
23:57and he breaks away and body shots.
24:00Look, you're standing up right in front of that son of a bitch.
24:09You can't stand up. You're following him. Cutting off.
24:12Don't stand right... And he just... You're standing right there,
24:15and all he's doing is coming in and catching you.
24:18And you're making it an easy fight for him.
24:20You're just following right behind him.
24:22He throws you right there for him to hit.
24:24You got to put some...
24:26Try to get that balance.
24:29You got to move your head.
24:31Because he's on balance. You're on balance, right?
24:35Your legs are... You're a little bit out of...
24:39Just settle down. Same thing. Beat him with your brain.
24:41Watch that body. Back to the head, just like you're doing.
24:44You're looking damn good there, Chief. Just keep that up.
24:50They're more or less dispensing with the jab now.
24:53You saw the power punch numbers in that round.
24:55Kirkland landing 16 out of 48.
24:57They weren't all that powerful.
24:58Molina 19 out of 44.
25:00And some of them were ripping left hooks
25:02and straight right-hand shots down the stretch.
25:04Harold Letterman has seen Carlos Molina winning every round so far.
25:08He comes originally from Appleton, Wisconsin.
25:11Didn't have much of an amateur career at all.
25:13Moved from Appleton to Chicago so that he could be in the Chicago gym scene
25:17and face better sparring partners.
25:19It has paid off for him.
25:21We mentioned the four losses.
25:23Just twice he was put in with Julio Cesar Chavez as an opponent.
25:26Got a draw and a loss.
25:28He believes he won both fights.
25:30The only non-win on Chavez's record.
25:38There's a good hard left hand by Kirkland.
25:40And a right hook.
25:41James seems to be coming alive just a little bit.
25:43Lands a straight left hand.
25:45Molina backing up into the ropes.
25:47Gets a left hook in, does Carlos Molina.
25:50Stop.
25:51But James Kirkland started to come alive just a little bit.
25:53Break. Break.
25:54Break.
25:55James.
25:56Is he doing anything differently, Emmanuel?
25:57No, he's fighting a lot more anxiety and intensity.
25:59But I think that Ed Wolfe is stimulating.
26:01But at all the times, even though he's being not pointed,
26:04he's always looked to be determined and physically strong
26:08and in condition.
26:09He never showed fatigue.
26:17Left hook was a glancing blow, but the kind of punch that scores.
26:27There he goes walking Kirkland back into the corner.
26:29Molina does that very effectively.
26:31And the reverie never catches him knowing how he does that.
26:37Well, it's one thing to tie a guy up and let him pull you around.
26:41It's another thing to tie him up and push him back
26:44as part of an offensive strategy.
26:46And I think Molina is doing the latter.
26:48Molina.
26:49Either Molina has a brilliant fight plan,
26:51or he fights in the ideal style for where Kirkland is tonight.
26:55Or it's a little of both.
26:56A little bit of both.
26:57And then Kirkland still can't find a solid target.
26:59He cannot land more than three or four punches
27:01to use that round.
27:02Molina's very good with his upper batter movement
27:05in his anticipation of what punch is gonna come.
27:08And Ann Wolfe was very clear about that yesterday
27:10in our meeting with James Kirkland,
27:12pointing out, she said,
27:13Look, a lot of guys bother you with foot moves.
27:15I got you.
27:16This guy moves his foot and his upper body
27:17at the same time.
27:18And that's not easy for a fighter to pump.
27:20Look, Chavez Jr. fought Molina twice.
27:22A lot of people think he still hasn't beaten him.
27:24Erislandi Lara's a slick southpaw.
27:27They fought to a draw.
27:28A lot of people think Molina won there.
27:30Molina beat up Kermit Cintron.
27:32He's won most of the rounds.
27:35And he's beating James Kirkland
27:40with a six-fight amateur background.
27:42You know what most people realize
27:44is the big background in the amateurs of Kirkland.
27:47Kirkland had about 40-some fights.
27:49That's what I'm saying.
27:50I mean, Molina may be more of a special kind of fighter
27:53than we realize due to circumstances.
27:57Still to come tonight in our main event.
28:01Eric Morales is evading finally
28:05in the latter stages of his second career.
28:07We'll tell you what happened at the weigh-in yesterday.
28:09It was not good for Morales.
28:12The opponent, 24-year-old American Danny Garcia.
28:15There's room at the top in American boxing.
28:18There's room for a star.
28:20And this is the beginning of a star-making opportunity
28:23for Garcia, whose biggest win was in his last fight
28:25over Kendall Holt.
28:27Note to boxing editors and the record books,
28:30Kendall Holt is not Eric Morales.
28:34He got those three, four, five shots
28:36before he tie you up.
28:37He threw one funky-ass shot, and then he tying you up.
28:40Listen, as he's pushing you back, you step around.
28:42Step around.
28:43And you're gonna get him off of you.
