Marlon Starling vs. Tomás Molinares was a professional boxing match contested on July 29, 1988, for the WBA welterweight title.

In what was billed as a precursor to a unification match between the two, Marlon Starling, the WBA's welterweight champion, and Lloyd Honeyghan, who held the WBC's version of the title, would participate in a doubleheader event broadcast on HBO World Championship Boxing in which they would each make title defenses against their respective mandatory challengers.

The co featured bout saw Lloyd Honeyghan make the first defence in his second reign as WBC, lineal and The Ring champion, after knocking out Jorge Vaca in their rematch, having controversially lost by a split technical decision the first time.

Furious Korean supporters rushed to ringside to boo the decision and shout "you dirty fighter" at the departing champion.

As it was unknown at the time if the punch was landed before or after the bell, there was a three minute delay before Molinares was finally declared the winner by knockout.

In the immediate aftermath, HBO commentator Larry Merchant interviewed Cortez, who explained that he felt that Molinares was in the process of throwing the punch as the bell rang, thus deeming it legal.

The day after Hazzard's decision to void the contest, the WBA announced that it would in fact continue to recognized Molinares as champion.

[9] In spite of Starling having lost his title, he and Honeyghan nevertheless proceeded with their anticipated fight, which was officially announced in early January 1989 to take place the following month on February 4th.

[11] However, only days after the doubleheader event was announced, Molinares pulled out of his fight with Breland and vacated the title with his manager citing "severe mental depression" as the reason for him doing so.