GARCIA WINS IT ALL WHILE KIRKLAND AND MOLINA ERUPT

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Mexican ring legend Erik Morales spoke to the press after his twelve round unanimous decision defeat to Danny Garcia in a clash for the WBC 140lb title on Saturday night. “I don’t know what I want to do next,” said Morales. “I have to sit down with my family and look at my health and the desire to keep fighting. One of the reasons I fought Garcia was that I was sure that I still have what it takes to beat some of the best competition out there. After tonight I need to take a step back and really look at what I want to do next. I would like to go out on my own terms, perhaps a fight in Tijuana, Mexico.”

photo source: stacey verbeek

photo source: Stacey Verbeek

Regarding the fight, ‘El Terrible’ stated, “He did a good job early on, but this is a 12 round fight. I knew that around the sixth or seventh round, my work rate would increase and after the eighth or ninth, I would increase it even more. It’s good to have a good first or second round, but what’s important here is to know how to finish, not just how to start.”

Images from the Erik Morales-Danny Garcia HBO bout from Houston, Texas. Garcia captured the WBC jr. welter crown via unanimous decision... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

Garcia was emotional at times during the time at the podium. “This was a difficult fight, as are all fights at this level,” admitted Garcia. There are no easy fights in boxing. He was elusive and had a good defense. I give it to Morales that he busted me up pretty good, no disrespect to Erik, but you had your time, it’s my time now to shine and that is what I was looking to do. I just fought some hard twelve rounds with a legend and I plan to be around here for a long time.

Images from the Erik Morales-Danny Garcia HBO bout from Houston, Texas. Garcia captured the WBC jr. welter crown via unanimous decision... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

“I feel great, I’m still taking it all in, I’m glad that all the hard work has paid off for me and I plan on doing what it takes to stay as a champion.

“At times I tried to finish him off, but I didn’t want to get greedy and walk into anything. You have to remember that he has been in the ring with some of the best fighters in the world and has faced hall of fame fighters.”

photo source: Stacey Verbeek

Promoter Oscar de la Hoya added, “Garcia did well against a legend fighter tonight. I was telling him that he has to put his combinations together and not just sit on certain punches. There is no reason that the new WBC super lightweight champion shouldn’t get better after tonight. He did show some flaws and I told him that after the fight and that he’s a good kid and besides the conditioning he has to get back in the gym and get better with his combinations and adjusting in the fight. Those are the type of fights though that makes a fighter mature.”

Controversy in Kirkland-Molina Post-Fight Session

Bonus images from Houston as James Kirkland wins a controversial one over Carlos Molina via disqualification... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

After the drama in the ring on Saturday night, the drama spilled over into the post fight press conference as both James Kirkland and Carlos Molina had to cool down and collect their thoughts on the events that took place earlier. Kirkland (31-1, 27 KOs) who won by tenth round disqualification over Molina (19-5-2, 6 KOs) felt that if the fight hadn’t been stopped he was on the verge of knocking out Molina in either the 11th or 12th round.

Molina: “I felt good, I was ready to go, I was ready to fight. He caught me with a shot, the bell rang, I got up, I didn’t think there was anything wrong.”

Bonus images from Houston as James Kirkland wins a controversial one over Carlos Molina via disqualification... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

Kirkland: “I felt that if had gone on to the 11th or 12th round it was going to be over. His ass was on the ground already and I got stronger in the fight. I was going to bring it in the next round. I would give Molina the first 10 seconds of the next round and then I was going to take him out anyway. I didn’t think I needed a knockout at that point in the fight. I was just going to keep bringing my punches together and continue with the game plan.”

Molina would like nothing more than to face Kirkland again in an immediate rematch to settle the unfinished business that he felt occurred in the fight.

James Kirkland wins a controversial one over Carlos Molina via disqualification... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

Kirkland: “The second time around, I’m going to do what it takes to make it a fight that is not even close. Ann was telling me to not hold back and put that pop on him. She was trying to motivate me to get him out of there and not play with him. If Molina, wants to go again, than I don’t mind whooping his ass again. I don’t care. My job is to train and get ready for the opponent the team puts in front of me.”

Bonus images from Houston as James Kirkland wins a controversial one over Carlos Molina via disqualification... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

Molina: “He can say what he wants, I would fight him right now, and he knows that he didn’t knock me down. He knows that he was losing the fight.”

Bonus images from Houston as James Kirkland wins a controversial one over Carlos Molina via disqualification... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

Kirkland trainer Ann Wolfe: “I wish the fight would have gone on for the twelve rounds. This is not what I wanted to happen. I do want people to know that this was a dog fight and Molina was holding and head-butting and I was getting tired of it. I told James, that since he wants to make a dog fight out of it, you do the same thing.”

Images from the Erik Morales-Danny Garcia HBO bout from Houston, Texas. Garcia captured the WBC jr. welter crown via unanimous decision... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

De La Hoya: “I personally don’t like the outcome of the Kirkland-Molina fight. It’s not good for boxing because those are the type of decisions people just don’t want to see and are tired of, including myself. It was a stoppage that you can argue it both ways. The corner should have not been in the ring and that is an automatic DQ. The referee is in charge of the match. I heard the bell ring, but he was still counting Molina as well. That was a tough call to end the bout, things like this look bad on boxing. It was a good fight that was about to turn into a great fight and we as fans were robbed of that.”

The possibly of a rematch still looms for the way the bout ended. Fightnews asked De La Hoya about the chances of a rematch.

De La Hoya: “Both teams need to sit down and see what the best thing to do is. I would like to see him fight Molina again. Kirkland wants to fight for a world title so there are some possibilities that we need to talk about.”

Garcia gets called out

Images from the Erik Morales-Danny Garcia HBO bout from Houston, Texas. Garcia captured the WBC jr. welter crown via unanimous decision... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

Not even more than an hour after becoming the WBC super lightweight champion, Danny Garcia was called out by Ajose Olusegun, the WBC #1 contender. Olusegun was in the crowed for the post-fight press conference and waited patiently the right moment to speak out about getting dismissed for his mandatory title shot against Morales in favor of Golden Boy fighter Danny Garcia.

Images from the Erik Morales-Danny Garcia HBO bout from Houston, Texas. Garcia captured the WBC jr. welter crown via unanimous decision... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

Olusegun: “Now that you are the WBC champion, when are you going to fight me? Are you going to fight me or duck it?

Garcia: “First of all, I’m a fighter, I’m a champion, I will fight anybody any place anywhere, even in their backyard. If you get in there with me I will beat you too.”

Images from the Erik Morales-Danny Garcia HBO bout from Houston, Texas. Garcia captured the WBC jr. welter crown via unanimous decision... Credit: Naoki Fukuda

Olusegun: “Enjoy it while it lasts. I’m coming for you.”