28:45You're gonna get him off of you.
28:46You're gonna get him off of me, Dingo.
28:47Look.
28:48All right, second's out.
28:49Yeah.
28:50Out!
28:57Don't hold this side, okay?
29:02Straight right hand for Carlos Molina
29:04to begin round six.
29:09Fight is scheduled.
29:13Twelve rounds.
29:16One, two, three.
29:19Carlos Molina of Chicago in the white trunks.
29:20James Kirkland of Boston, Texas, in the black.
29:23154-pound weight class.
29:25Kirkland coming off his win over Alfredo Angulo
29:28was regarded as a nascent contender.
29:30So far, he's had nothing but trouble
29:32with the skilled journeyman Carlos Molina.
29:35Yeah, even though I think Molina is winning a fight
29:37on points, clean, effective blows,
29:39it's still very stressful when you got it
29:41so determined the way that Kirkland is.
29:43And he's mentally, he's alert still, meaning Kirkland.
29:45But Molina won't let Kirkland take the play away.
29:50No way.
29:51That's right.
29:52Whenever Kirkland gets going, Molina answers back.
29:54Stifles the attack and answers back.
30:03Kirkland landing some good, short, clean shots
30:05in this round, though.
30:06A little short with the uppercut.
30:07A little short with the uppercut,
30:08but landing his straight right hand.
30:11The jab.
30:13And Molina went through a little bit
30:14of an activity drought there.
30:16But Molina, when Kirkland get into an aggressive mood,
30:19then Kirkland doesn't look anything back.
30:21And then Molina comes back with those clean punches
30:24that catches the judge's eye and wins the rounds.
30:27And then he clenches and ties him up
30:29after he lands his punches.
30:31That's right.
30:32Emmanuel, I have a note in my head
30:36based on past experiences with him
30:39that John Shorley's a good referee.
30:41But is Molina getting away with more holding in there
30:44than he does?
30:45Yes, he does that very effectively.
30:47There it was.
30:48Kirkland landed all those good little shots,
30:50and Molina landed one big, obvious right hand
30:53that brought reaction from the crowd.
30:57Body shot by Molina.
30:59Kirkland having his best round,
31:01but as Max pointed out,
31:03big right hand in the center of the round.
31:05About 20 seconds to go for Molina.
31:07Stop. Stop.
31:09Don't do that. Don't do that.
31:11Shirley tells Molina not to put Kirkland's head
31:14under his arm into the armpit.
31:16Good idea.
31:19Let's see if that stops him.
31:25Now Molina goes with straight right hands to the body.
31:28Three of them in a row.
31:29Three of them in a row.
31:30Is the difference in an activity in this round
31:31from Kirkland and Molina a sign that we've entered
31:33the second half of the fight,
31:35and Kirkland's stamina and conditioning
31:37is starting to tell?
31:38Or did Molina just take a little break?
31:40There we go.
31:45Stop. Break.
31:48I got it.
31:49Well, if Molina chose to try to get some rest
31:51in the middle round,
31:52he's not the first fighter to do that.
31:53Max, you make a good point.
31:56Time!
31:57Progress of the rest of the fight
31:58will tell us exactly what we were seeing
32:00in round six.
32:03Listen.
32:04Sit back.
32:05Sit back.
32:06Sit back.
32:07Come here.
32:08Water his head.
32:09You following that man still.
32:10When you're using a jab and a fang,
32:11you gotta throw more than one shot.
32:12He gonna make you miss.
32:13You standing straight up in front of him.
32:14You cannot stand right up in front of him.
32:16You gotta move your head even after you throw
32:18because you don't know where he coming.
32:19Use your jab.
32:20Throw more than one shot.
32:21When you're on the inside,
32:22work that body.
32:23And look.
32:47He's sticking his face in there.
32:48He's sticking his face in there.
32:51CompuBox numbers through the sixth round.
32:53Kirkland, 67 out of 217.
32:55Molina with an edge in both categories.
32:5797 punches landed, 286 throws, including 21 connects.
33:02Only 15 for Kirkland in the sixth round.
33:05So Molina came on in the last minute of the round.
33:07Harold, how do you have it halfway through?
33:08Okay, Jim, I've got a 59-55, five rounds to one, Carlos Molina.
33:13Jim, I tell you, I think the guy's frustrating James Kirkland to death.
33:16You know, he gets off first, he gets down.
33:19Kirkland's punches go over his head.
33:21He lays that right hand coming forward.
33:23You know, Kirkland can't seem to stop that straight right hand.
33:26He comes up with, you know, he gets off first all the time.
33:29Every so often, he gets the jibs, right hands, goes up, goes down.
33:32Five to one, Carlos Molina.
33:35Loose tape on James Kirkland's right glove.
33:37He'll take him to the corner to get that fixed.
33:39Both gloves, both gloves.
33:41I thought Kirkland won the last round.
