- 7 weeks ago
John John Molina defends his IBF Jr Lightweight Champion against former Featherweight champion Goyo Vargas on TVKO HBO PPV
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00:00Thank you very much, James Brown. Indeed, this 130-pound championship fight now between John
00:04John Molina of Puerto Rico and Gregorio Vargas, nicknamed Goyo Vargas of Mexico. Larry Merchant,
00:10what do we know about these two warriors? Well, what we know is that when they collide,
00:16they're going to be the perfect warm-up fight for the main attraction because I don't see how it
00:22can fail to be even a better action fight than the one we just saw, which was pretty darn good
00:28and very dramatic. The champion Molina is a nonstop whirlwind type of fighter. The challenger Vargas
00:36is a wonderful boxer puncher who put on a terrific show when he lost his featherweight title to Kevin
00:42Kelly a few months ago. And this is the division that's probably loaded with more talent than any
00:47other division in boxing. Perhaps the best known is Oscar De La Hoya, and perhaps you can get some
00:55kind of a gauge of how a developing junior lightweight looks against junior lightweights
01:02who are already well-developed. And indeed, it should be pointed out that when we talked about
01:07Oscar De La Hoya with these two guys yesterday, they were both at great pains to say, hey, wait a
01:11minute. He's all publicity for now. He's not ready for real professionals like us. We'll probably get a
01:17chance to see somewhere down the road. George, you saw Gregorio Vargas with us in his title losing
01:23effort at the featherweight level, 126 pounds four months ago against Kevin Kelly. Now he comes back
01:28four pounds up the road at 130. Can he be just as good? He's going to be better. In the earlier
01:34fights, he was always saying, hold on, settle down so I can knock you out. Now with the extra weight,
01:38the other opponent will have for him, he's going to have an easier target. He's going to be better at
01:42this weight. All right, let's take a good look at Gregorio Vargas now as he gets ready for the fight.
01:46He's stylish, but a two-handed pounder from Mexico. And when I say a pounder, I mean he has
01:52punching pounds power in both the left and the right hand. 29 wins, three of the four losses
01:58relatively early in his career. He had a long string of knockouts prior to the loss to Kevin
02:03Kelly, December in Sacramento, where he sacrificed the featherweight championship. Now he comes back
02:09at 130 pounds to challenge one of the really good lesser-known fighters in the sport. You may think
02:16that Hector Macho Camacho is the most famous of Puerto Rican fighters in recent years, along with
02:20Edwin Rosario, but down in Puerto Rico, they are just as fond and maybe have more respect now
02:26for Juan John John Molina, who holds the title at 130 pounds. You can see there the record of 34 wins,
02:33three losses, 25 KOs like Vargas. He keeps coming at you, has punching power in both hands. And we'll
02:41take a look at the tail of the tape for these two fighters. You'll see that there is very little to
02:47choose between John John Molina, who is trained incidentally by the ubiquitous Lou Duva, and Gregorio
02:54Vargas. Molina with about two and a half inches of height advantage, but the reach turns out to be
03:00identical because Vargas is relatively long-armed. Punch stat numbers, Larry. And let's see how active
03:06they are, and this is a reflection of how they fight. Molina throws a lot of punches. Vargas is a more
03:13calculating puncher. Molina, although he is a very aggressive fighter, does throw a lot of jabs. Vargas lands a
03:25lot of big punches. And the rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold
03:32Letterman. John John Molina and Goya Vargas will box tonight using the rules of the International Boxing
03:38Federation. 12 rounds. There is no standing eight count, no three-knockdown rule. You cannot be saved
03:45by the bell in any round, including the last. Only the referee can stop the fight. And in case the cut
03:50is caused by an accidental headbutt, and that cut causes the fight to be stopped, we go to the scorecards
03:56if the six rounds have been completed. Before that, it's a technical draw. Jim. Thank you, Harold.
04:02Right now, let's go up to ring announcer Michael Buffer for the pre-fight introductions.
04:07And now, ladies and gentlemen, here at Caesars Palace, main events monitor, in association with
04:13your undisputed king of beers, Budweiser, presents part two of our boxing championship triple header.
04:20This bout is sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the International Boxing
04:24Federation. The supervisor ringside for the IBF will be Robert W. Lee Jr. The three judges assigned
04:32to score this bout on a ten-point must system will be Bill Graham, Nelson Vasquez, and Hector
04:39Wilshies. And when the bell rings, the man in charge of the action working in a world championship
04:44bout for the 63rd time referee Joe Cortez.
04:50And now, ladies and gentlemen, this is it. 12 rounds of boxing for the IBF Junior Lightweight
04:59Championship of the World. Introducing first, fighting out of the red corner, weighing in
05:06at 130 pounds, wearing white, red, and green trim from Hidalgo, Mexico. He brings a professional
05:14record of 29 victories, 20 by KO, against four defeats, with one draw. Ladies and gentlemen, he's
05:22ranked number eight in the world. Introducing the challenger, Gregorio Golio Vargas.
05:31And his opponent across the ring, fighting out of the blue corner, weighing in at 129 and
05:41one-half pounds, wearing the colors of his native Puerto Rico, red, white, and blue. His professional
05:47record, 34 and 3, 25 KO victories. Ladies and gentlemen, from Fajardo, Puerto Rico, presenting
05:57the IBF Junior Lightweight Champion of the World, Juan Janjan Molina. At this time, ladies and
06:10gentlemen, please rise for the respect of national anthems. First, the anthem of Mexico.
