Boxing 360: Heavyweight Mollo Back To Chicago

ByBoxing Press

Chicago heavyweight “Merciless” Mike Mollo (20-3, 12 KOs) returns home Friday night to fight Gary “Pit Bull” Gomez (18-11-1, 7 KOs) in an 8-round bout at the UIC Pavilion Center.

Gomez, former WBC Continentals and GBU Cruiserweight Champion, replaced Franklin “Yah Yah” Lawrence. Mollo returns to the UIC Pavilion, where he defeated Billy Zumbrun this past March 26 by 8-round unanimous decision, after Mike had been inactive for 1 ½ years.

“It’s always great fighting at home,” Mollo said from his West Palm Beach (FL) training camp. “I always know that there’s going to be a packed house there rooting for me.”

The 30-year-old Mollo’s most notable victories to date have been against former Olympians, Mike Tyson-conqueror and former Irish heavyweight champion Kevin McBride and Canadian Art Binkowski. Mollo has also extended multiple world title challengers Andrew Golota and Jameel McCline the full 12-round distances, respectively, in their WBA Fedelatin and WBC Eliminator fights.

“I expect Mike to be in an aggressive, all-attack fight from the first round on,” Mollo’s trainer Pete Brodsky added. “He’s trained hard, working on his in-fighting and his ability to navigate inside. Most importantly, he’s been working at a quicker pace. I expect to see a good brawl.”

Boxing 360 has another heavyweight fighting Friday night, veteran Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris (23-14-2, 10 KOs), winner of the 2002 Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament.”

Harris takes on IBF #15 rated Nagy “Dominican Dynamite” Aguilera (16-3, 11 KOs) in a 12-round bout for the USBA title, in Hinkley, Minnesota.