By Gabriel Princewill-
Heavyweight IBF champion, Anthony Joshua, will shine tonight in Manchester.
He defends his belt against Eric Molina(25-3)18, the durable American who extended WBC champion Deontey Wilder when he engaged him for 9 rounds this year.
Both men have engaged in the traditional hype that characterises the sport, Joshua confidently promising to make a novice of Molina, who has done the full 12 rounds on 9 occasions out of his 28 fights.
Molina in return has promised to exploit any flaws or lapse of concentration his highly favoured opponent shows before a huge large live and international audience. Molina is nothing special, but is not lethargic in any form or shape.
A forward coming fighter, he has an appetite for physical battle ostensibly betrayed by a genetic composition not ideal world domination in the heavyweight scene. At 6ft 4 inches, Molina has the size and power to fiercely engage any heavyweight in the world, but he lacks the athletic prowess that innately accompanies Anthony Joshua’s lethal arsenal.
Molina is slightly rangey and utilises his mobility well, sometimes throwing his punches in an unorthodox fashion. He is unarguably more useful than American Charles Martin, who handed Joshua his IBF belt, after succumbing to the Londoner’s power in just 2 rounds after talking a very good game in February this year.
Martin was adamant Joshua was outside his league, but was fighting back tears in his changing room after as he struggled to explain how he ended up flat on his back. The American earned $5m from that fight, and with that, he disappeared from the sport to enjoy life with his family.
Molina knows this is his last opportunity to be a world champion and he fancies his chances. The fact he gave Wilder a tough time, even rocking him in the third round, is a boost to his confidence.
He says Wilder is the biggest puncher in the world. Joshua will present a different opposition, more especially if the IBF champion is intent on blowing him out quickly than employing the tactical approach adopted by Wilder when he met Molina in their own fight.
It promises to be an interesting encounter with an outcome that may hinge on the level of urgency exhibited by the respective combatants. An upset is not improbable and will not rank as highly as that of Buster Douglas against Mike Tyson or Hasim Rahman against Lennox Lewis in 2001, let alone Tyson’s Fury’s defeat of Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
However, it will send shock waves in the division if it happens. The more likely scenario is for Joshua to quickly stamp his authority on Molina early, forcing an explosive stoppage in the first or fourth round. Such a result will be a testament to Joshua’s power, but it will be better for Joshua’s development if he gets a good six or seven rounds out of the fight.
Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora will have a good battle that will go the full distance with Whyte emerging the winner, but of someone is to get knocked out expect it to be Chisora around the eight round. It should be a night to remember