By Michele Emrick
Friday night on ShoBox, Floyd Mayweather’s “Money Team” was heavily featured, as six of the eight bouts on the card features fighters from the group.
When the smoke cleared, 5 out of six had secured victories, all in relatively easy fashion. But it was the one loss that provided the most excitement on the evening.
Mickey Bey and John Molina would hook up in the main event, in a fight that if Bey had won, would have landed him a world title opportunity. And for almost ten complete rounds, that seemed like a foregone conclusion.
Photo: Naoki Fukuda
In typical Molina fashion, the fighter showed guts and a toughness that few fighters possess. But that was not nearly enough as Bey racked up round after round in a one-sided, yet entertaining affair. Going into the tenth and final round, it could be easily argued that Bey had won all but one round. But the fat all that changed just as the fat lady started to warm up her voice.
The final round saw Bey come out strong, punishing Molina and going in for the kill. After hurting Molina to the body, it seemed as though perhaps Molina had enough and Bey was trying to get the finish. But it was Molina who connected on a big hook that staggered Bey and caused him to stumble forward into an awaiting Molina. Sensing the possibility of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, the Covina, Calif. fighter got a second wind and started to unload on a dazed Mickey Bey.
Bey tried to clinch, but without the use of all his faculties, he wasn’t able to get ahold of his opponent to slow action down. Instead he absorbed shot after shot until the referee, who gave Bey every opportunity to recover, finally was forced to step in and make the save. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino erupted as Molina pulled out a miraculous victory just when it seemed all hope was lost.
For Molina, it just reaffirmed what everyone already knew. What he lacks in skill and talent, he more than makes up for in grittiness. No matter how bleak things seem, he is never out of any fight, ever.
For Bey the loss has to be devastating. Though undefeated as a pro, he has had more than his share of setbacks. Just when things seemed to have finally opened up, allowing him to shine, they were taken away once again. But even in defeat, with strong backing from Floyd Mayweather, he should get an opportunity to prove he is at the championship level he believes he is. It will all be a question of how mentally strong he is to deal with this defeat.
The rest of the card was much more positive for the guys from the Mayweather Boxing Club. Five fighters would enter the ring, and all five would get their hands raised in victory.
Badou Jack remained undefeated, as he claimed a clear cut victor over the once beaten Farrah Ennis in what was a big step up in class for the transplant from Sweden. Jack has really come on as of late, and this victory, especially given how easy it was, may vault him out of the land of prospect, and into a contender. At 15-0, with Floyd Mayweather backing him, and one of the coolest names in boxing, there is no doubt he will be a hot commodity.
Luis Arias moved to 6-0 in his brief time as a professional, capturing an easy six round win over Latif Mundy. Although Mundy way not be a great fighter, it was the second fight in a row Arias took a decision from a much more experienced fighter. Arias believes that this may have been his last fight at 6 rounds.
Ronald Gavril scored the first stoppage of the night as he took out Jas Phipps in the fifth round of a scheduled six round contest. The win moved the Romanian fighter to 5-0, with all but one coming by knockout.
Chris Pearson moved to 8-0, stopping Arturo Crespin, a fighter who may not be physically imposing, but showed that you don’t always have to be a chiseled specimen to perform well in the ring. Although he put up a spirited fight, he would eventually succumb to Pearson in the sixth.
Finally, Andrew Tabiti made his professional debut in a contest that wouldn’t even go a full minute. It was clear from the opening bell that Ronald Howk was intimidated by the amateur standout Tabiti, and early on he was hurt with a shot to the head, and a hook to the body saw him take a knee. Unable to recover, the bout was called off, giving Tabiti a very impressive victory in his first effort.
Although the main event had to dampen the party a little, overall The Money Team had to be happy with the way things went down on Friday night. No controversial decisions, and impressive performances have to give Floyd Mayweather hope that he is assembling a talented group of young fighters who will be relevant in the sport for years to come. If they keep developing at this rate, it won’t be long before Mayweather and Ishe Smith have additional world champions in their stable.
