Artemio Reyes Arrives in Win Over Javier Molina
by Gautham Nagesh
Boxing is a tough sport to love. Great fights don’t happen, the ones that do often disappoint, and the frequent refusal of officials to reward fighters that defy expectations can make the sport appear corrupt beyond redemption at times. But disappointments aside, no sport offers more genuine underdog stories than boxing and none feature more drastic reversals of fortune.
Consider Javier Molina and Artemio Reyes, whose respective trajectories were forever changed Friday night at Bally’s in Atlantic City. Reyes has spent the past few years toiling in his family restaurant, caring for his comatose father, studying to become an accountant and patiently working his way up the professional ladder with few advantage aside from grit and determination. Fortunately, a loss to Mike Dallas Jr. in his second professional fight proved to be a minor setback light of his foe’s subsequent success.
Molina, in contrast, has been afforded every advantage. The youngest member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic boxing team was anointed long before he took off his headgear. Not even a year’s layoff due to serious hand injuries could dim his prospects in the eyes of the boxing world. That task was accomplished by Reyes, whose unanimous decision victory on ShoBox has guaranteed him at least one Hollywood moment while taking considerable shine off Molina’s now-tarnished star.
The fight itself was a fantastic affair, eight rounds of two young fighters standing toe-to-toe and exchanging blows at terrific pace with neither willing to budge an inch. But it should have never come to that. Molina’s corner repeatedly exhorted him to box and move rather than be sucked into a brawl with his limited opponent, but the 21-year-old steadfastly refused to heed the advice until it was too late.
Perhaps he was unable to withstand the pressure, or perhaps we should just chalk it up to the folly of youth. Whatever the reason, Molina fought his opponent’s fight after the first round and lost on all three cards as a result. In doing so he showed tremendous heart and a fighter’s instinct, but also immaturity and a suspect right hand. It is far too early to write the young man off but expectations will be understandably adjusted for him in the near-term.
“It was a tough fight but i just didn’t feel like my self tonight. No excuses he came to fight he was a tough fighter. I just didn’t fight my fight,” Molina said. “The first few rounds I boxed him easy but after that I just didn’t feel my legs under me. I just need to learn from it and do better next time.”
Reyes won the fight as much on guts and toughness as anything; he was often too squared up and ate plenty of punches in return. But he appears to have a good beard and decent pop, so he may get a further look on an undercard against a solid veteran. His story alone merits further exposure, though he doesn’t appear to have the tools needed to fight at the top level.
“Before the fight Molina said I was not at his level…I came to Atlantic City to get what I deserved: Respect,” Reyes said afterward. “I did this for my family and all the people that came from home to support me, they are a rowdy bunch and I am sure I made my pops proud, this is for him. I am taking the gloves I wore tonight back home for him.”
In the televised feature Brandon “Flawless” Gonzales squeaked a split decision over Ghanian hardman Ossie Duran to the displeasure of the crowd. The durable Duran posed a considerable challenge to the Sacamento native and appeared to have him rattled early on, but Gonzales recovered and showed poise in the later rounds. I didn’t score the fight but thought he got the best of it overall.
While Gonzales didn’t impress, it is difficult to look good against Duran and he won, which is nothing to dismiss. He showed no sign he couldn’t eventually become a contender with continued work and development. But he’s not there yet and he may need a couple more fights against good veterans before taking a step up to the real competition.