When John Molina Jr. steps into the ring to fight Adrien Broner in Las Vegas on March 7, it will be unlike any other bout in his career.
It won’t just be because it’s the debut of the Premier Boxing Champions series, with the bout being shown in prime time on NBC.
The night will be emotional for Molina Jr. as he competes for the first time without his grandfather, Ysidro, who died recently at the age of 80, there to support him.
Ysidro Molina, a former amateur fighter, first passed down his love of boxing to son John Sr., then his grandson, bringing them to work out at the storied Main Street Gym in Los Angeles.
“He was the epitome of what a grandfather is,” Molina Jr. told ESNewsReporting.com. “He had a special relationship with every one of us. If you asked all of my cousins who his favorite was, we’ll all say we were.”
Molina Jr. said his grandfather’s memory will fuel him in the ring on March 7.
“This fight is dedicated to him 110 percent,” Molina Jr. said. “He even told me on his deathbed that he’s going to be there, but he’s not going to be there. And we knew what that meant.”
John Molina rocks Humberto Soto during their fight in Las Vegas on September 13, 2014.
- Topics
- John Molina Jr