06:20For barulets, please rise and kneeling.
06:37Sometime the Q&A is ابed in the middle of the old ****.
06:43So, this is a candidvana influence.
06:46Oh, my God.
07:16Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the anthem of Puerto Rico to be performed
07:20live by Hector Fricoche.
07:46No sirve de docel y dan arrullos placidos las olas a sus pies cuando a sus playas llegó Colón.
07:59¡Exclamo lleno de admiración!
08:04Oh, esa es la linda tierra que busco yo.
08:14Es Borinquen la hija, la hija del mar y el sol, del mar y el sol, del mar y el sol.
08:38¡Gracias!
08:48Rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican prizefighters.
08:54Last rose to the fore in the confrontation between Julio César Chávez and Hector Macho Camacho.
09:00Ok, ya yo leí la regla en el Camerino a los dos.
09:04Quiero que me dé una pelea limpia.
09:06Ya sabes, cuando yo leí a un break, quiero que rompan limpio, ok?
09:09Dese la mano y suelte a los dos.
09:11El trabajo de la tercera persona en el ring es often una difícil.
09:15Quiero decir, ahora, que creo que Richard Steele era correcto,
09:20y yo era correcto sobre la condición de Julio César Chávez.
09:24Cuando estaba cerca de Julio César Chávez,
09:27fue evidente que era más seriamente hurto que yo pensaba que era.
09:33Así, ¿es acerido con George Foreman que era un buen stoppage?
09:36¡Absolutamente!
09:37¡Pay me, pay me!
09:39¡He did!
09:40¡He paid you credit!
09:41¡I want burgers!
09:42¡He paid you tribute and credit!
09:44¡That's what you'll get here!
09:45¡Round one between Molina and Vargas!
09:47¡It is Molina who is in the decorated red, white, and blue trunks!
09:52¡Vargas!
09:53¡In the colors of Mexico!
09:55Certainly, John John Molina presents the more powerful picture,
10:07but we know that Gregorio Vargas has punching power.
10:11He floored Kevin Kelly even while losing his title to him back in December.
10:16And incidentally, one final postscript on Jones-Johnson.
10:30A peek at the scorecards indicates exactly what we might have expected.
10:33Junior Jones was leading,
10:35but Johnson still had a mathematical chance to win the fight by decision.
10:39Both fighters with some good moments in the first minute of round one here.
10:49Molina showing the left hook to good advantage.
10:55Uh-huh...
11:04Let's do it!
11:06Let's do it!
11:07Let's do it!
11:10Let's do it!
11:11Let's do it, let's do it!
11:13Let's do it!
11:14Let's do it!
11:15Referee Joe Cortez now living here in Nevada,
11:17a great choice for this fight, for obvious reasons.
11:21You know the fight is going real slow because both fellas are real confident in their punching
11:35power, so there's not going to be a lot of filling out with jabs.
11:40Also Vargas is being a little bit passive at this point, he won't be that way for long.
11:51They trade left hands, Vargas tried a right-hand lead, didn't get it across, this time he lands
11:57with the right-hand lead.
12:01John John Molina came back with a left hook there.
12:06Not many jabs, both fighters looking for a chance to throw power punches.
12:15A couple of body shots inside by Vargas, and a gratuitous one as Cortes breaks him apart.
12:25Good right-hand by Gregorio Vargas, didn't do much to Molina, he stood still.
12:30That one right hand, if it landed as cleanly as it appeared from over here on this side
12:43of the ring, might have been the difference in the round.
12:45In the locker rooms, Evander Holyfield warming up.
12:52Hands wrapped, not yet with the gloves on, a little while to go before they'll do that.
13:05And nearby, Michael Moorer, quiet, passive, projecting the image of sullen self-protectiveness,
13:16which is part of his outlook on the world, seemingly 24 hours a day.
13:27But as usual, quite aware that he's on camera, too.
13:31They take those hands so that no one can go over with brand new tape after the judges leave
13:35the dressing room.
13:36Speaking not at all, but carrying big fists.
13:41That's Moorer.
13:43Round two begins, 130-pound championship at stake.
13:45The champion is John John Molina of Puerto Rico in the red, white, and blue.
13:49Gregorio Vargas landed the big right hand toward the end of round one.
13:52Did not appear to move the seemingly stronger Molina.
13:56Now both fighters begin to open up a little more as the second round begins.
14:22Little more jabbing here.
14:23It appears that both corners have asked their fighters to step up the pace.
14:28Vargas trying with that right-hand lead over the top again.
14:32Good right to the body by Vargas.
14:42Molina with the chopping right hand over the top.
14:57Molina is the more mechanical of the two fighters.
15:01Vargas the more fluid.
15:05Good body shot by Vargas.
15:09And by Molina.
15:10The first one by Molina, the second by Vargas.
15:17Left hand on the face of Vargas.
15:19He backs away and shakes his head.
15:20He backs away and shakes his head.
15:22He backs away and shakes his head.
15:36Molina beginning to recognize that Vargas likes the right hand lead.
15:39He's blocked the last couple of them.
15:40Vargas tries the left instead.
15:49For the first time in Vargas' career, he's having to give respect.
15:52Normally, he gets respect.
15:53Normally, he gets respect.