33:45I thought so, Max, also.
33:47I thought he won the last round.
33:48And before the bell for this round, he was talking to himself.
33:54Come on, come on, come on.
33:55He was motivating himself and kind of also talking to Molina
33:58like he was raring to go, Kirkland.
34:01That should be good.
34:02Come in.
34:03There we go.
34:26The tape is still loose on Kirkland's left glove.
34:36There's going to have to be another stoppage in the action.
34:38Oh, good right hand from Molina.
34:40Kirkland has gone back in this round to throwing one punch at a time.
35:01Let him go.
35:06Malina!
35:17Malina!
35:20Malina throwing that right hand repeatedly now
35:22to the center of Kirkland's belly.
35:25It has become the bread-and-butter punch
35:27for Carlos Molina.
35:30They both have loose tape on their gloves.
35:33The tape is loose
35:35from Marina's right glove and Kirkland's left.
35:37It's as though they're fighting with tassels now.
35:39You know, that's why when I work fights,
35:41I have a waterproof type of tape.
35:44And when Larry Hazard was a commissioner in New Jersey,
35:47he made it mandatory that he'd finish up all routes
35:50with the great duct tape, as we call it,
35:53to avoid situations like this.
35:55The tape that they have is still good.
35:56They need a waterproof tape of some type.
35:59Molina's very good at bodying his opponent off
36:02and landing one shot as he pushes him away.
36:05Very smart fighter, Molina.
36:06He'll do it again.
36:07Very, very smart.
36:09Pushes Kirkland off, pushes him into the ropes.
36:10Let him go, let him go.
36:11Steps back, throws a straight right or a left hook.
36:13This time he moves away.
36:14Straight right to the body.
36:24Let him go, let him go.
36:25Let him go.
36:31Cut.
36:32Well, if Kirkland had generated momentum
36:34in the two preceding rounds,
36:36he didn't really sustain it through that round.
36:39Or so it appeared.
36:40there you got to use your jab hold your hands in tight move your head mix that
37:00it's now to get your butt game on you standing straight here you see Melina
37:13land a beautiful clean precision in time right hand and then right after that you
37:17will see shortly him land a uppercut mainly the pattern of the fight but
37:21little land on out of the clean effective punches maybe not as strong
37:25as Kirkland physically but land in the punches and then smothering Kirkland
37:30before Kirkland can punch back.
37:36And you heard Ann Wolfe between rounds.
37:38Bend your knees.
37:39You better get into your boxing mode,
37:41or this thing is over.
37:43She said, get your box game on,
37:45and I have a lot of respect for Ann Wolfe,
37:47but I believe, in this case, that's an error.
37:50I think the point has been made so far.
37:54Kirkland can't box with Molina.
37:56He has to turn it into an alley fight,
37:58and he's been curiously subdued
38:01in that respect throughout.
38:02Great phrase, curiously subdued.
38:05There's a long tradition in boxing.
38:07Billy Kahn, Joe Lewis, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard.
38:11We saw it with Pacquiao, as I mentioned,
38:13and Marquez of the more aggressive fighter
38:16mistakenly trying to box too finely against the boxer,
38:20believing he has to become too much of a boxer
38:23to compete against another technical fighter,
38:25and he's consequently not the same animal
38:28we're used to seeing.
38:30Go right there.
38:30Well, and to me, Kirkland seems to be excessively
38:34muscular and slow and tight,
38:36and I think it's a combination of that
38:37plus the natural fluid movements of Molina,
38:40and Molina making him have to punch at spots
38:43where he used to be at,
38:44and that's what's been the biggest problem,
38:45and then tying him up.
38:47Yeah.
38:48It's a great point, Emmanuel,
38:49because we've made this point so many times.
38:51The layman, with no exposure to boxing,
38:55but who is a sports fan in general,
38:57might come here and look at Kirkland's body and say,
38:59my gosh, look how strong he is.
39:01He's going to blow Molina away.
39:03But the body that Molina has
39:05has the right kind of strength for boxing.
39:07Yes, very flexible, very fluid.
39:11Good.
39:11Left hook by Molina.
39:13Lands another one, too.
39:15Kirkland's still trying to find the right combination.
39:18Yeah, but he's pushing his punches more.
39:19Or, wait, wait, wait, left of punches.
39:22And he's also trying to think with Molina,
39:24and he's being out-thought in addition to out-thought.
39:28Kirkland bends over and gets into a stationary position,
39:31and Molina is able to stand back and tee off
39:34as though hitting a baseball off a tee.
39:36Keep him up, baby. Keep him up.
39:42It's fascinating to watch a guy
39:45with a record of 30-and-1.
39:48James Kirkland, who has beaten quality fighters
39:51like Joel Julio, looking so confused
39:54and so lost at sea as to what to do
39:57against Carlos Molina.
39:58He's thinking too much.
39:59He's not just fighting.
