Carlos Molina’s promoter posts bond for boxer; hopeful fight is on

The promoter and attorney for world light-middleweight champion Carlos Molina said he’s hopeful the fighter can keep his Saturday night title defense on the “Canelo” Alvarez-Alfredo Angulo undercard at MGM Grand after the boxer’s arrest earlier this week.

Promoter Leon Margules told The Times by telephone Thursday night that he posted a $10,000 bond to have Molina released from Clark County (Nev.) Detention Center.

“I don’t want to say the fight is on until I see the kid walk out of jail, but I believe he’ll fight,” Margules said.

Molina (22-5-2, six knockouts) was arrested Tuesday on a warrant issued in 2007, Margules said.

Sgt. Dave Lund of the Appleton, Wis., police department said Molina was convicted of a sex-related crime in 2001, in Outagamie County, and later failed to register as a sex offender, prompting the extraditable warrant.

“I don’t know how it works in Nevada, but he wouldn’t be fighting in Wisconsin,” Lund said.

Molina’s Saturday night title defense is against unbeaten Jermall Charlo.

Molina, who is from Chicago, earlier Thursday was briefly released from jail after Charlo’s high-powered boxing manager, Al Haymon, worked to assist Molina’s cause, according to two boxing officials close to the situation. Promoter Richard Schaefer said Molina was re-arrested when questions about his immigration status surfaced.

“I don’t know why that was ever an issue,” Margules said. “He’s lived here since he was 4.”

Margules said Molina was 18 when he was arrested. He said Molina later “forgot to re-register as a sex offender.

“It wasn’t like he was fleeing,” Margules said. “He’s fought all over the country, at big events, like the Canelo-Floyd Mayweather fight” in September, the most lucrative pay-per-view fight in boxing history.

So why did someone come after him now?

“That’s the million-dollar question,” Margules said. “Someone can probably come up with conspiracy theories, but I don’t know.”

Margules said Clark County jail officials told him Molina would be released anytime within four to 20 hours from 6 p.m. Thursday.

Golden Boy matchmaker Robert Diaz said Molina can remain on the card by appearing at the 3 p.m. Friday weigh-in supervised by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

“He also has to make weight,” Margules said. “The fact they’ve let us post bond is a good sign.”

Schaefer said if Molina cannot fight, he will move the light-welterweight fight of Alvarez’s brother Ricardo (23-2-3) against Sergio Thompson into the pay-per-view telecast on Showtime.

“I prefer to keep the world title fight on for Charlo, because he’s worked hard to get the opportunity,” Schaefer said earlier Thursday. “I don’t want to speculate too much until I see him. These are dicey situations.

“All I needed to know is if the fight was going to happen or not.”

Molina won the International Boxing Federation belt in September with a split-decision victory over Ishe Smith.

Charlo is 17-0 with 13 knockouts, including a fifth-round knockout in December in Indio.