ESPN2 Friday Night Fights returns to Miami when Jr. middleweights Danny Perez vs. Carlos Molina meet in a 12-round bout for a minor title belt. Molina, 16-4-1, 5 KO’s, is coming off the most impressive win of his career when he outworked hard-punching prospect Ed Paredes over 10-rounds in Tacoma, Washington.  The betting  line has Perez who is on an 8-fight winning streak as the -150 favorite over Carlos Molina who was originally to face Carlos Quintana. Danny Perez, 34-5, 17 KO’s, is a rugged California warrior that has been in with the best that the West Coast has to offer including two fights with Antonio Margarito. Both of those fights came early in both brawlers careers but it should be noted that Perez dropped the iron jawed Margarito with a right hand in their first encounter.  The boxing betting odds over at Sportsbook.com install Perez as the -150 favorite for the Danny Perez vs. Carlos Molina fight.

After a 3-year layoff from 2005 to 2008 the 32-year old Danny Perez seems to have a new lease on his boxing career. Largely regarded as an inside “banger” Perez is now a more cerebral fighter that uses a decent jab and his 249 rounds of boxing experience to his advantage.  Perez has never been KO’d or down in any of those 249 rounds displaying strong punch resistance.  Perez is hittable as evidence of his pugs face but he is technically solid and has shown some new wrinkles to his game with his new trainer Mark Diaz.Carlos Molina is a durable Mexican fighter that likes to bring pressure and wear down his opponents with body shots.  Molina has improved with experience and throws lots of punches but he is not a very hard puncher and  is an average athlete. Molina is consistent however and was the only fighter to stain the record of prospect Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. with a 6-round draw in December of 2005. Two months later Chavez Jr. earned a majority decision but Molina proved himself to be a “spoiler” in that first fight. In 2009 against 3 quality opponents Molina has only lost a handful of rounds and is very confident heading into the Perez fight.

While Molina is the younger fighter riding a hot winning streak Perez is the more seasoned vet with some power. In fights of this nature I like the more experienced fighter with the heavier hands which in this case is Perez. Molina has never been 12-rounds while Perez has been the championship distance twice and has been scheduled to go 12 about a half-dozen times in his career. Perez will also be the bigger man in the fight as a natural Jr. middleweight opposed to Molina who has fought the majority of his career at welterweight.

Brad Marchetti Recommendation: Danny Perez -150

Danny Perez vs. Carlos Molina Tale-Of-The-Tape

Danny Perez

From: California via Mexico
Ht. 5’11”
Wt. 150-160
Age: 32
Reach: 70”
Style: Puncher\Boxer
Rounds Fought: 249

Carlos Molina

From: Chicago via Mexico
Ht. 5’9”
Wt. 147-155
Age: 26
Reach: 70”
Style: Pressure Fighter
Rounds Fought: 132