ESPN2 At Pechanga Resort & Casino

The Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, CA will host the June 24 ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” doubleheader presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions.

In the main event, reigning WBC USNBC Lightweight Champion John Molina, Jr. (21-1, 17 KOs), from Covina, CA, will square off with Denver, CO tough veteran Robert “Red Hot” Frankel (28-10-1, 5 KOs). The semi-main event will feature Bakersfield, CA junior welterweight Mike “The Silent Assassin” Dallas, Jr. (17-1-1, 7 KOs) battling Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (17-1, 7 KOs), of Lake Elsinore, CA in an evenly matched bout on paper and a toss-up in the ring for the IBF North American Light Welterweight title. The Dallas-Herrera bout will be promoted in association with Thompson Boxing. Both bouts are scheduled for 10-rounds.

When last seen on ESPN2, Molina overcame a huge deficit on the scorecards to score an impressive knockout victory over undefeated Hank Lundy to win his title back last July.

“It’s kind of a unique situation for me,” the 28-year old Molina (ranked WBO #8, WBC # 10, WBA #11 and IBF #12) acknowledged. “I am building a collection of junior title belts as I work towards becoming a world champion. My belt is at stake at Pechanga on June 24, my chance to move closer to a world title shot is on the line. So you know I will be ready.”

Frankel, 30, is an eight-year pro who has won seven of his last eight bouts. Most recently he stopped Adam Limon in the second round two months ago. Just prior to that, he lost a hard-fought majority decision to former world champion David Diaz (35-3-1) back in January.

“This fight against Molina in front of a national TV audience is a major opportunity for me,” Frankel said. “I know Molina will be the favorite, but I am not coming all the way to Southern California to lose. I have seen Molina fight on TV several times and have identified some weaknesses in his game I can exploit. My chances of pulling an upset are ‘Red Hot’.”

Having been stopped in the seventh round for his first loss as a pro by Josesito Lopez in his last outing back in January on ESPN2, Dallas is jumping right back in there with another highly-regarded boxer in Herrera, who is rated #11 by the IBF, as he seeks to get his career back on track.

“I just want to come back strong and I don’t want to take any easy fights. I want to beat a really good opponent to get back in the mix,” Dallas, 24, explained. “I’ve seen Herrera fight. He’s a tough kid. He’s got a lot of heart. It’s gonna be a good match, but I see myself coming out with a victory.”

Seven years older at age 31, Herrera has won his last four fights. Most recently, he garnered a one-sided decision against Cristian Favela a month ago. The only blemish on his record was a controversial split-decision loss to Mike Anchondo in December, 2009. One judge had him winning the fight 79-73, while the other two saw it 75-77 the other way.

“This should be a great fight for the fans because we are so evenly matched and very active,” Herrera pointed out. “Pechanga is not far from home for me, and I will be extra motivated to get the most out of my abilities in front of family and friends and a national TV audience on ESPN2. El Maestro plans on conducting a boxing clinic and emerging victorious.”

Also slated to see action on the undercard is 2008 Olympian Javier Molina (6-0, 4 KOs) of Norwalk, California.

“To have local, world rated fighters fighting each other at the beautiful Pechanga Resort and Casino, is just another reason Pechanga has been the leader in California in bringing top level entertainment to their customers,” stated promoter Dan Goossen. “John Molina has a world championship opportunity hanging in the balance against a very tough challenger in Frankel, and Herrera is looking to use Dallas in his next step toward a title. All is set for a great night of world class fights.”

Tickets prices start at Ringside $70. VIP $50 and General $35 and are available at www.pechanga.com, at the Pechanga Box Office daily from 10am to 10pm, anytime at the on-site ticket kiosks, or by calling 1-877-2946. Doors open at 5:00 PM. First Bout is at 6:00 PM.