RAMA, Ont. -- On a night when he was supposed to be playing second fiddle, Canadian boxer Steve Molitor turned in a second rate performance.
The Sarnia, Ont., native laboured to an eight-round unanimous decision over Argentinian Jose Saez (17-8-4, 8 KOs) in the co-feature of the Rumble at Rama X event at Casino Rama on Saturday.
The victory allows Molitor to maintain his number two position in the IBF super bantamweight rankings and remain in line for a shot at regaining the title he held between 2006 and 2008.
"Saez was tougher than a lot of people realized," said Allan Tremblay, Molitor's promoter who touted the matchup as a "stay busy" bout.
Saez appeared confused by the fellow southpaw from the early going, chasing Molitor around the ring for the first two rounds. The former 122-pound champion was easily able to control the ring and keep his distance from Saez using an effective jab and a strong right hook.
In the latter stages of the fourth round, Molitor (31-1-0,12 KOs) punished Saez with several flurries against the ropes which had the referee looking on intently in anticipation of a stoppage or knockout. Saez battled valiantly and made it through the round despite the immense punishment.
However, the tides turned once he got off his stool.
Early in the fifth round, Molitor walked into a left hook from Saez that sent him crumpling to the canvas.
For the remainder of the bout, Molitor was visibly tentative and frustrated, willingly retreating and backing himself into the ropes as Saez attacked.
"For me, it's humiliating," said Molitor of the knockdown. "It's embarrassing, after 21 years of boxing, you don't want to see that happening."
The crowd at Casino Rama, which is normally unanimous in favour of Molitor, was equally as disappointed, and showered the hometown favourite with a chorus of boos following the announcement of his victory.
"Casino Rama is the house that Steve Molitor built," said Molitor's trainer Chris Johnson. "What he's done over the past four years has been incredible, and this fight only makes him hungrier."
In the main event, Filipino sensation Marvin Sonsona and Alejandro Hernandez of Mexico fought to a thrilling draw which was prefaced by controversy.
Earlier in the day, Sonsona was stripped of the WBO junior bantamweight title for not making the 115-pound weight limit. However, had Hernandez won the bout, he would have been declared the champion. The belt now remains vacant as the WBO declares two mandatory challengers.
"This wasn't a case of a fighter being lazy," said Tremblay, who is part of a promotional consortium for Sonsona. "He's a growing boy, and this was a collective decision to vacate the belt."
Tremblay also expects Celestino Caballero to vacate the IBF super bantamweight title in order to face hot prospect Juan Manuel Lopez in a highly anticipated clash. This would open the door for a possible world title bout between Molitor and Takalani Ndlovu at the tentative March 2010 date at Casino Rama.