The Skydome in Coventry hosts the return of fans this Saturday night, with Sam Eggington and Carlos Molina meeting for the vacant WBC Silver Middleweight title over twelve rounds in the main event.
It feels like Eggington (29-7, KO18) has been around for decades, but the Midlander has packed so much into a professional career that began in September 2012.
Best known in his early career for fan friendly performances in defeat in two separate Prizefighter tournaments that got the endorsement from promoter, Barry Hearn, who has championed Sam ever since.
‘The Savage’ pretty much learned on the job, and captured British and Commonwealth belts at Welterweight before shipping them to Bradley Skeete on the cards in March 2016.
Eggington bounced back with four straight wins, including against the likes of Frankie Gavin (TKO8) and Paulie Malignaggi (KO8) and he also picked up the European title before losing in his first defence to the excellent Mohamed Mimoune.
The rebuild began at Super Welterweight, and after two low key wins the 27-year-old was stunned by little known, Hasan Mwakinyo, stopped in two rounds in September 2018.
Since that shock defeat, Sam has gone 5-2, losing to Liam Smith (TKO5) and more recently, in a thriller in the Matchroom back garden to Ted Cheeseman in a tight points loss. He was last out in December 2020, this time under the Hennessy banner, stopping the faded Ashley Theophane in six rounds.
The Briton now moves up another weight, and has his eyes on a world title shot, with the vacant WBC Silver strap on the line here which will enhance his ranking.
Molina (37-11-2, KO12) will be no pushover, and he has yet to be stopped in eleven career defeats, but at 37, the Mexican is very much at the tail end of a long career.
After losing four of his first 13 contests, ‘King’ Carlos captured the IBF Super Welterweight title back in September 2013, taking a split decision against Ishe Smith. He would lose his belt at the first attempt, as Cornelius Bundrage widely outscored Molina just over a year after beating Smith.
That’s been as good as it’s got for him in his career, as he rebuilt with six under the radar wins in his native Mexico, and then followed that up with four straight defeats, all on the cards, to Carlos Adames, Ahmed El Mousaoui, Josh Kelly, and Souleymane Cissokho.
Two fights later, he was defeated in Germany by the 4-0 Abass Baraou, and he has returned to Mexico ever since, notching eight wins on the spin against low level opposition, his last a February 2021 ten round points win against Edgar Ortega.
Prediction: Eggington will be looking for a statement win and stop Molina for the first time.
I think he will attempt to pile on the pressure early on, and after an initial onslaught, Molina should be able to weather the storm, and see the fight out to the final bell, where Eggington will likely take a landslide points win.
The co-main event.
Former British Light Heavyweight champion, Shakan Pitters (14-1, KO4), returns after losing the Lonsdale Belt in a thriller to Craig Richards, with an eight rounder against Jermaine Springer (7-2, KO1).
Springer has lost two of his last four, and Pitters can halt him around the halfway mark.
The undercard.
Kaisee Benjamin (11-1-1, KO2) defended his Midlands Area Welterweight title last time out with a points win over Ben Fields, and the Birmingham man takes a dangerous looking ten round assignment here against Scotland’s Martin Harkin (13-1, KO5).
Harkin lost for the first time in his last outing, dropped three times and then outpointed by the classy Michael McKinson over ten in October 2020. Benjamin will have to have his wits about him, but should come through on the cards.
Coventry’s River Wilson-Bent (8-0, KO4) also impressed in his last appearance, a highlight reel knockout of Troy Coleman in December 2020, and he defends his Midlands Area Middleweight belt against Derby’s George Farrell (5-0, KO1). The champion should retain over the distance.
Michael Hennessy Jr (5-1-1, KO0) continues his education, and the Super Welterweight will likely need all six rounds to see off Paul Cummings (2-48, KO0).
Stephen McKenna, Idris Virgo, Tommy Welch and Brett McGinty are all scheduled to appear.