15:55This is a new identity for him, and he doesn't know he's got to box his way out of this for
15:59the first few rounds.
16:04Good left to the body by Vargas.
16:06What about trying to counter Molina's left?
16:09George, he wants to throw the right.
16:11You've got to be careful with the countering.
16:13Now, this guy, Molina, has muscles.
16:15He's powerful, and probably he's a middleweight when he's not in training.
16:19So, you've got to be careful with this countering, because if he happens to hit you at the same
16:23time, it's Vargas who's going down.
16:26Keep in mind that Molina has seen it all.
16:28Over the years, under the tutelage of Lou Duva, he has sparred many rounds with Meldrick
16:33Taylor and with Pernell Whitaker.
16:39Victor Garcia, our interpreter, will tell you what's going on in the corners.
16:45Don't take it out?
16:46Okay, I'll leave it in.
16:47Hey, you're boxing beautiful now.
16:48Okay.
16:49You got that?
16:50He's got his jab.
16:51He's getting the distance.
16:52He's getting the fast combination.
16:53Okay?
16:54Use your legs.
16:55Use your jab.
16:57You always have your hands up.
17:02Hey.
17:07Come on, breathe in, breathe in.
17:12Strong.
17:13Do it again.
17:14Punches through round two.
17:33Molina more active.
17:36Vargas more accurate.
17:37Vargas landing slightly more power punches.
17:40Molina many, many more jabs.
17:55Good left hand by Molina, and he lands a right behind him.
17:58Vargas trying to trade punches with Molina might not be the best idea, George.
18:02Not at all.
18:03He should jab, jab, and go to the body.
18:05Take some of the wind out of this giant of a guy at 1.30.
18:08Break, break, break, break.
18:09You got to get some of that power out of him by hitting body, using body punches.
18:13Vargas hasn't went to the body enough.
18:17Once you've gone to the body, then you can exchange.
18:23Molina moving in, shortening the distance on the jab.
18:30Has felt Vargas's power, and for the moment appears to believe he can take what Vargas has to throw.
18:36Vargas lands a straight right and another right underneath.
18:40Good body shot by Molina.
18:58Precise technical work by John John Molina.
19:01He's doing an excellent job of body punching and then going back up to the head to see if that body punch hurt.
19:18Uppercut by Molina just missed. Chopping right hand did land.
19:22Vargas landed a couple shots in return, but it is Molina whose punches are landing harder right now.
19:30Right hand by Vargas. Molina trades a right to the body.
19:35Vargas can't believe that these straight right hand was not having any effect on this guy at this point.
19:41Those extra pounds make a difference.
19:44Yeah, if you were to look at the difference between Molina and Vargas's last opponent, little Kevin Kelly from New York,
19:51you would never believe it was only four pounds of difference.
19:55Those four pounds are worlds of difference.
19:59Molina backs Vargas up to the ropes with body shots.
20:09Vargas comes back with a left hook and a straight left.
20:14Round three comes to a close.
20:33John John Molina, the champion, finishing most of these exchanges.
20:37And much more the active fighter.
20:40And in a near even round, he's going to get it for being as active as he is.
20:44Wait, what's this guy?
20:49Come on, you have to go in first.
20:59Just do what I tell you.
21:06You're pulling the guy. You're pulling up the torso.
21:11And he's hitting you.
21:13Don't do that anymore.
21:15Use your left hand.
21:18And when you get turning, boom, right back in with the jab again.
21:25Okay, let's go.
21:26Fourth round of a scheduled 12 for the IBF Junior Lightweight Championship.
21:42Champion John John Molina of Puerto Rico on the left of your screen in the red, white, and blue trunks.
21:47On the right, in the colors of Mexico, Gregorio Goyo Vargas, former 126-pound champ, moving up in weight.
21:56In the first three rounds, the pattern which appears to have been established is Molina more active, slightly stronger.
22:02Vargas searching for the right answer.
22:06Vargas seems to have touch, and he keys in on his kid, but he bounces up and down on his feet to throw you off.
22:12A guy generally that much bigger shouldn't be that fast, but he's fast with his feet.
22:17Molina moves.
22:22We'll learn in this fight whether it's a good night for Mexicans.
22:26So far, it's a good night for Mexican-Americans.
22:29As in the bout before this one, John Michael Johnson, Mexican mother, American father from San Antonio, Texas, scored a dramatic upset over Poison Junior Jones,
22:41to lift Jones' WBA phantom weight championship.
22:45Eleventh round TKO for John Michael Johnson.
22:56I think Vargas is making a mistake. He's filling this big guy out like he was the 126s.
23:01When you fill him out, you take a lot of punishment, and you can't recover from that punishment.
23:06Vargas trading jabs with Molina.
23:10Lands a left hook and backs away. Another left hook lands for Vargas.
23:15Molina becoming more aggressive and more open, leaving himself available for Vargas to land more shots.
23:22Vargas steps in with the right hand, chopping over the top.
23:25All right, break!
23:26One more on the table.
23:27All right, break!
23:28One more on the table.
23:30One more on the table.
23:31All right, break!
23:32One more on the table.
23:33One more on the table.
23:34One more on the table.
23:37Subtle difference, George, but I think Vargas looks a little bit more comfortable now.
24:01I think so. He's getting in less and less of the power exchange.
24:05He's able to land his jab occasionally, but he's have a tendency to wait,
24:11and you just can't wait for Duval fighters to get tired.