40:00He's trying to lay back,
40:01and then he's going to explode on Molina
40:03after Molina gets closer.
40:04That's his thought, but he doesn't realize
40:06that's not going to happen,
40:06because Molina is going to be getting away
40:08from everything he does and smothering him,
40:10and so Molina's going to take this round.
40:12So instead of letting himself
40:14be backed into the ropes like that,
40:16Kirkland needs to reverse that,
40:17turn around and back Molina into the ropes
40:19and trap him and go ghetto on him.
40:22He's too slow to do that, though.
40:23Molina's a little too fast for him.
40:26Too much muscles.
40:30Tight!
40:31Molina rallying against Kirkland along the ropes,
40:34dancing back to his corner in exaltation.
40:36Kirkland looking at us
40:39as if to say, I'm not sure.
40:42What?
40:43You got to fucking fight this motherfucker.
40:45You letting him bend your head out there and shit?
40:47You got to be a fucking fucker point.
40:50Take his ass.
40:52He fighting dirty the motherfucker,
40:54and he fighting his ass off.
40:56All right.
40:57All right.
40:58Don't say, all right.
40:59Go out there and do it.
41:00You understand?
41:01You got to get out there and work.
41:02You understand?
41:03You got to get out there and work.
41:05He getting more and more and more
41:06you got to get out of fucking confidence.
41:07You got to take that confidence
41:09from that motherfucker.
41:10You got to get up in there and go.
41:12Look, look.
41:13You the fucking gorilla.
41:15Oh, it's us here.
41:17He acting like he the fucking demon.
41:18Chuck it up and blow it.
41:19Come on, man.
41:20All right.
41:20Check it down.
41:22Curious, he Kirkland in a position,
41:25I guess, thinking he was going to relax
41:26and nothing was going to happen.
41:28But unlike that, Molina took advantage
41:30of the situation, came back, landed three good shots,
41:33and from that point on, the rest of the round
41:35was all Molina.
41:35Exactly.
41:36Those three shots made it impossible
41:38for Kirkland to win the round.
41:39I thought that was very good advice
41:40in the corner from Hank Wolf.
41:41I think it's great advice.
41:42A little rough, but it's exactly the advice
41:44that he needs to be given.
41:45But he's in with a much more difficult target
41:48than she realizes.
41:49I totally agree.
41:50I'm not fond of the phrase I use
41:52for what Kirkland has to do,
41:53but Wolf gave it to him in different
41:55and better language.
41:56You got to realize something,
41:57that even though Kirkland has a lot of muscle,
41:59he's not really a power puncher.
42:00That's another one that would surprise the limit.
42:07Let him go.
42:07Let him go.
42:08In the eighth round,
42:09Kirkland landed seven out of 57 touches,
42:11and Molina was 20 of 45.
42:13There's a dramatic difference
42:14in their ability to find the target.
42:18You know, in the old days,
42:19a fight like this for a fighter like Kirkland
42:21is a great learning experience
42:22that he can build off it.
42:23Today, with a stake so high,
42:26um, fight like this can really
42:29break, break, break,
42:30stagnate a fighter's career.
42:32Well, just, uh, today,
42:35I got a call from Cameron Duncan,
42:37the manager of Kirkland,
42:39uh, wanted to make a match
42:40with Cornelius Brundage,
42:42providing that he won tonight.
42:44So this is a good example
42:45that if he loses tonight,
42:46he's lost, prosper a chance
42:47to fight for the Abbey Up
42:49Junior Middleweight Championship.
42:51Cornelius Canine Blundery
42:52is a fighter who is managed
42:54and trained by Emanuel Stewart,
42:55holds a 154-pound belt,
42:57would be a logical target
42:59for Kirkland down the road
43:00if Kirkland were to keep winning,
43:02but this is not the scenario.
43:08Stop!
43:09And now Max Kellerman has gone
43:10to the corner to talk to Ann Wolfe.
43:11Let's go over there.
43:13Ann, before the last round,
43:14you started really trying
43:15to motivate James to mix it up.
43:17Why so late in the fight?
43:19Why so much boxing advice
43:20until that point?
43:21Until what point?
43:23Boxing...
43:24Come on!
43:26Because he need to,
43:27he allowing him to...
43:29When he falls in,
43:30James just follows,
43:31standing right up there
43:32not letting his hands go.
43:34When he was...
43:35When he was using the fight,
43:36using the jab,
43:37he was catching it.
43:37Stop, all right.
43:38Stop.
43:38I got you.
43:39I got you.
43:39He allowing him
43:40to rule the fight
43:41by pushing him back.
43:42But it seems like you recognized
43:46before the last round
43:47a lot of this boxing advice
43:49in working for him tonight.
43:51Go get Gorilla,
43:52as you put it.
43:53What does that mean?
43:53You have to,
43:54because he allowing him
43:55to do that.
