Javier Molina

Molina's father, Miguel, had a successful amateur boxing career in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, before he migrated to the United States.^[3] His older brother Carlos is a highly regarded prospect with a 17-1-1 record,^[4] and his twin brother, Oscar Molina, fights on the Mexican Olympic team.^[5]

With a Vicente Fernández ring entrance song of "No Me Se Rajar", a tune that reflects the macho culture that prevails in Mexico, Molina finished his amateur career with a record of 111-12.^[6] He won a bronze medal at the 2006 Cadet World Championships at lightweight and a national title at the 2006 Junior Olympic International Invitational. He knocked down Karl Dargan (a two-time 141-pound U.S. champion and winner of the 2007 Pan American Games) twice at the U.S. championships.^[7] He then won against Jeremy Bryan and Dan O'Connor, followed by Brad Solomon in the finals, to win the junior welterweight title.^[8] At the World Championships in 2007, he beat Azerbaijan's Emil Maharramov, the 2005 bronze medalist, 27-10, but lost to England's 2008 Olympian Bradley Saunders.^[9][10]

2008 Olympics

At the Olympic qualifier, Molina beat Myke Carvalho and then sealed his qualification with a win over Canada's Kevin Bizier.^[11] He lost his Olympic debut 1:14 to Boris Georgiev of Bulgaria. According to at least one doctor, it was a fight that never should have taken place.^[12] After it was over, Coach Dan Campbell said Molina had gone into the bout with a small hole in his lung, which allowed air to seep out beneath the skin.^[12]

Molina is signed to the promotional company Goossen Tutor.^[13] In his third fight, he got a second round K.O. over veteran Miguel Garcia.^[14]