24:13You just better get in and get your points early.
24:16They have a tendency to get stronger and stronger.
24:21He's saying you expect Molina to be well-conditioned.
24:23That's true, and Vargas seems to think, hey, I'll get him in a minute.
24:27It just doesn't happen with these strong-legged guys.
24:35And Molina does present an awfully robust picture in there for 130 pounds.
24:45Larry, you know, Goyo Vargas complained vehemently that he was the effective aggressor against Kevin Kelly,
24:52but I want to tell you something. It's totally the opposite in this fight.
24:55John John Molina winning this fight, four rounds to nothing, 40 to 36 on effective aggressiveness.
25:01He's getting off first, landing more shots, landing the cleaner punches.
25:05Beautiful ring generalship. He gets off first constantly, backs up Molina.
25:09It's all Molina.
25:11I scored the first round even.
25:13There's Kevin Costner at ringside.
25:16Magic Johnson, another regular at these big fights.
25:24For the moment, so go to the Los Angeles Lakers, along with wife Cookie, incidentally,
25:30who was on the right of your screen there with Irving.
25:33Along about this time, I wonder if Vargas' handlers are beginning to think
25:38it wasn't such a hot idea after a tough fight with Kevin Kelly
25:43to come back a few months later against John John Molina.
25:47Totally agree.
25:52It'll take some drama for Vargas to turn it around and make it look like a good choice,
25:56but of course, in the first three rounds of our first bout this evening,
26:00you would never have thought that John Michael Johnson was going to find a way to beat Poison Jr. Jones.
26:05There's a solid right hand landing over the top by Molina.
26:09He follows up with a body shot and another right hand.
26:11Vargas still trying to trade with him when he gets hit.
26:15Molina just busting through Vargas' guard with that hard left jab.
26:32Talk about respect.
26:33Molina faints with the shoulder now,
26:35and Vargas moves away.
26:38You take it at four pounds.
26:41It hurts.
26:47But Vargas is making a stand here or a statement
26:50that he's not going to go away quietly.
26:54Well, he loves to trade punches.
26:55It's his natural instinct to flurry and trade punches
26:58and think that he's going to win the exchange.
27:01And at 126 pounds, he almost always did.
27:08Molina had better must up a bit more respect, though.
27:12Vargas can touch.
27:14Lou Duval will tell Molina to stay within a tight arc, keep his punches short, resist the temptation to throw haymakers just because he's landing.
27:37And haymakers, they are landing tonight.
27:41Molina is putting those haymakers in.
27:43Yep.
27:43He's gotten a couple of wide right hands in here.
27:46Even when you block them, they hurt you because your glove protects you, but it hits you on the face, too.
27:54Vargas landing a straight right over the top.
27:56Vargas may be hoping, just as John Michael Johnson did, that the eastern seaboard fighter will wilt in the heat.
28:09But, of course, Molina is from Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
28:15Vargas is still mindful of throwing in quick short rights to the body.
28:19Round five, very much like round four.
28:34Some good exchanges, a lot of trading.
28:37John John Molina simply stronger than Gregorio Vargas.
28:40And we remind you, still to come, and in all likelihood, what you're waiting for, the heavyweight championship battle between Evander Holyfield and number one IBF contender Michael Moorer.
28:53Moorer trying to become the first southpaw in history to hold a heavyweight championship.
28:59He's only the third southpaw ever to challenge for a heavyweight title.
29:03And here's Molina coming in with a wide, arcing right hand over the left of Vargas.
29:11They're having the same punch.
29:14They're having wonderful exchanges in the middle of the ring.
29:18This ring could be about a quarter of the size it is, and it wouldn't make any difference to them the way they're fighting.
29:24Okay.
29:25The attack coming in.
29:26All right.
29:28Second.
29:28Second.
29:29Second.
29:30Second.
29:30Second.
29:30Second.
29:31Second.
29:31Second.
29:32Second.
29:32Second.
29:33Second.
29:33Second.
29:34Third.
29:35Second.
29:35Second.
29:39In round five, Gregorio Vargas landed at a forty four percent rate.
29:43That's the good news.
29:45The bad news is he threw only fifty four punches while John John Molina was nearly doubling him with a one hundred four punch output.
29:56Referee Joe Cortez warning both fighters to watch their heads to prevent butting.
30:02George, before the fight, I spoke about trying to compare
30:09these developed fighters to Oscar De La Hoya.
30:12What do you see?
30:15Oscar De La Hoya has a difference, and it's with combinations.
30:19The skier, this guy is really a comer.
30:21These guys are good fighters, but they're only good.
30:24Oscar has the tendency to move up a step higher, if you ask me.
30:27You're saying he's got the potential to be better than just good.
30:30That's right, and this is what Wilson, the best that these fighters got.
30:34It may be a question sooner rather than later,
30:36because John John Molina just landed about four spectacular right hands in that exchange.
30:43Vargas' head was snapping back.
30:44He landed one solid right in return, but took a lot of punishment
30:48as Molina, a more and more confident fighter,
30:51is unleashing that right hand inside.
30:55Here's another one.
30:56Vargas is going to have to find a way to stop the right cross, George.
31:01It's driving him nuts, those looping roundhouse punches
31:04that Molina are throwing.
31:05It's driving Vargas crazy.
