Tomas Molinares pugile

Tomas Molinares (born April 6, 1965, in Cartagena, Colombia) is a Colombian retired boxer and former WBA welterweight champion of the world. He is remembered mostly for his fight with Marlon Starling and the controversial way in which it ended. Behind on the scorecards, Molinares launched a punch that knocked Starling out, but the punch seemingly landed just after the bell to end round six rang. Viewings of the fight's video, both by officials during a WBA inquest right after the bout and on YouTube showings, prove and have proven inconclusive as far as whether Molinares threw the punch in time or not.Tomas Molinares debuted as a professional boxer on October 26, 1984, when he faced 0–1–1 Arnovis Castro at the Bernardo Caraballo Coliseum in Cartagena, winning by decision. On March 1, 1985, Molinares faced the much more experienced Cristobal Torres, who had accumulated a record of 11 wins, 10 losses and 4 draws (ties) in 25 bouts, compared to Molinares' 1–0. He stopped Torres to score his first knockout win as a professional boxer. Wins over Eliseo Benitez and Mateo Valdes followed, and Molinares then challenged for the Colombian national Welterweight title, which was vacant at the time. Molinares fought 3–6–1 Simon Ramos on June 21, 1985, in Cartagena, winning the national championship by knockout.Winning the national title was followed by wins over Jairo Segovia, Glenroy Savage and Emilio Olivera, all of whom fell by knockout to Molinares' punches. Then Molinares experienced a raise in opposition quality when he boxed the highly experienced Ezequier "Cocoa" Sanchez, a boxer who had faced some of the very best fighters in the world, fighting mainly in his native Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico but also in the United States, Venezuela and South Africa. Sanchez had previously boxed Benjamin Ortiz, Norman Goins, Vilomar Fernandez, Samuel Serrano, trial-horse Rocky Orengo, Jose Fernandez, 22–2–2 Ben Lekalake, Rocky Ramon, Blackie Zamora, Alexis Arguello, Jerome Artis, Idelfonso Bethelmy, Ralph Racine, Jose Luis Ramirez and Howard Davis Jr. among many others, before trading gloves with Molinares on December 14, 1985, at the Humberto Perea Coliseum in Barranquilla. Against such opposition, Sanchez was able to garner a winning record of 30–11–2, but, offsetting his opponent's vast experience advantage, Molinares stopped Sanchez, winning the bout by technical knockout.Saul Julio, who, at 16–1–1 was considered another top Colombian prospect at the time, next faced Molinares, Molinares coming on top by knockout on January 31, 1986, in Cartagena. On March 14, 1986, Molinares beat Ruben Veliz and then he faced former WBC Fecarbox regional Welterweight champion, Panamanian Carlos Trujillo, who had recently challenged Milton McCrory for McCrory's WBC world welterweight championship; and who was coming off losing to the heralded South African Harold Volbrecht. On April 30, 1986, at Barranquilla, Molinares outpointed Trujillo. By then, Molinares was ranked among the top ten welterweights around the world by the WBA.A win over mismatched Edgar Rodriguez (1–3 before their bout) followed the Trujillo victory and then, on November 15, 1986, Molinares faced Mexican Sergio Sanchez, 18–7–1, at the Estadio Metropolitano in Barranquilla. This fight was for the Federacion Caribena de Boxeo's (Fecarbox-Caribbean Boxing Federation) vacant welterweight championship. Molinares won the Caribbean area's title by defeating Sanchez with a knockout. Undefeated Jorge Manchengo (8–0) was dispatched next, a technical knockout victim on December 12, 1986. A couple of wins over mismatched Alberto Lindo (3–3) and Maxiliano Cimarra (1–0) (fought at San Andres Island, the first time Molinares boxed as a professional boxer outside of mainland Colombia) followed, and then, on June 19, 1987, Molinares boxed 10–1–1 Eduardo Bautista in Barranquilla, winning by knockout.