John Molina Upsets Ruslan Provodnikov at Turning Stone

John Molina Upsets Ruslan Provodnikov – VERONA, NY — John Molina turned in one of the best performances of his career on Saturday night scoring a surprising unanimous decision victory against Ruslan Provodnikov at the Turning Stone Casino and Resort in Verona, New York. The score totals for the junior welterweight bout were 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113.

After a relatively slow paced first round, the action picked up in the second with some exciting exchanges. Molina was the busier fighter that round and controlled much of it keeping the fight at ring center away from the ropes. However, the hard charging Provodnikov had his moments when trapping Molina against the ropes where he landed clean power shots to the head and body.

The pattern of the second round became the pattern of the fight. Molina was the busier man and generally landed more but Provodnikov’s punches were harder and more eye catching. Molina’s activity carried the rounds, especially the close rounds, in the eyes of the judges.

Though the fight was fought at a good pace, it never turned into the all-out brawl many thought it would or that was being advertised. There was some blood as Provodnikov suffered a cut from an accidental head butt over the left eye in the 4^th round. Though the eye worsened as the fight went forward, it did not seem to have much an impact on Provodnikov’s performance.

This was a much needed win for Molina (29-6, 23 KOs) who had lost three of his previous four entering the bout. He is now positioned to get another opportunity at a big fight at junior welterweight much like he was after his upset of Mickey Bey in 2013.

Meanwhile, the loss is a major setback for Provodnikov who was in the first fight of a new Showtime contract. The LA based Russian slumps to 25-5 (18).

In the co-feature, Demetrius Andrade, the pride of Providence, Rhode Island, stopped Cleveland’s Willie Nelson in the 12^th round of a WBC super welterweight eliminator.

Andrade’s speed and skill were too much for Nelson from the opening bell. Andrade would drop Nelson in the first from a flush right hook to the head and go on to dominate almost every minute of every round.

The only trouble for Andrade came in the third when he was momentarily staggered from a clean uppercut. Andrade would recover quickly and rally back later in the round to thwart any momentum Nelson had seized.

In the eighth, Nelson lost his mouthpiece from another clean Andrade right hook and looked to be in trouble again.

Andrade would drop Nelson again in the 11^th and then close the show in the 12^th scoring another two knockdowns. Following the second  knockdown, the bout was waived off. Andrade improved to 23-0 with his 16^th stoppage. Nelson falls to 25-3-1.

Dejan Zlaticanin opened the Showtime telecast with a destructive 3^rd round TKO of late substitute Franklin Mamani to win the vacant WBC lightweight title.

Montenegro’s Zlaticanin (22-0, 15 KOs) hurt Mamani early in round one with a left to the top of the head and completely outclassed the unknown Bolivian fighter throughout the fight. Another straight left to the head in the third rocked Mamani and later on a barrage of punches against the ropes on Mamani caused the fight to be stopped.

In a heavyweight fight, Andrey Fedosov advanced to 29-3 (24) with a 6^th round technical knockout win against Mario Heredia. Fedosov scored four total knockdowns of the tough Heredia in a dominant performance that should open up more opportunities for Fedosov in the division in the future.

Super welterweight Willie Monroe scored two knockdowns against John Thompson on route to a ten round unanimous decision win in a tactical fight largely void of action.

Stivins Bujaj scored a first round TKO win against Sergio Ramirez in a cruiserweight bout. Ramirez was down twice with hard left hooks from Bujaj before the fight was stopped.

In a four round welterweight bout, Oscar Sarmiento won a unanimous decision against Jose Miguel De La Rosa. All three judges had Sarmiento winning 39-37.

To open the fight card, undefeated Miguel Trejo (5-0) scored a first round TKO against La’Torrie Woodberry in a welterweight contest.

John Molina Upsets Ruslan Provodnikov

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