43:55He don't have to dogfight his ass.
43:57Just dogfight him
43:58and let it all go
43:58because he an awkward-ass dude anyway.
44:01Like that.
44:01Just let him go.
44:03Is there enough time
44:04left in this fight
44:04as confident
44:05as Molina is right now?
44:07There's always enough time
44:08in any fight.
44:09Thanks, Ann.
44:10Thanks.
44:14Neither fighters
44:14ever scored a knockout
44:15past the eighth round.
44:17As we pointed out
44:18to you a few times,
44:19despite what you've seen
44:20from Sergio Martinez
44:21two fights in a row,
44:23late knockouts
44:23are pretty rare.
44:25Here we go.
44:29Hey!
44:34How do you feel, King?
44:41You all right?
44:41You okay?
44:42Here, Hammer.
44:42Get that.
44:43Victor's got it taping.
44:47Breathe, Eddie.
44:48Breathe.
44:48You got the mouthpiece?
44:49Yeah.
44:52Gotta get them off of you.
44:53You understand?
44:54You hear me?
44:55No, Charlie.
44:56Whatever takes to win.
44:57Put your hands up
44:58and let them motherfuckers fly.
45:02Whatever takes to win.
45:03You let them fly.
45:04Look at me.
45:04You're going to have
45:05to let them go, son.
45:08You act like this
45:09motherfucker got your kid.
45:11You're going to kill him.
45:11Take it.
45:11Look at that take.
45:16I'm hoping I leave him
45:17with this shit.
45:18Now hit him in the ass.
45:21Hit him in the ass.
45:23All right.
45:23Second's out.
45:24Dingo falls to the wall.
45:29Well, over the course
45:30of the past two years,
45:31there have been
45:31no shortage of fans
45:34fans in chat rooms
45:35and comments on the web
45:37and others in the sport.
45:38Journalists who have
45:39mentioned Kirkland
45:40in connection with
45:41middleweight champion
45:42Sergio Martinez.
45:44Last week,
45:45Sergio Martinez
45:45struggled in the middle
45:46portions of his fight
45:47with Matthew Macklin
45:48and for the second fight
45:49and for the second fight
45:49in the road,
45:50delivered an 11th round
45:51knockout.
45:52That's what Kirkland
45:53is faced with the prospect
45:54of having to do.
45:55Harold, how do you have
45:56it through nine?
45:56Jim, I've got an 89-82,
45:59eight rounds to one,
46:00Carlos Molina.
46:01You know, Jim,
46:02I've seen fighters
46:03throughout boxing history
46:04like Molina,
46:05who, you know,
46:05just can't punch
46:06and constantly get
46:08wrought on the season.
46:09Hard right hand
46:09by Kirkland.
46:10Keep going.
46:11Keep going, Harold.
46:12You know, stop.
46:13You see those?
46:13Molina looks bad.
46:14We hurt them.
46:16Emmanuel Augustus,
46:17for example,
46:18Tony Marshall from Albany.
46:19Never could punch,
46:20always in practice.
46:21Let's see if the judges
46:22will go for a guy
46:23with a style like Molina
46:25who can't punch.
46:26Frank.
46:29Well, I don't see
46:29how you can go against him
46:30in the first nine rounds,
46:31but Kirkland may be changing
46:33the fight right here.
46:35You know, he's definitely
46:36changed the fight,
46:36but the thing you've got
46:37to worry about Molina
46:38is him trying to,
46:39if he can keep Molina
46:40at a distance away from him
46:42and physically,
46:43he maybe can be effective,
46:44but Molina's going to start
46:45trying to clinch him
46:45and smother him.
46:46But Molina looks
46:47very weak right now.
46:48Those two big right hooks
46:50up top earlier
46:50in the round
46:51for Kirkland.
46:52Stop.
46:53His best punch
46:54is of the fight.
46:58Good left hand
46:59downstairs by Kirkland.
46:59Oh, Kirkland in this round.
47:01Molina's just trying
47:01to get away.
47:04There's a straight right hand
47:06by Molina.
47:06Stop.
47:08That won't be enough
47:09to discourage James Kirkland
47:10the way James is coming
47:11on now.
47:12Molina's legs are very bad
47:14right now.
47:17Let him go.
47:18Let him go.
47:21And you see what Molina's did.
47:23Oh, Wiley was just staying close,
47:26smothered Kirkland,
47:28keeping him from landing
47:29with any more clean blows.
47:30And now Kirkland has maybe
47:32kind of ran out of gas
47:33for a minute.
47:34Now,
47:35not a knockdown or is it?
47:39Slip.
47:40But it's giving Molina energy.
47:43Yep.
47:45It changed the psychological
47:46dynamic of the round.
47:47Yep.
47:48And they smothered once again.
47:51Very effective
47:51with his shoulders.
47:52Great.
47:52That's right.
47:53That's right.
47:53That's right.