31:07If he can only just say, go right between them,
31:09but if he goes between them, he gets hit at the same time.
31:13Good thinking by Molina.
31:15After landing all those right crosses up top,
31:18he backs Vargas up with a couple of body shots.
31:20Vargas steps in with a right-hand lead.
31:22He seems determined to make that punch work.
31:40Another right hand.
31:41Here's a right hand for Vargas.
31:45Molina can take a fight like this all night,
31:47but Vargas with that extra weight,
31:49it's not in his best interest
31:50to keep mixing it up like that.
32:06That's what he's wanted to do all night, Vargas,
32:08make him miss with that looping right hand
32:10and keep a counter going with his right hand.
32:14And as he made Molina miss the second time,
32:16he was able to step in with a hard left hand to the body.
32:19I think that's what he needs to do, George,
32:21is find a way to step inside of Molina's power
32:23and attack his body.
32:24And the thing about it, when he steps in,
32:26this guy is so strong that it hurts just to step in.
32:30Hold up.
32:31Hold up, hold up, hold up.
32:36Careful!
32:37Do you miss a loop, okay?
32:40Do you miss a loop, okay?
32:41Good.
32:41No one jab.
32:50No one jab.
32:50One jab, right hand,
32:51and left hook.
32:52Okay?
32:53Doble jump.
32:53And when you're down, right,
32:54up, up, up, and come up.
32:56When you go there, you go up to there fast, okay?
32:58And you go.
32:59Three, four, and you go, okay?
33:01How's that help?
33:02It's okay.
33:03Phenomenal.
33:04Tremendous, okay?
33:07Yes.
33:08You can touch it.
33:10But you can't take care of it, okay?
33:12Okay.
33:13He's got to jab and throw combinations at one fast right hand.
33:15Jab and the combination fast, okay?
33:21You have to throw punches.
33:23Get close to the guy and throw that hook.
33:26Throw that right hook.
33:28Let's go.
33:29Let's go.
33:30Come on out.
33:41Good right hand to start round seven by Gregorio Vargas.
33:45They're more than halfway home in the scheduled 12 round bout
33:48for John John Molina's IBF light welterweight championship.
33:53As you can see, his corner didn't tell him to go out there
33:56and land that lead right hand before things started like that.
33:59He did it on his own.
34:00He's experienced.
34:02And he knows that he has to muster up some respect for Molina.
34:06Straight left and right by Molina, backing Vargas up again.
34:09Let me correct it.
34:10Not junior welterweight or light welterweight,
34:13but rather junior lightweight, 130-pound championship.
34:16Now Vargas is landing a good left jab.
34:19He's staying close like his corner told him that he'd stay close.
34:25Well, I think staying close is the key, George.
34:27He's got to get inside of Molina's power.
34:29If he keeps letting him throw that roundhouse right,
34:31it could be a shorter knife than he hopes for.
34:33See, the roundhouse only is effective when you're further away from him,
34:36but the closer you are, you are in control.
34:39You stay in that pocket.
34:45Vargas clearly now more determined to get inside
34:47and work to the body.
34:49He's listening to his corner. That's step one.
34:54Molina is more comfortable when he's in a bouncing mood
34:57and a rhythm.
34:59He gets slow and stops the bouncing.
35:01Molina takes over.
35:03That time, Vargas was even in the exchange
35:31as he concentrated on working to the body.
35:34Molina hit him with a right to the side,
35:37below the belt, too.
35:38He was expecting the rest to say something,
35:40but Vargas did not complain.
35:43Two times now, Vargas has chosen to back up against the ropes.
35:47You wonder if he's inviting Molina in
35:49to try to shorten the distance.
35:51He believes, Vargas does,
35:53that if he gets a good right hand and left hook
35:55and he can clean this guy out.
35:57But you just can't wait all night.
35:59Vargas again backs up against the ropes.
36:03Lands the right hand in close.
36:05And Molina lands the right hand when they step back to distance.
36:08And another right hand for Molina.
36:11Clearly, when they're in close, it's to Vargas' advantage.
36:20But when the distance is there, John John Molina dominates.
36:24So Vargas backs up against the ropes again, and Molina comes in again, but round seven ends.
36:39Harold Letterman, give us your results so far.
36:45Larry, 70-63, seven rounds to nothing.
36:48John John Molina.
36:50Larry, this is ridiculously easy.
36:51I want to tell you,
36:52Goyo Vargas can't get his shots off for the simple reason that John John's got too many punches in his face.
36:56I mean, John John is so busy.
36:58Every time Goyo tries to punch, John John whacks him.
37:00I mean, he's just too busy.
37:02Goyo's got to make something happen.
37:03He's got to stop moving his hands real quick.
37:09Now let's go.
37:10And here he had Vargas lure him into the ropes.
37:13Molina hit him a couple of times, bounced out, and hit him with a really good right hand there.
37:18Molina is just a wonderful fighter.
37:20He was an outstanding amateur for Puerto Rico.
37:24He is a very, very fine professional fighter.
37:27There are two other 130-pound champions.
37:32Gennaro Hernandez, outstanding fighter, undefeated.
37:36Molina was scheduled to fight him, but Hernandez has had an operation on his hand.
37:41And Azuma Nelson, a very outstanding fighter in the twilight of his career.
37:49And then, of course, waiting in the wings, as you pointed out, Larry, is De La Hoya.
