Tomás Molinares

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.

A rematch with Simon Ramos, by now 3–9–1, followed, fight in which Molinares again stopped Ramos, this time on September 4, 1987. Next was Molinares' international debut as a professional boxer, when he faced 11–6–3 Fernando Martinez on October 24, 1987, at the Tamiami Fairgrounds Auditorium in Miami, Florida, United States, as part of an undercard that featured a world championship main event for the WBC world Super Flyweight title between Molinares' countryman Sugar Baby Rojas and former world champion, Argentine Gustavo Ballas.[3] Tomas Molinares won his American debut by knocking Martinez out.

Panama's Eduardo Rodriguez had challenged Donald Curry for Curry's undisputed world Welterweight title, beaten Trujillo and lost to Ruben Dario Palacios before he and Molinares had a showdown on Friday, December 18, 1987, as part of an undercard headed by Fidel Bassa's defense of his WBA world Flyweight title against Felix Marti at the Plaza de Toros Cartagena de Indias in Cartagena.[4] Molinares won this test by knocking Rodriguez (20–8 coming in) out. A win over Emiro Oliveros and one against Eric Perea (10–5) followed, both by knockout. Molinares next challenged Marlon Starling for the American's WBA world welterweight title.

With a record of 23–0, 20 wins by knockout, Molinares flew to the United States to fight WBA world welterweight champion Marlon Starling, who had upset Mark Breland to win the championship. Staged on July 29, 1988, at the Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the bout was scheduled to a limit distance of 12 rounds. The referee was Puerto Rican Joe Cortez.

It was a close fight; after five rounds, Starling led on the scorecards of Bernie Soto and Ove Ovesen by a single point, 48–47 on both judges' cards, while Guy Jutras had the bout a tie at 48–48.[5]

The fighting pair were involved in a rather long blows exchange towards the end of round six, Starling being near the ropes at the time. Then they moved, Starling's back facing one of the ring's corners. The two boxers then launched hard, interchanging, over-looping right hands. Starling's missed but Molinares' hit Starling on the button of Starling's chin. About that moment, the bell sounded to finish the round. Starling fell to the floor face-first, and was counted out by referee Cortez. Starling sprained his right ankle after he fell on top of it.

Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant, covering the fight for American television channel HBO, believed that the punch had been launched clearly after the bell. However, video footage shows the punch may have been thrown only a second or so after it rang.

Starling himself was unaware that he had been floored and expressed no knowledge of being counted out by referee Cortez during an interview with Merchant immediately after the bout.[6]

The Molinares-Starling bout formed part of a series of famous fights that had controversial endings around that era (including Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. versus Meldrick Taylor I, Greg Haugen versus Miguel Santana, James Douglas versus Mike Tyson and Haugen versus Hector Camacho Sr. I).

Larry Hazzard, the New Jersey State Athletic Commission's chairman at the time, thought that Cortez was right in counting Starling out and giving Molinares the win, declaring that the punch may have landed a fraction of a second after the bell but that Molinares threw it before the bell rang (therefore, at first, Hazzard believed that Molinares had won the bout legally). Upon further review, however, Hazzard changed his mind and declared that the commission would not recognize the bout's original result and it would be therefore changed into a no contest. He, however, deferred the decision whether to continue recognizing Molinares as a world champion or not to the WBA. This was reported on the New York Times sports section on August 12, 1988.

The same day that the New York Times published that information, in Panama City, Panama, the WBA announced that despite the New Jersey commission's change of the fight results, they would continue recognizing Molinares as their official world champion until he lost the title in a boxing fight or abdicated his crown as WBA world welterweight champion. This was also announced, on August 13, on the New York Times.[5]

Molinares started facing trouble to defend his title right away. He reportedly had problems making his division's weight limit of 147 pounds, but on December 16, the Los Angeles Times announced that Molinares would be defending his WBA world championship against former world champion and 1984 Olympic gold medal winner, Mark Breland on February 4.[7] This bout, however, never took place.

Although Molinares, technically at least, had not defeated Starling, he continued undefeated up until that point, with 23 wins, 20 by knockout, and the Starling bout having been declared a no-contest. It was reported from Colombia, however, that the champion was having personal problems, suffering from depression. He vacated the title and took a few months off boxing.

When he returned, on April 15, 1989, he was surprisingly knocked out by the 7–7–2 Horacio Perez, losing his condition as an undefeated boxer. He fought only once more as a professional boxer, suffering an even bigger upset when faced with the debuting Jose Luis Esteven, who also beat the now former world champion by a knockout. Both his two final bouts took place at Barranquilla.

Molinares had a final professional boxing record of 23 wins, 2 losses and one no-contest, with 20 of those wins by knockout. He and Ken Norton stand out as boxers who were world champions despite never having officially won a world title bout.