47:54Emmanuel, between rounds
47:56and talking to her fighter,
47:58James Kirkland,
47:59Ann Wolfe said that Molina's
48:01is fighting dirty,
48:03and she said it as though
48:04it was a compliment.
48:06Is he fighting a dirty fight?
48:07A very smart fight.
48:08I won't say dirty.
48:09Smothering a lot
48:10and getting away with it.
48:11I know we were critical
48:12of the referee
48:14in the Lamont Peterson
48:15Amir Khan fight
48:16for deducting points
48:17against Amir Khan
48:19for holding,
48:20but I think
48:21it might be fair
48:22at some point
48:23to at least warn
48:25Carlos Molina
48:26for the amount
48:26of holding he's doing.
48:27I think he has
48:28actually warned him
48:29one time
48:30and in the most short.
48:32And this is going
48:33to be ruled a knockdown.
48:34I think it was a knockdown.
48:35A knockdown
48:37and now...
48:38Fucking kidding me?
48:38Six!
48:39The corner men have to leave
48:40for Molina's corner
48:41and Molina's smiling
48:42at the corner.
48:45That's your corner.
48:47That's your corner.
48:51Round still going?
48:53No, it shouldn't.
48:54I think the round is over,
48:55but the referee
48:55has to continue to count
48:57even if the bell rings.
48:59There's no bell yet.
49:00There's no bell yet.
49:03Neither Kirkland
49:04nor Molina
49:05seems to know
49:05exactly what they're
49:06supposed to do
49:06at this point.
49:08Kirkland is still
49:09standing up
49:09in the corner.
49:11Don Shirley is what?
49:13Stopping the fight?
49:15No, no.
49:17It looked like
49:18he stopped the fight.
49:19Rudy Hernandez
49:19got into the ring
49:20to celebrate
49:21with James Kirkland
49:22in his corner.
49:23I think what
49:24the referee just said
49:25was that he was DQ'd
49:26because his corner
49:27entered the ring
49:28during the count.
49:30That's a terrible call
49:31even if it's
49:32technically the case.
49:33If there's a knockdown
49:34at the end of the round.
49:35You will win.
49:38You will win.
49:39I wasn't winning?
49:40You are always
49:41something in Texas.
49:43That sucks.
49:44Well, you know,
49:44I remember
49:45when Lil Dula
49:45jumped in the ring
49:46when Magic Taylor
49:48was taking the count.
49:49Guys, the rule is
49:50that the bell rang
49:51while Molina was down.
49:53Molina clearly
49:54beat the count,
49:54was clearly ready
49:55to continue,
49:56but technically
49:57because his corner
49:58entered the ring
49:59because the bell rang
50:00and they weren't aware
50:00he was knocked down.
50:02He was DQ'd?
50:03Are they serious?
50:05I cannot believe
50:06what we're seeing here.
50:08Now, here's a look
50:09at the replay.
50:11Molina coming off
50:13the ropes.
50:15Kirkland lands
50:15the right hand.
50:17Yes!
50:18Knocked down.
50:19One, two, three, four, five.
50:35Fucking kidding me?
50:36Six, seven, eight.
50:39Okay?
50:40Match your corner.
50:42Match your corner.
50:45Match your corner.
50:46Match your corner.
50:49You got him, Joe.
50:54You got him.
50:55Give me that stool.
50:56Sit.
50:56There's no bell yet.
50:57There's no bell yet.
51:00There's no bell.
51:01Get up.
51:02Stop the three rings.
51:04The corner
51:04and then enter the ring, okay?
51:10Well, the fascinating thing
51:11about the disqualification
51:12is that it didn't take place
51:13at the moment
51:14when the corner men
51:15entered the ring.
51:16Harold, what do you think
51:17of the coherency
51:17of what you saw here?
51:18Absolutely atrocious, Jim.
51:20You know, this was
51:21Chris Areola, Chaz Witherspoon.
51:23If you remember,
51:24Witherspoon's corner
51:25jumped in the ring
51:25at that time
51:26and they disqualified
51:27Witherspoon.
51:28There's absolutely
51:29no justification for this.
51:31Texas has got inspectors
51:33in that corner
51:33that should have kept
51:35Molina's corner people
51:36out of the ring
51:37until, you know,
51:38referee John Shirley
51:39got the eight
51:40and then a round's over
51:41and that's all there is to it.
51:42Because the Texas inspectors
51:44didn't do their job,
51:46John Shirley disqualified
51:48Carlos Molina,
51:49it's totally wrong.
51:51Well, here's the consistency.
51:53As we told you twice,
51:55Molina's a guy who comes in
51:56with four losses
51:57and says,
51:57they aren't really losses,
51:58I really only have one.
52:00Now he's gonna have five
52:00and he'll still be saying,
52:02I only have one.
52:03Let's go to Michael Buffer
52:04for the official particulars.
