Terence Crawford and Top Rank opt for John Molina on December 10

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Terence Crawford will step up and defend his junior welterweight titles on December 10 on HBO vs. exciting but limited contender John Molina Jr.

The positive news is that boxing fans will get to see Terence Crawford fight for a third time in 2016 after only two outings last year. The somewhat discouraging news is that Crawford (29-0, 20 KOs) will face John Molina Jr. in an utter mismatch that is more a reflection of Crawford’s pound-for-pound talent than any indictment of Molina (29-6, 23 KOs).

Here are some details about the Crawford-Molina fight, courtesy of ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael:

Arum emphasized that the fight is not yet signed, but he said the terms are agreed to and the paperwork is in the process of being finalized for a bout that would headline a doubleheader on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing.”

Arum said the card will take place at the CenturyLink Center in Crawford’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. The arena originally was booked to host a Creighton University men’s basketball game on Dec. 10, but Arum said his staff worked with the school to move the game to another date, freeing up the arena for the fight card.

As Rafael notes, that Top Rank’s Bob Arum and Premier Boxing Champions’ Al Haymon are working together for a non-mandatory bout is significant. With lawsuits and pathetic petulance seemingly behind them, Arum and Haymon could conceivably collaborate on some of boxing’s more significant match-ups going forward.

But make no mistake, Terence Crawford-John Molina Jr. is not that kind of fight.

At his best, Molina is a courageous brawler capable of relying on impressive power and resolve. His knockout loss to Lucas Matthysse in 2014 was a breathtaking slugfest, and he most recently flashed newfound boxing acumen in an upset of Ruslan Provodnikov. At his worst, though, Molina is a fighter who can be thoroughly befuddled by skilled boxers, which is precisely what happened against Adrien Broner last year.

Given that Terence Crawford is a better fighter in literally every respect than Adrien Broner, no one will be giving Molina much of a chance. That said, the best case scenario is that Crawford, who can brawl as well as box, will gun for a stoppage and fight at a distance that could yield some blistering exchanges. And yet, Crawford certainly has the skills to keep Molina at bay for the fight’s duration.

According to Rafael, there was a shortlist of four opponents approved by HBO for Top Rank to choose from, and only one name stands out as genuinely viable: Felix Diaz. But here’s what Arum had the gall to tell Rafael: “My [matchmakers] said Diaz is a stinker and that it would not be a good fight to watch.”

Diaz’s last two outings have propelled him to elite contender status. Two fights ago, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist from the Dominican Republic arguably beat Lamont Peterson in a bout where he had sustained success applying pressure; most recently, Diaz (18-1, 8 KOs) outclassed and beat up undefeated rising prospect Sammy Vasquez. In no way did Diaz play the role of “stinker” in either fight, and he was also campaigning at welterweight when he’s a natural 140-pounder.

For Terence Crawford, Felix Diaz represents a high risk-low reward option, especially on relatively short notice (in terms of developing a quality promotion, for instance). Once Crawford beats Molina, though, the hope is that he faces the likes of Diaz in 2017. Crawford has always been up for that kind of challenge, so his promoters should follow suit.