Since the World Boxing Federation was originally founded by American Larry Carrier in 1988, many of the sport’s biggest names have won a WBF title, and proudly defended the blue, red and gold belt all over the world.
In the Champions Of The Past Series we take a closer look at some of the boxers who held WBF titles in years gone by, from lesser known champions to world renowned fighters, legends of the sport and current or future Hall of Famers.
“The Canadian Kid” Steve Molitor first saw the light of day on April 4 in 1980, when he was born to parents of Puerto Rican heritage in Sarnia, Ontario. Inspired by his older brother Jeremy, a successful amateur-boxer, Steve picked up the sport at age ten.
At the Lampton St. Clair Boxing Club he was taught by experienced trainer Silvio Fex, and over ten years Steve developed into a very good boxer in the unpaid ranks, winning five Canadian national titles and Bronze at the Pan Am Games.
A Southpaw with a fine 93-11 amateur record, he decided to turn professional and made his debut on May 18, 2000 at the Fort Garry Place in Winnipeg. Impressively he started his paid career winning a unanimous decision after eight rounds over experienced Mexican Julio Luna (15-12-2).
He ventured south of the Canadian border for his second outing, stopping fellow prospect Mark McQueen (1-0) in Detroit two months later. In seven months he put together seven victories, so by the end of 2000 he was already starting to make a name for himself on the Canadian boxing scene.
In January of 2001, Molitor beat the only opponent in his entire career who entered their fight with a negative record. In a sport where up-and-comers are often given “easy touches” at the start, Molitor was always matched well against opponents who were able to give him a fight.
Born in Canada but fighting out of Los Angeles, two-time Golden Gloves Champion Shane Langford (0-1) was not an easy touch either, and had done well in losing his pro debut to Molitor a few months earlier. He also did well in the rematch, but came up short on the scorecards again.
On April 4, 2001, Molitor stepped up the competition when he out-boxed Dominican Champion Silvio Luzon (12-6) to win a unanimous decision in his first twelve-rounder at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Now 9-0 (2), he was ready for his break-through.
It would however be ten months before he stepped in the ring again, but when he did it was in a true “passing of the torch” fight against very popular compatriot Scotty “The Bulldog” Olson (34-3-2), a former IBO World Flyweight Champion.
Olson had only lost to world class opponents Jose Luis Zepeda, Jorge Luis Roman and Hall-of-Famer Michael Carbajal. He had returned to the ring a year earlier after a three year break, but was by far the most dangerous opponent of Molitor´s career at that point, despite the inactivity.
But Molitor was impressive against Olson, flooring the veteran former world champion four times to win the vacant Canadian Super Bantamweight crown by fifth round stoppage in the main event of a show at Shaw Conference Center in Edmonton, Olson’s home turf, on February 15, 2002.
Dealing with Olson in such spectacular fashion was a clear indication that Molitor had something special, so when an opportunity to fight for the vacant WBF World Bantamweight title came along shortly after, he jumped on it.
His opponent would be another tough Dominican in Teofilo Manzueta (13-4-1), a man who had knocked out eleven of his thirteen victims. He had every intention of doing the same to Molitor, whom he considered a novice, on April 10, 2002.
At the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, the same venue where he performed so excellently against Luzon a year earlier, Molitor gave himself a late birthday present six days after turning twenty-two, when he stopped Manzueta in three rounds to become WBF World Champion.
Two months later Molitor stayed busy with another impressive victory, when he scored a shut-out decision over former WBA world title-challenger Jose de Jesus Lopez (18-4) from Venezuela.
The following September he won the Commonwealth title by beating Nicky Booth (15-3-1) in England, and over the course of the next three years he added another nine wins to line up a shot at the vacant IBF World Super Bantamweight title.
On November 10, 2006, back in England against home-town hero Michael Hunter (26-0-1) in Hartlepool, Molitor became a two-time, two-division world champion when he stunned the local fans and won by fifth round knockout.
Molitor made five successful defenses of the IBF World title, fending off challengers Takalani Ndlovu (27-3), Narongrit Pirang (57-8-1), Ricardo Castillo (34-4), Fernando Beltran (30-2-1) and Ceferino Dario Labarda (18-0), before losing a unification fight against WBA titlist Celestino Caballero (30-2) in November of 2008.
Three victories in 2009 put him in line to regain the IBF world title in 2010, and he did so by defeating old foe Takalani Ndlovu (30-5) by unanimous decision in a fight for the vacant belt on March 27 at Casino Rama, in Ontario.
Six months after becoming a three-time world champion, Molitor defended against Jason Booth (35-5) in England, edging the Brit by majority decision. Ndlovu got a third crack at Molitor in March of 2011, and this time finally emerged victorious and relieved the Canadian of his title.
Molitor had one more good victory left in him, as he closed out 2011 by besting fellow countryman Sebastien Gauthier (21-2) in Quebec City. Ten months later, on September 22, 2012, he was stopped in six rounds by the formidable Carl Frampton (14-0) in Belfast, which would turn out to be his last fight.
Canadian Champion, Commonwealth Champion, WBA-NABA Champion, WBF World Bantamweight Champion and two-time IBF World Super Bantamweight Champion, Steve Molitor retired with an outstanding 34-3 (12) record.
In May of 2016 he was inducted in the Ontario Boxing Hall of Fame.
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