52:06Ladies and gentlemen,
52:09the contest comes to an end.
52:11Under the rules of the ABC
52:12and the World Boxing Council
52:14along with the state of Texas,
52:17the fight was still in progress
52:19during a knockdown.
52:21At the end of round 10,
52:22a corner man entered the ring
52:24from the challenger,
52:25Carlos Molina.
52:27Referee John Shirley
52:28had no choice.
52:30Following the rules,
52:31had a call,
52:32the fight to an end.
52:33The winner by disqualification
52:35victory,
52:36still champion,
52:38James Mandingo Warrior,
52:41Kirkland.
52:48And if that is not
52:49atrocious enough,
52:52wait till you hear it.
52:53Wait till you hear the scores.
52:55Let's take a look at
52:56CompuBox numbers in the fight,
52:58which are going to show you
52:59the degree to which
53:00Carlos Molina dominated
53:02at least the punches landed
53:05in Punch-A-Strone categories
53:06of CompuBox.
53:12And while we're waiting
53:14for the CompuBox graphic,
53:15I may as well go ahead
53:16and tell you
53:17that while Judge Dave Moretti
53:19had Molina leading 88-83
53:21and Judge David Sutherland
53:24had Molina leading 87-84.
53:27Emmanuel, Harold,
53:29Gale Van Hoy
53:30had James Kirkland
53:32ahead in the fight
53:3286-85
53:34at the time
53:35of the disqualification.
53:38I got two words for that.
53:39Not possible.
53:41You know,
53:42I mean,
53:42don't want to go back
53:43staring up some of it.
53:45I had even questions
53:46about the knockdown.
53:47The second punch really missed
53:49and he actually pushed him
53:50on down.
53:50And he pushed him down.
53:51But he's not the first guy
53:52to push the guy off
53:52after hitting him
53:53with a solid blow.
53:54And it was a judgment call.
53:55It was a judgment call.
53:57It's close enough.
53:57I've seen worse knockdowns
53:58than that.
53:59I was willing to go with that.
54:00But what happened afterward?
54:01Absurd.
54:02Let's go to Max Kellerman
54:03in the ring.
54:05James,
54:05you were coming on
54:06in the fight.
54:07You scored a knockdown
54:09and maybe would have gone on
54:11to stop him
54:12if given the chance.
54:13What do you think
54:16about the ending
54:17of that fight?
54:19First of all,
54:19I want to give thanks to God
54:20for this opportunity
54:21to be back here
54:22in front of my fans
54:23and friends and family.
54:25First of all,
54:25the stoppage,
54:26you know what I'm saying?
54:28I just stick to my game plan.
54:29He was doing a good job,
54:31but they say
54:31he was a crappy fighter,
54:32which he is.
54:33He's awkward, crappy,
54:34so I see why
54:35a lot of people
54:36have a lot of problems
54:37with him.
54:37You know,
54:38as far as,
54:38you know,
54:39my training camp
54:40and the way we
54:41being able to try
54:42to adjust to the fight,
54:43I knew that he wanted
54:44to go 12 rounds.
54:46So,
54:47I pushed to the game planters
54:48to try to push him
54:49in the end.
54:50That's why I started
54:50off so slow.
54:51Everybody see me
54:52come out reckless
54:53and come out
54:53doing a bunch of punches.
54:55I came slow
54:56and tried to progress
54:56deep in the rounds.
54:58The reason I ask
54:59is because you have
55:00such an honest style
55:02and put in
55:02such an honest day's work
55:04when you fight.
55:06These fans seem
55:07to be holding it
55:08against you.
55:08You didn't make
55:09the decision
55:09to stop the fight
55:10when it was stopped.
55:11What do you think
55:12of the stoppage
55:14of the fight
55:15which in essence
55:16robbed you
55:17of a clean victory?
55:18Basically,
55:19like I wanted to say,
55:19you know,
55:20I take nothing away
55:21from Carlos Molina.
55:22He came to fight.
55:23He trained super hard.
55:24As far as the stoppage,
55:26I like to go.
55:27Like,
55:27the same way
55:28me and Fredo Angulo
55:29got it
55:29and,
55:30you know,
55:30he's a warrior.
55:31I like it.
55:31Carlos Molina was a warrior.
55:33We come to fight,
55:34so I would like to see
55:35what would happen
55:35in the deeper rounds.
55:36And I'm asking you
55:42as James' trainer,
55:45very honest trainer,
55:46what do you think
55:47of the stoppage?
55:48I think I would have
55:49wanted to see 11 to 12.
55:51He dropped him.
55:52I think Carlos was doing
55:53good at the beginning
55:54of the fight.
55:55I want to see it go.
55:57I would have rather
55:58see it go
55:58to the 12th round.
56:00James had to drop him.
56:04I feel like Carlos
56:05was holing a lot,
56:07headbutting a little bit,
56:08but I think he was up
56:10a little bit,
56:10but James hadn't dropped him,
56:12so James was coming on.