37:55And I imagine he'll be waiting in those wings for at least a year before taking on fighters of this strength.
38:02He has to get stronger.
38:04You agree, George?
38:06I'm already owed a cheeseburger. I'm gonna stay here.
38:12Yeah, that's right.
38:14We'll get that cheeseburger for you when the evening is over.
38:19After six and three long fights, George, and you can't eat between them.
38:23Ha, ha, ha, ha.
38:38Vargas is thinking, hey, I'm being dominated by a fighter that's only got more energy and more strength.
38:43Sometimes that's all you need as a fighter, energy and strength.
38:46Vargas is thinking, why did my manager think it was such a great idea to fight for a 130-pound title?
39:03It's best to have guys running from you than to be in with the bigger guys, and they make you run.
39:09Yeah, but beyond that, I don't think it's widely appreciated how much a hard fight, a championship fight, can deplete a fighter physically and emotionally.
39:22That's true. A lot of people just don't understand that you just can't come back until you rest good.
39:28And maybe particularly when you've lost a close decision and you feel like you should have won.
39:33There's frustration there.
39:35Probably too much of a tendency for your mind to linger on what happened in December, as opposed to thinking about what needs to happen in April.
39:42That's true.
39:50Another exchange of punches at center ring, and once again, not to Gregorio Vargas' advantage.
39:56John John Molina landed another one of those hard right hands.
40:00But Vargas has decided, hey, I've taken the best this guy's got.
40:03Man, I'm coming on here.
40:06There's no questioning his will or his heart.
40:09He's got a fighter's temperament all the way.
40:25Good short right hands by Vargas.
40:28For the first time, there were double right hands by Vargas.
40:31He was not able to do that in the first few rounds.
40:35And as these two fighters sit down at the end of round eight, we go back to the dressing room to pick up Evander Holyfield in front of his new trainer, generation number three in Holyfield trainers.
40:52This one is Don Turner having taken over for the evacuated Emmanuel Stewart.
41:00Michael Moore is also working with the third trainer of his career.
41:05He throws his punches under the watchful eye of one-time Cus D'Amato disciple, Teddy Atlas.
41:12Later on, when we get ready for that bout, George Foreman and Larry Merchant will be talking about the significance of these two trainers in their respective fighters' lives.
41:21Teddy Atlas with Michael Moore, Don Turner with Evander Holyfield.
41:28One second out of fuera.
41:33Gregorio Vargas in the eighth round landed 52 percent of his punches.
41:37But once again, Molina threw 34 more punches than did Vargas.
41:43So the superior activity level
41:46of the busier John John Molina,
41:48allowing him to maintain control of the fight
41:51as we move to the ninth of a scheduled 12.
41:59In the eighth round, Molina started to drop his left hand
42:02a lot more than he did early on,
42:04and the bounce went out of his legs.
42:06He's got to pick the bounce up and pick the hands up.
42:13A lot of swelling around the left eye now,
42:16Gregorio Vargas.
42:23Trading right hands, Vargas' head snaps back.
42:28He got in a good one, but Molina's was better.
42:31Vargas has got to finish up once he hit one, two, three.
42:34He's got to come back with another,
42:36a jump far out of the way.
42:39Boy, these guys are tough, George.
42:42Gregorio Vargas takes a lot of punishment
42:44and just keeps coming at you.
42:50Now Molina is starting to get flat-footed.
42:52He's with the wrong guy to try that.
42:58Vargas is bending his body to make Molina drop his hand.
43:02He gets down to his waist,
43:04then he's trying to come back up with a right hand.
43:06Still eating that right hand, George.
43:08Left hook over the top for Vargas.
43:13I still think Vargas needs to shorten the distance more
43:16and get inside.
43:17It's getting late to work to the body,
43:19but he did well when he tried it.
43:21Well, he believes that he can clean Molina out.
43:23He's doing the right thing,
43:24it's just Molina is so strong afterwards.
43:27He's got Molina reaching out.
43:30All the things that are supposed to happen before a knockout
43:32are starting to happen with Molina.
43:36You see how cleanly John John Molina landed
43:38the right hand over the top,
43:39the short left hook inside.
43:41Vargas has taken a lot of flush punches in this fight.
43:45But Molina throwing the right hands now
43:47and finds himself bending over into Vargas' territory.
43:51So what does Vargas try to get him with, George?
44:00Short right, left hook?
44:01Oh, it's gonna be a right hand, left hook.
44:03He's just got to go back to the body
44:05and soften up things a little bit more,
44:07which he just did.
44:12All right, so you think Vargas has a workable plan here.
44:15The only question is whether he's got the strength to execute it.
44:17Yeah, he has the strength, but Molina's got so much strength
44:20on those legs.
44:21Once he's bouncing, he can really get a second win
44:24and lose Vargas in the middle of the round.
44:27I think what he needs to do is bring in all those rebels
44:30from the southern part of Mexico.
44:32That'll help.
44:34That'll help.
44:35That'll help.
44:36That'll help.
44:37That'll help.
44:38That'll help.
44:39That'll help.
44:40That'll help.
44:41That'll help.
44:42That'll help.
44:43That'll help.
44:44That'll help.
44:45That'll help.
44:46That'll help.
44:47That'll help.
44:48That'll help.
44:49That'll help.
44:50That'll help.
44:51That'll help.
44:52That'll help.
44:53That'll help.
