Javier Molina

Javier Molina (b.January 2, 1990 ) from Commerce, California is an American amateur boxer with Mexican parents best known for winning the Junior Welterweight national championships 2007 at 141 lbs/64 kg at the age of 17. His older twin brother Oscar Molina fights for Mexico.

Career

Molina won a bronze medal at the 2006 Cadet World Championships at lightweight and a national title at the 2006 Junior Olympic International Invitational.

He made an early exit at the Golden Gloves 2007 but upset 21 year old two-time champion Karl Dargan 31-27, knocking him down twice at the US championships (Dargan would win the PanAm games later that year).He continued winning against Jermey Bryan,Dan O'Connor, and beat Brad Solomon in the finals to win the junior welterweight title.

He won at the US Olympic trials.

At the World Championships 2007 he beat Azerbaijan's Emil Maharramov, the 2005 bronze medalist 27-10 but lost to unknown Englishman Bradley Saunders.

At the Olympic qualifier he beat Myke Carvalho , lost to Cuban Rosniel Iglesias before sealing his qualification with a win over Canadian Kevin Bizier. He lost his Olympic debut 1:14 to Boris Georgiev.

World amateur championships results

2007
*Defeated Ricardo Smith (Jamaica) 37-16
*Defeated Emil Maharramov (Azerbaijan) 27-10
*Lost to Bradley Saunders (England) 12-24

Olympic results

*Lost to Boris Georgiev (Bulgaria) 1-14

Trivia

Molina's father, Miguel, had a successful amateur boxing career in Juarez, Mexico, before he migrated to the United States.

External links

* [http://rss.msnbc.msn.com/id/19070697/ NBC article]
* [http://www.usaboxing.org/1059_1854.htm Results]
* [http://www.usaboxing.org/86_1892.htm Profile]
* [http://www.amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Championships/WorldCadetChampionships2006.html 2006 world cadets]
* [http://www.boxing-scoop.com/show_boxer.php?boxer_ID=863 Javier Molina Amateur Boxing Record]