| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 1208 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Native Texan Eric Molina concluded his decorated |
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| 6 | 6 | | career as a professional boxer in 2023, and his accomplishments in |
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| 7 | 7 | | the ring are indeed deserving of recognition; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The "Drummer Boy," as he is known to his fans, made |
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| 9 | 9 | | his professional debut on March 17, 2007; despite losing that bout, |
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| 10 | 10 | | Mr. Molina soon launched a triumphant run, emerging victorious in |
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| 11 | 11 | | his next 18 fights; over the course of his 16 years as a |
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| 12 | 12 | | professional, he captured the World Boxing Council Latino |
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| 13 | 13 | | Championship in 2009, the WBC U.S. Heavyweight Championship in |
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| 14 | 14 | | 2011, and the WBC North American Boxing Federation Heavyweight |
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| 15 | 15 | | Championship in 2013; on June 13, 2015, he faced Deontay Wilder for |
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| 16 | 16 | | the WBC World Heavyweight Championship in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and |
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| 17 | 17 | | the following year, he earned another chance at the heavyweight |
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| 18 | 18 | | belt against Anthony Joshua; after matching up against Simon Kean |
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| 19 | 19 | | on March 23, 2023, in Montreal, Canada, he retired with a career |
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| 20 | 20 | | record of 29 wins and 9 losses with 21 knockouts; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, The son of Ricardo and Debbie Molina, Eric Molina |
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| 22 | 22 | | was born in Raymondville and raised in Sebastian; he graduated from |
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| 23 | 23 | | Lyford High School in 2000 and went on to receive a bachelor's |
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| 24 | 24 | | degree in interdisciplinary studies and a master's degree in |
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| 25 | 25 | | special education from The University of Texas at Brownsville; |
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| 26 | 26 | | throughout much of his boxing career, he also worked as a special |
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| 27 | 27 | | education teacher for the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School |
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| 28 | 28 | | District, and since 2019, he has served as the assistant director of |
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| 29 | 29 | | the City of Edinburg Parks and Recreation Department; in all his |
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| 30 | 30 | | endeavors, he benefits from the love and support of his wife, |
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| 31 | 31 | | Yesenia; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Eric Molina has proven himself a boxer of |
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| 33 | 33 | | exceptional ability and unrelenting determination, and his |
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| 34 | 34 | | brilliance in the ring will continue to be fondly remembered across |
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| 35 | 35 | | the Lone Star State and beyond for many years to come; now, |
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| 36 | 36 | | therefore, be it |
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| 37 | 37 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 38 | 38 | | Legislature hereby honor Eric Molina for his achievements in |
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| 39 | 39 | | professional boxing and extend to him sincere best wishes for the |
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| 40 | 40 | | future; and, be it further |
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| 41 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 42 | 42 | | prepared for Mr. Molina as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 43 | 43 | | House of Representatives. |
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| 44 | 44 | | Longoria |
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| 45 | 45 | | ______________________________ |
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| 46 | 46 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 47 | 47 | | I certify that H.R. No. 1208 was adopted by the House on May |
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| 48 | 48 | | 6, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 49 | 49 | | ______________________________ |
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| 50 | 50 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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