44:54That'll help.
44:55That'll help.
44:56That'll help.
44:57That'll help.
44:58That'll help.
44:59That'll help.
45:00That'll help.
45:01That'll help.
45:02here we see Molina at close quarters takes a right hand and comes back with a combination
45:14of his own including that finishing right every time Vargas gets something off Molina
45:21answers with something as big or bigger which is why it's hard for him to get close to Molina
45:29the price is too high
45:38jabs in round nine Molina through 61 of them Vargas only 16.
45:47another one of the reasons why it's been tough for Vargas to get inside some swelling around the right eye of John John Molina
45:54and as we noted earlier considerable swelling around the left eye of Gregorio Vargas
45:58for those of you who wondered yes John John Molina was named for the son of John F. Kennedy
46:07I think Vargas plan could have gone sour because he hadn't anticipated this guy being so strong
46:23well conditioned even if he had what the heck was he going to do about it George I think Vargas has
46:30fought pretty much the only fight he knows how to fight in a situation like this it's just that
46:35Molina is too big and strong he's too big and strong for certain but Vargas had the right idea clean
46:41him out step in body punches and come over with the right hand
46:48all right break break
46:50all right
46:51all right
46:52all right
46:54all right
46:55all right
46:56all right
47:00all right
47:02all right
47:05all right
47:08all right
47:10all right
47:11thank you
47:12like Larry said he pays a bit
47:14ace a bite because
47:15the
47:17markets
47:21plus about 10 grand every time he comes in there
47:27okay
47:30no
47:35I
47:39I'll tell you, guys, for Molina to be doing this kind of number on a quality fighter like Vargas is just amazing, really.
47:56It's a testament to how good he is, how professional he is, how prepared he is, the whole package.
48:03We mentioned before, and you wanted to comment on it earlier, he trained with Meldrick Taylor,
48:08and Pernell Whitaker has sparred with both of them. He's seen the best there is.
48:11He's seen every style there is. Whitaker, the great evader, and, of course, Meldrick Taylor was at the top of his game
48:20with those amazingly fast fists. If he survived those two with his body and his head intact, he had to become pretty good.
48:32Vargas keeps trying.
48:34So as this fight continues to be a one-note tune, not an unentertaining one, though,
48:48we wait for what could be a spectacularly entertaining heavyweight championship fight
48:53between the warrior Evander Holyfield and the puncher Michael Moore.
48:58That fight will be immediately after this one.
49:02Harold Letterman, how do you see it so far?
49:05Well, Larry, Coach Jimmy Johnson sitting behind me reminds me that Goyo Vargas couldn't win this fight
49:11with a touchdown and a new two-point conversion.
49:14I mean, he's ten points behind, ten to nothing, 100 to 90.
49:18Easy victory for John John Molina. He's just too big, too strong, too busy.
49:22You're brilliant, Harold. First touchdown and two-point conversion analogy of the night.
49:39Now, who are the two men in the arena who went to both the Final Four
49:43and tonight's heavyweight championship fight?
49:45One is Kevin Costner. Who's the other, Harold?
49:47Patrick Johnson?
49:49No. It's our host, James Brown.
49:53Now back to the fight.
49:58Molina pouring it on now against Gregorio Vargas,
50:02who for the first time in the fight, George, begins to look a little weary.
50:06Yeah, he's done a lot, but that extra size and extra strength of Molina
50:10has just taken toll on him.
50:17There will be no quit in Goyo Vargas.
50:26He'll try everything that's left in these last two rounds.
50:32But if an answer to John John Molina is to emerge for him,
50:35it's not something we've seen so far.
50:38Molina back to dancing, moving his feet.
50:40Very confident in there.
50:42He's in the rhythm now. He's bouncing and moving.
50:44One, two, three!
50:47Vargas has tried everything, including losing his temper.
50:50Nothing works.
50:54Now, the only thing Vargas hasn't tried is to foul it.
51:01I think he's too classy for that.
51:02Yeah, he's too classy for that.
51:06Good straight right hand by John John Molina.
51:08That was a breathtaking combination,
51:16particularly with a minute to go in the 11th round.
51:23Hey!
51:24The end of our meeting yesterday with both fighters,
51:44Lou Duva pulled us aside and said,
51:47Hey, there aren't enough good things to say about John John Molina.
51:51Hardest worker we've got in the gym.
51:53Terrific person.
51:54Loves his family.
51:55Loves Puerto Rico.
51:57We'll give you everything he's got tomorrow night.
51:59He's all that Lou said he was.
52:01And move.
52:02He's one of the best fighters I've ever seen from Puerto Rico.
52:05And there have been some good ones.
52:07Jose Torres.
52:10Wilfredo Benitez.
52:12Edwin Rosario.
52:15Carlos Ortiz.
52:16Wilfredo Gomez.
52:28Round 11 coming to a close.
52:31Maybe the best Puerto Rican fighter I ever saw
52:33was a Puerto Rican-American Carlos Ortiz lightweight champion.
52:42And Molina, with his strength and professionalism, Larry,
52:45puts you a little bit in mind of Ortiz, does he not?
52:48Well, he's a whole package.
52:49I don't know if he's as strong as Ortiz was.
52:52But, uh...
52:53Let me...
52:54Look, Tenthal.
52:56You're gonna box this guy.
52:57Come on, I want this.
52:58There will be more round.
