By Miguel Maravilla at ringside
Former world champion Omar Figueroa (28-0-1, 19 KOs) of Welasco, Texas won a unanimous decision over exciting veteran slugger John Molina Jr. (30-8, 24 KOs) of Covina, California on Saturday night at the Microsoft Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. Figueroa, who came in five pounds over the welterweight limit struggled early as Molina connected him with a right hand in the opening round.
Fighting on the inside in round two, Figueroa and Molina did not hold back. Continuing to fight at close range in the third, Figueroa and Molina pounded away. Later in the round, Molina cornered Figueroa and landed solidly on the inside. Standing toe to toe in the fourth, Figueroa began to back up Molina to the ropes but the veteran held his own. A chopping right hand in the fifth backed Figueroa to the ropes as Molina attacked.
Molina landed another solid right hand in the sixth as he kept overwhelming and outworking Figueroa. Continuing on the inside in the seventh, Figueroa and Molina kept their hands going. Late in the fight in the eighth, Molina once again backed Figueroa to the ropes with the chopping right but the Texan continued to go forward. With the two fighters tired in the ninth, Figueroa connected with a solid right but Molina kept throwing. With the fight hanging close, tenth and final round saw Figueroa pressing as Molina kept his distance popping the jab.
In the end, the judges scored the bout 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93.
Undefeated super welterweight prospect Sebastian Fundora (12-0, 8 KOs) of Coachella, California scored a third round stoppage over Donnie Marshall (10-1, 6 KOs). Fudora hurt Marshall on the inside in round two as he followed up and continued to attack. However in round three, Fundora dropped Marshall with a right. The tall and rangy Fundora then finished him with an accumulation of punches as the referee stepped in to stop the fight at 1:08 of the third.
In the opening bout, super featherweights Argentina’s Neri Romero (12-0, 7 KOs) and Thomas Smith (5-7-1, 3 KOs) of Dallas went the distance in a scheduled six round bout. Smith dropped Romero in the opening round but the Argentine continued to fight. The Texan fighter, Smith continued to give the aggressive Romero issues with his flashy style throughout the fight. Romero was cut in the final round but continued to press as Smith popped the jab and kept his distance. All three judges scored the bout 58-55 as Neri Romero pulls off a questionable unanimous decision.
Making his pro debut Shon Mondragon (1-0, 1 KO) of Denver stopped Julio Martinez (1-1) in two rounds of a four-round super bantamweight fight. From the start Mondragon attacked as he bloodied his opponent Martinez. The corner had seen enough as they threw in the towel referee Ray Corona stepped in to stop the fight at 47 seconds into the second.