Molina wins by TKO in 1st round

McALLEN - Eric Molina made short work of Anthony Greeley, scoring a first-round knockout in the main event Saturday night at the Harley Davidson Center in McAllen.

It was Molina's sixth straight win by knockout and may have been his easiest. Greeley (7-28-3) went down twice in the round before referee David Avalos stopped the cruiserweight bout at 2:38 of the round.

"I caught him with an uppercut, and I caught him with a jab after that," said Molina (6-1, six KOs). "I felt it. My right hand on his cheek."

Molina enjoyed advantages in height, weight and reach and used them to perfection. Greeley tried to come inside early, but a Molina uppercut to send him down to a knee.

Greeley rose easily before hitting the canvas with his back after a Molina right 25 seconds later. Greeley, of Monroe, La., beat the count, but Avalos felt he should not continue.

Greeley seemed bothered by his left eye after the first knockdown.

"I couldn't see after that," he said.

Now Molina, of Harlingen, wants another shot at the Texas cruiserweight belt. Titleholder Robbie McClimans is expected to defend it against Osvaldo Martinez next month.

"I want the winner," Molina said. "I'm hungry for the winner. They've got my belt. I want that belt."

Molina knocked out McClimans in the second round last December, but the match's status was changed to a non-title bout shortly before it took place. Molina still has not fought past the second round in seven fights.

The most exciting bout of the night was the co-main event - a majority draw between Weslaco's Omar Molano (5-1-2) and San Antonio welterweight Gilbert Elizondo (4-1-1).

There were no knockdowns, but each fighter exchanged heavy punches and went toe-to-toe during the fourth and sixth rounds. Elizondo racked up points with Molano trapped against the ropes, but Molano countered with some crushing body shots and seemed to stagger Elizondo in the sixth even though he couldn't put him away.

"I won man. I won," Molano said. "If anything, I give him two rounds. I was throwing pretty hard (going for the KO). He was pretty tough."

Elizondo was pleased with the draw.

"I felt like I caught him with some good shots," Elizondo said. "To be able to get a majority draw in his hometown, I can't complain."

On the undercard, Weslaco's Omar Figueroa Jr., 18, won his pro debut with a stunning knockout of Brownsville's Edwin Espinoza (0-2) just 25 seconds into their super lightweight bout. Figueroa, who just graduated from Weslaco East last month, used some scouting information to good advantage.

"I knew he liked to apply pressure," Figueroa said. "I just waited for him to come in. I was waiting for that opening."

Figueroa's wrecking-ball right sent Espinoza falling straight back, causing him to strike his head against the canvas. Doctors checked him out, and he remained on his back for about two minutes before leaving the ring under his own power.

In other bouts, Weslaco's Juan Manuel Lopez (4-2) won a unanimous decision over San Antonio's Joseph Rios (3-3) in their junior bantamweight fight; McAllen's Maria Salinas (1-0) won a split decision over San Antonio junior flyweight Stephanie Gonzales (0-1); and San Antonio's Jesse Ortiz (4-8-2) scored a first-round knockout over San Antonio's Ramiro Torres (3-12-1) in a battle of lightweights.