Terence Crawford vs. John Molina: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info
It's not often the marquee stateside boxing matchup in a given weekend takes place from deep in the heart of the United States. The spotlight often shines brightest in Las Vegas, maybe somewhere along the Eastern seaboard, or perhaps a big card materializes in Los Angeles.
But when Terence "Bud" Crawford beckons a fighter to his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, then that's exactly where the boxing world orients itself for a moment.
The 29-year-old is set to put his WBO and WBC world super lightweight titles on the line Saturday against the hard-hitting John Molina Jr. in a scheduled 12-round bout.
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Crawford, the No. 5 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, according to Ring Magazine, is looking to put in some work following a huge win over the previously undefeated Viktor Postol in July. That victory saw him capture the WBC title and further burnish his reputation as one of the world's best boxers working today.
Molina is coming off an upset win over Ruslan Provodnikov in June, but he is 5-5 in his last 10 fights and will need every bit of his power, bravery and guile if he is to somehow pull off a win against Crawford.
Terence Crawford vs. John Molina Jr. Fight Info
When: Saturday, Dec. 10 at 9:35 p.m. ET
Where: CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska
TV: HBO
Live Stream: BoxNation (UK Only)
| 29-0-0, 20 KOs | Record | 29-6, 23 KOS |
| 69% | KO Percentage | 66% |
| 147 | Rounds | 165 |
| 29 | Age | 33 |
| 5'8" | Height | 5'10.5" |
| 70" | Reach | 71" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
Give Molina credit. It's not easy to pick a fight with a guy as talented as Crawford, someone who has just about every tool in his box and a knack for finding just the right one to pry an opponent open and scramble his circuitry.
Crawford isn't the most powerful of boxers, but he has a robust knockout record due to his ability to pick apart opponents.
The Nebraskan often starts matches slowly, probing for weaknesses and letting his opponents display their repertoires so he can find something to use against them. Against Postol, Crawford needed just four rounds to crack the code before dropping the lanky Ukrainian twice in the fifth on the way to a unanimous decision.
Against Thomas Dulorme in April 2015, it was five cagey rounds of moving around the ring and incisive, careful body work before Bud started canning the Puerto Rican. He scored three knockdowns in the sixth on the way to a TKO victory.
Similar fates befell the likes of Yuriorkis Gamboa and Hank Lundy, both of whom possess different strengths and styles than either Postol or Dulorme.
All of this is to say that Crawford has taken on challengers of all stripes and sizes and defeated them, using different techniques and strategies as each situation calls for.
It's clear that Molina will need much more than his raw power to defeat Crawford. If there's a glimmer of hope to be had for the 33-year-old California native, it's in his performance against Provodnikov.
USA Today's Bob Velin noted Molina used a steady jab, not power punches, to pull off the upset win: "Molina, 33, used his height and reach advantage to jab at will all night long, 643 of them in all, and kept the slugging Russian at bay, not allowing Provodnikov to get inside where he's most comfortable at close range."
Molina credited a new trainer in Shadeed Suluki for showing him a path to greater nuance and technical proficiency inside the ring.
"He realized that I could use the jab, which was a bad word at one point in my career," Molina said, per Velin. "And he showed me how to use my feet. And use my God-given attributes, which is my height and reach advantage."
Molina does possess height and reach advantages over Crawford, so he may turn to the jab again here in this fight.
Of course, Crawford has much more in his arsenal than the brutish Provodnikov and is vastly more comfortable fighting on the outside. Unless Molina can find a way to combine a jab with power shots to the body and slow down Crawford, it's tough to see him outpointing the Omaha native.
Crawford's languid starting pace might work against him if Molina can fire off a few really hard punches and then sit back on a long jab. However, the ultra-cool Crawford isn't one to get rattled, and one would think he can work his way around a guy who only recently has discovered a truly effective jab.
Molina already has a major upset this year under his belt, but he's doubtful to make it two. Crawford should win this one handily on points, perhaps setting himself up for a fight with Manny Pacquiao or another luminary in the welterweight division.
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