Tomas Molinares (born April 6, 1965, in Cartagena, Colombia) is a Colombian retired boxer and former WBA welterweight champion of the world.
Viewings of the fight's video, both by officials during a WBA inquest right after the bout and on YouTube showings, prove and have proven inconclusive as far as whether Molinares threw the punch in time or not.
Tomas Molinares debuted as a professional boxer on October 26, 1984, when he faced 0–1–1 Arnovis Castro at the Bernardo Caraballo Coliseum in Cartagena, winning by decision.
Wins over Eliseo Benitez and Mateo Valdes followed, and Molinares then challenged for the Colombian national Welterweight title, which was vacant at the time.
On March 14, 1986, Molinares beat Ruben Veliz and then he faced former WBC FECARBOX regional Welterweight champion, Panamanian Carlos Trujillo, who had recently challenged Milton McCrory for McCrory's WBC world welterweight championship; and who was coming off losing to the heralded South African Harold Volbrecht.
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.
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.
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.
Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant, covering the fight for American television channel HBO, believed that the punch had been launched clearly after the bell.
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.
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.
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.
Molinares, it was reported on such outlets as Guantes boxing magazine, was facing marital problems as well as depression after becoming world champion.