56:13What would have happened
56:14in 11 and 12?
56:15You've got to see.
56:17We're going to take
56:17a look here.
56:23Stop the ring,
56:25the corner,
56:26enter the ring, okay?
56:30James, if you could do it again,
56:44would you have started
56:44fighting the way you did
56:46earlier in the fight?
56:48Like I said,
56:48we stuck to a game plan,
56:50so when it come down,
56:51for me to be able
56:52to pick it up before
56:54and stay at that tempo
56:56all the way to the end,
56:57I would have loved to do that
56:58and see what it brought up.
56:59You know, I'm in good shape,
57:01you know,
57:01but, you know,
57:02the decision happened
57:03the way the decision happened.
57:04Would you give him a rematch?
57:05Yes, I would love to.
57:06Thanks, James,
57:07and congratulations.
57:11What are your thoughts, Carlos?
57:14Ah, man, I felt good.
57:15It was the end of the round
57:16and I got up right away.
57:20He did seem,
57:21Ann Wolfe told him
57:21in the corner
57:22before that last round,
57:23basically told him
57:24he's losing the fight.
57:24He has to just go out
57:26and really fight you.
57:27He seemed to have
57:28some success doing that.
57:29Did you think
57:30you could hold him off?
57:31Oh, yeah, definitely.
57:32I mean,
57:33I fell down at the end
57:34right there,
57:34but, I mean,
57:35I felt good.
57:35But there were still
57:36several rounds to go
57:37and he seemed
57:37to be coming on.
57:39Yeah, but still,
57:39I mean, I feel good.
57:40I'm in top shape.
57:41I'm going,
57:41I'm ready for 15 rounds.
57:43You were dominating
57:44almost every round,
57:46yet Gail Van Hoy,
57:47one of the judges,
57:48had you down a point
57:51at the end of that fight.
57:53What are your thoughts?
57:53Why was he watching?
57:55I don't know.
57:56I mean,
57:56what can I say?
57:57I'm not,
57:57I'm not a judge.
57:58I like to say,
57:59we'll do it again,
57:59you know,
58:00whenever.
58:01You're a fighter
58:02who only had
58:03six amateur fights.
58:04You put the only stain
58:05on Chavez Jr.'s record.
58:07You beat Kermit Cintron.
58:08You drew with
58:09Erislandi Lara.
58:10Now you seem to get
58:11a raw deal
58:12against Kirkland here.
58:14Why does this
58:15keep happening to you?
58:16You fight so well
58:17and yet you're not
58:18coming away officially
58:19with the wins.
58:21I don't know.
58:21I don't know if it's,
58:22you know,
58:23my record
58:23or what it is,
58:25but I just,
58:26you know,
58:26it seems to happen
58:27to me all the time.
58:29About the fight itself,
58:31what was the game plan
58:32going in?
58:33How did you see
58:33the fight going?
58:35We just,
58:36you know,
58:36counter,
58:36you know,
58:37defense,
58:38you know,
58:38fight smart
58:38and,
58:39you know,
58:40go out there and win.
58:41Win every round
58:41and if you see
58:42the opening to stop them,
58:43then go for it.
58:44But,
58:45you know,
58:45our goal is,
58:46you know,
58:46win every single round.
58:48Carlos,
58:49you want the rematch?
58:50Definitely.
58:52Soon as possible.
58:53Thanks and congratulations
58:54on another excellent fight,
58:56one of the best
58:56junior middleweights
58:57in the world.
58:57Jim?
58:58All right,
59:00Max,
59:00probably the best
59:01that can be said
59:01about it is
59:02it's over with.
59:03And now Kirkland,
59:05believe it or not,
59:06has a record
59:07of 31-1.
59:10Still to come tonight,
59:12our main event,
59:13Eric Morales
59:13at 35 years old
59:15trying to wake
59:15the echoes
59:16one more time
59:17against 24-year-old
59:18Danny Garcia
59:19of Philadelphia.
59:21I'm naturally bigger
59:24than him,
59:24taller,
59:25faster,
59:26stronger,
59:26I have all the advantages
59:27and all I gotta do
59:28is deliver.
59:31He must be very fast
59:32and he must be
59:33very powerful
59:34by the way
59:34they're describing him.
59:36But,
59:36I haven't seen
59:37any of that
59:38and I haven't seen
59:38any of that
59:39in his last fight.
59:39LaVayu City,
59:43home to over
59:432.1 million people.
59:45Houston is the fourth
59:45largest city
59:46in the country.
59:47Tonight,
59:47we're at the Reliant Arena
59:48a few miles south
59:49of downtown.
59:50And before we get
59:51to Morales Garcia,
59:52let's take a look
59:53at our upcoming
59:53HBO and HBO
59:54pay-per-view
59:55boxing schedule.