Carlos Molina vs. Cornelius Bundrage: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info
The battle between IBF 154-pound champion Carlos Molina (22-5-2, 6 KO) and Cornelius "K9" Bundrage (33-5, 19 KO) has all the makings of a sloppy, aesthetically unappealing bout. That's blunt honesty, folks, but let's hope I'm wrong.
Molina won the title in an ugly bout against Ishe Smith in Sept. 2013, but he's been inactive due to legal problems since. Molina was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender in 2007. This was connected to a charge back in 2001.
The fight is taking place in Cancun, Mexico, primarily because Molina lives there and can't leave the country due to immigration issues stemming from the legal problems, per Ray Slover of Sporting News.
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Per Slover, Molina recently said this:
"I understand that a lot of people are going to judge me, and that's their opinion, and that's the way that it is. But the thing is, this is something that happened when I was 18 years old. I was immature. But I'm 31 right now, so that was 13 years ago.
I ended up doing nine months for that, and I've learned from that. Now, I'm mature. I want to move forward and move on with my life from that point. Now, I have my own family, and I know what I'm doing. I never want to be in position to go to jail for any reason.
"
Molina returns to the ring looking to make a living and to defend his championship against Bundrage.
K9 is the man Smith beat to earn the title, so this matchup—though uninspiring—makes some sense. Bundrage is 41 years old, and he may be getting his last opportunity at a world title. He won a unanimous decision over Joey Hernandez in his last fight back in January, so he's hoping to win his second in a row and regain the title he lost.
Here's how you can watch.
When: Saturday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET
Where: Oasis Hotel Complex, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico
TV: ESPN Deportes
Live Stream: BoxNation
"Rafael: ESPN buys rights to Carlos Molina-@K9boxing fight http://t.co/9N3YBXetV0 @danrafaelespn
— ESPN Boxing (@ESPNBoxing) October 7, 2014"
The Book on Molina
The champion has a tough road ahead of him. Though he's a very skilled boxer, Molina needs to prove he is worthy of a larger viewing audience. That'll be tough considering he can't punch. Molina's six KOs is proof he doesn't bring the most crowd-pleasing style into the ring.
Add into the mix his problems with the law that are sure to be frowned upon by the masses and his subsequent restrictions in fighting location, and Molina might be the world champion in the most unfortunate situation.
The only thing he can do is win, for whatever that will be worth. Can he handle K9?
The Book on Bundrage
Opportunities probably aren't plentiful for Bundrage in the way of title bouts these days. His loss to Smith was not a good one, and his recent wins haven't made him look like the second coming of Thomas Hearns.
From a pure skill standpoint, Bundrage is unrefined to say the least. He does, however, possess an enormous heart and good power.
Skilled boxers like Molina will always give him problems, but if he can turn the bout into a slugfest, he'll have a puncher's chance. The fact that Bundrage is traveling to Cancun to fight a champion like Molina tells you a bit about his current place in the sport.
If he wins, the IBF would probably be thrilled, as it would have a champion capable of defending the title in the states. If he loses, Molina will continue to hold the belt, making it one of the most disconnected titles in the sport today.
Prediction
It would be a nice story if Bundrage went into Mexico and won the title, but I can't see it happening. Molina's skills are far beyond Bundrage's, and the champion has made a living outsmarting opponents who were physically stronger and more heralded.
Scoring Molina's fights is often a chore because there's not usually a ton of action, but he finds a way to win rounds. On Saturday, he'll win more than Bundrage and retain his title.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
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