Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/759501
22 ANTHON Y Joshua's next chal- lenger Eric Molina is already pre- paring to return to his career as a special needs teacher, regard- less of whether he wins the IBF heavyweight title. Saturday night's fight at the Manchester Arena will be the 34-year-old American's first since boxing became a full-time pursuit, with his previous high- est-profile match-ups - a ninth- round stoppage defeat by WBC champion Deontay Wilder and a shock victory over two-weight world champion Tomasz Ad- amek - having come while he was still working with disabled students. Teaching those same students is where he believes his "destiny" lies, and it is also they who serve as his motivation as he believes he inspires them every time he succeeds. "I'll definitely go back," said Molina, Joshua's second chal- lenger since he became cham- pion. "I work with disabled high- school students and, no matter what happens in this fight, I know my destiny is to go back and work with these kids. I love to do stuff like that. "I work with kids who don't have much opportunities so I'm like a father figure to them. "I've worked with kids with dis- abilities. That's where my heart's at and at the right time I'll go back there. Multi-tasking keeps me f lowing, keeps me producing, and I'm just able to do it, and I love doing it. "I took a leave of absence in May. We defeated Tomasz Ad- amek on April 2, I finished the school year and submitted my resignation and we've been train- ing every day since." In contrast to the 27-year-old Joshua - a fighter consumed by boxing and someone who con- sistently educates himself about the history of his sport - Molina had no interest in boxing in his youth. He discovered he had a natu- ral talent for it when, as an overweight 23-year-old, he first walked into a gym to improve his physical condition, and it is his late introduction to it that gives him confidence he is continuing to improve. "I fought Deontay Wilder (in July 2015): I got off work at 4.30pm and trained at 5pm, ran at midnight, went to work the next day, sparred at the weekend and just tried to make it happen," he said. "It was the same thing for the Adamek fight. "They judge me by the (Chris) Arreola fight (the second of three defeats), which was my first step up as heavyweight. You guys could've have beaten me - I was weak-minded. "I have grown into a very dan- gerous heavyweight. There's no other heavyweight in the world who could have gone through the things I've gone through to get here. "I have a vision in my mind as to where (Joshua) makes mistakes and I have a vision as to where I am very, very dangerous. In my mind, those fit together so well. "I don't feel Dillian Whyte is a big puncher. He's a good fighter but he's not a big puncher, so I know if he can hurt (Joshua, as he did in their 2015 fight), I can. "I've got a list of guys I've sparred with and you guys would drop your jaw if I told you who I've hurt. I know I can hurt this man - it's not even a question. Just like I know he can hurt me." maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2016 Sport FORMULA 1 BOXING Mercedes 'considering' Alonso Mercedes say Fernando Alonso is being 'considered' as a potential replacement for Nico Rosberg - but Pascal Wehrlein remains the favourite to succeed the retired world champion AFTER Rosberg's stunning bombshell, the Silver Arrows are short of time before pre-season testing begins in February to find his replacement. With all of the sport's top driv- ers under contract for next sea- son Mercedes' hierarchy are in a difficult predicament. But Mercedes have not ruled out trying to entice two-time world champion Alonso to drive alongside Lewis Hamilton next season. "You have to consider Fernan- do," Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview that will be broadcast in Thursday night's F1 Special: Nico The Brave show. "He is a driver I respect a lot. He combines talent, speed and experience. It's all there. "But he is in a contract with McLaren-Honda at the moment and we just need to weigh all the other options up." Alonso is about to begin the final year of his three-year deal with McLaren and Zak Brown, the new boss at Woking, reiter- ated the team are adamant he won't be departing to fill Mer- cedes' vacancy. Brown said: "We have a con- tract with Fernando and he is very happy. Obviously he wants to be winning races, as do we, but I am not worried about that scenario." Mercedes' options have been further reduced by the reminder from Ferrari 's Sebastian Vet- tel that he too is under contract next season while there is no realistic prospect of Red Bull releasing either Max Verstappen or Daniel Ricciardo for next sea- son even if either driver wanted to leave. All of which leaves Wehrlein in pole position to step in along- side Rosberg. The youngster is unproven and untested at the sharp end of the grid but has a longstanding Mercedes connection, has yet to be signed by any team for next season Fellow junior driver Esteban Ocon is another potential part- ner for Hamilton. Dream team? Lewis Hamilton and McLaren's Fernando Alonso Molina's 'destiny' is teaching Anthony Joshua's next challenger Eric Molina is already preparing to return to his career as a special needs teacher, regardless of whether he wins the IBF heavyweight title Eric Molina is preparing to face Anthony Joshua