52:59Okay.
53:00Hey, fast punches, that one.
53:02Fast punches.
53:02What are you talking about?
53:03Yeah, last punches.
53:04Get him over here.
53:05I don't know you.
53:05I don't know you.
53:05I don't know you.
53:06I don't know you.
53:06Right?
53:07Okay.
53:07Stay now, stay now.
53:08Come on, Goyo.
53:09Come on, you have to go, man.
53:12Don't follow him and cut his ring.
53:15Just cut the ring.
53:17Give me a hug.
53:18I'll let that pick up.
53:19Tip, tip punches.
53:20Respire.
53:21No, don't go outside.
53:22Last round.
53:22No, don't go outside.
53:23Don't go outside, okay?
53:24This is the last round, okay?
53:25This is the last round.
53:27This has not been a widely dramatic fight, so the crowd hasn't been up and cheering.
53:49But that cheer was because they understand and sense just the quality of these two fighters
53:57and the magnificence of the performance of Molina.
54:04So it's kitchen sink time for Goyo Vargas.
54:10But there's virtually nothing he hasn't tried so far short of fouling.
54:13And as we mentioned, he ain't going to do that.
54:19There's a right hand and a left hook.
54:24He's going to make Molina pay for going the full distance of 12 rounds with him.
54:31No better said, he's making him pay for going to Christians.
54:36Straight right hand by Molina busted through the guard of Vargas again.
54:41Totally professional job by both fighters.
55:04Molina, clearly the superior at 130 pounds.
55:09First time in the weight class for Vargas, moving up from featherweight where he lost
55:14his title in a close, hard-fought battle with New Yorker Kevin Kelly.
55:19Kelly's very close personal friend, Poison Junior Jones, an upset victim earlier this
55:25evening, the John Michael Johnson of San Antonio.
55:29John Michael Johnson, the new WBA bantamweight champion.
55:33Vargas is doing something that should have been nice to see him do three rounds ago.
55:41What's that?
55:42He's going toe-to-toe, and he's getting the best of it.
55:45Well, he's... this is his best round.
55:49By far.
55:52But that Molina always has something waiting.
55:54His eye, Molina, is starting to swell now.
55:56If Vargas would just go crazy, he could do something.
55:59Probably too little too late, but with this round, Vargas has at least a chance of avoiding
56:05a whitewash on Harold Letterman's scorecard.
56:08He eats another right hand, but keeps coming in.
56:11It's not often you see a fighter like Vargas fight as well as he does and get so little
56:21credit on the score sheets.
56:23Oh, I think we saw it with another Puerto Rican a couple of weeks ago when Santos Cardona fought
56:30terrifically in Norfolk, Virginia, against Brunel Whitaker and could barely win a round.
56:38Harold, did you have that fighter shutout?
56:44I would give the last round to Goyo Vargas.
56:46I thought he got in some good shots, and certainly he tried.
56:49It was his best round by far.
56:51I had 11 rounds to one.
56:53I mean, John John Molina won his fight so big it was ridiculous.
56:58Absolutely a big, big victory.
57:00119, 109, John John Molina.
57:04I think Goyo Vargas stopped more shots with his face than Mike Richter stopped in three
57:08NFL games so far in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
57:10Those would be NHL games, but well said, Harold.
57:13We understand the point.
57:15To make a long story short, you're saying you gave the last round to Vargas and it's not
57:20a shutout on your scorecard.
57:21All right, we'll find out how the judges said this one went in just a couple of minutes.
57:26But to recap, you've been watching John John Molina of Puerto Rico from the main events camp
57:32of Lou Duva defending his IBF junior lightweight championship against challenger Gregorio Vargas
57:39of Mexico.
57:40This the final preliminary prior to the heavyweight championship bout upcoming between Evander Holyfield
57:46and number one IBF contender Michael Moore.
57:50And we go up now to Michael Buffer for the official decision in this fight.
57:55Ladies and gentlemen, here at Caesars Palace, we go to the scorecards.
57:59Nelson Vasquez scores the bout 118 to 110.
58:03Hector Vilschi scores it 117 to 112.
58:07And Bill Graham scores it 118 to 110 for the winner by unanimous decision.
58:14And still, IBF junior lightweight champion of the world, Juan Junjun Molina.
58:27Great performance by Molina.
58:29He maintains his hold on that title and enhances his reputation as one of the better fighters
58:34in the sport.
58:35And we hope for Gregorio Vargas' sake in the wake of this latest disappointment that his
58:40managers can find a better situation for him next time around.
58:43Well, they have to back off maybe for at least a year, give him some easy opponents, restore
58:49his confidence, and get him back to the featherweight division.
58:52Agreed, George?
58:53I'm totally in agreement this time.
58:54All right.
58:55Let's go up to James Brown as we get ready for the heavyweights.
58:59All right, Jim.
59:01Thank you very much.
59:02And speaking of the confidence of Goyo Vargas, he had remarked prior to the bout that the straight-ahead
59:06style employed by John John Molina should fit right into his bag.
59:10In fact, every fighter who's employed that style had fallen quickly.
59:14That would not be the case tonight as John John Molina looked very, very formidable as
59:18he defended his title successfully.
59:19Here you go.
59:20All right.
59:21The last time...
59:22.
59:26.
59:31.
59:33.
59:37.
59:38.
59:41.
59:42.
59:42.
59:42.
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