AMIR KHAN RETURNED to the winners’ circle on Saturday, taking a 10th-round TKO win over American Carlos Molina in their junior-welterweight bout.
In his first fight since a fourth-round TKO loss to Danny Garcia in July, Khan cut Molina in the opening round and continued to break his 27-year-old opponent down throughout the fight, forcing Molina’s corner to call a halt to proceedings at the end of round 10.
The victory at Los Angeles’ Sports Arena stopped a run of two successive setbacks for Khan, following his loss to Garcia and his controversial split-decision defeat to Lamont Peterson in December 2011.
Khan parted company with famed trainer Freddie Roach after his most recent loss, and he began his first fight under new coach Virgil Hunter well, cutting his opponent over the left eye in the first round.
Molina was having trouble contending with Khan’s speed, and the Englishman’s jab scored consistently, although Molina – game until the very end – landed a couple of good left hooks in the second.
Khan enjoyed a good fourth, backing Molina up to the ropes, prompting the latter’s trainer to implore him to do more.
Molina tried to be more aggressive in round five, but Khan was largely untroubled.
Molina did, however, connect with several solid shots in the sixth – his best round of the fight.
Khan enjoyed a good eighth round, working behind his lightning-fast jab, with the doctor examining the American’s cut and swollen left eye before the ninth.
Two rounds later and Molina’s trainer had seen enough, ending the contest to spare his fighter more punishment.
It was Molina’s first loss in 19 professional bouts, while 26-year-old Khan – silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the lightweight division – improved his record to 27 wins with three losses.
Also on Saturday, Filipino star Nonito Donaire scored a third-round KO of Mexican veteran Jorge Arce in Houston to retain his WBO super-bantamweight title.
Donaire floored Arce with a big left hook late in the third, and 33-year-old Arce announced his retirement after the bout.
