Australian Jason Moloney (left) fought but lost his WBO bantamweight title to Yoshiki Takei via unanimous decision. (Photo: Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images)
Former bantamweight titleholder Jason Moloney (27-3, 19 KOs) plans to return to Japan to once again claim one of the sport’s top four titles.
Earlier this year, Moloney had the opportunity to defend his WBO belt for a second time when George Kambosos Jr. faced Vasily Lomachenko in Perth, but instead opted to head overseas to build his brand in the lucrative Japanese market.
In May, Moloney traveled to Japan to face former kickboxer turned boxer Yoshiki Takei (9-0, 8 KOs) at the Tokyo Dome, a fight that was supposed to be a prelude to Naoya Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight title defense against Luis Nery.
The relatively inexperienced Takei had won all eight of his previous fights by knockout and was widely believed to be his greatest asset. However, the left-handed fighter from Yokohama proved he had some skill as well, putting in a great fight to take the title from the Australian by unanimous decision with scores of 116-111 (Ellis Johnson), 117-110 (Lou Moret) and 116-111 (Benoit Roussel).
“I’ve got some pretty good support there, but there’s no doubt that Takei is their man,” Moloney said. on 7plus.
“They ripped the roof off the venue and the atmosphere was incredible. Being there and just walking out, there were so many people, as far as you could see. There were 55,000 people. It was challenging to fathom. To fight in front of that crowd was unbelievable. Obviously it wasn’t the result I wanted, but it was the kind of moment you dream of.
“That’s why you work so challenging and dedicate yourself to the sport; it’s for opportunities like this. It’s something I’ll never forget. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the result I wanted, and I hope that one day I’ll have the chance to make up for that mistake.”
“It’s a crazy part of the sport. One minute you’ve got a world title, and the next minute you’ve got to make a choice. Do you want to fight in Australia for Kambosos-Lomachenko, or do you want to go to Japan and fight in the Tokyo Dome in front of 55,000 people?”
“There are always amazing opportunities, but after one failure, no one wants to know you anymore.”
Moloney has been one of the most consistent fighters in Australian boxing over the past decade, losing his first world title fight to then-IBF heavyweight Emmanuel Rodriguez in October 2018 by split decision in Orlando, Florida, before winning four straight, all in close quarters, to earn a title shot against Inoue two years later. In a gutsy effort, he lasted seven rounds against the Japanese phenomenon before rebuilding to set himself up for a fight for the vacant WBO title against Filipino Vincent Astrolabio in Stockton, California, last May.
Moloney fought a slick fight against Astrolabio, winning a majority decision, before hitting the road again to defend his title for the first time against Saul Sanchez in Quebec City, Canada, in January.
California slugger Sanchez gave it his all that night, showing better boxing skills than in previous fights to see the fight through to the finish. Moloney earned the majority nomination, but both boxers gained more fans for their tremendous effort.
At 33, Moloney knows the clock is ticking on his career. And all roads lead back to Japan.
“My division is currently dominated by Japan,” said the 118-pound title challenger, ranked No. 6 by The Ring. “All four world champions are Japanese, so that’s where I really need to be. I need to go back there and test myself against one of the titleholders in Japan.
“If it was up to me and I had the choice, I would love to fight Takuma Inoue. He’s the WBA world champion. Of course, there’s some history there because I fought his brother. I think it’s a really good fight for me, stylistically. I think I can definitely beat him. I just need the opportunity.
“Whether I need to get another win and move up in the WBA rankings before I can push him for the mandatory, we’ll wait and see. I’ve got a bit of a name there already, so maybe that will encourage him to bring me in as a voluntary defense.”
“But if I could pick one fight, Takuma Inoue would be at the top of my list of goals.”
The bantamweight division is as loaded as any in boxing at the moment, with a slew of stimulating up-to-date faces having won one of the four major belts in the past 16 months. Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5 KOs) is the longest-reigning titleholder after winning the vacant WBA belt against veteran Liborio Solis (37-7-1, 18 KOs) on points last April. Next up is former WBO flyweight and junior bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs), who moved up in weight to win the WBC belt against Alexandro Santiago (28-4-5, 14 KOs) via sixth-round TKO in February. Then there’s Ryosuke Nishida (9-0, 1 KO), who won the IBF belt on May 4 with a points victory over Rodriguez (22-3, 13 KOs). Takei is the most recent title holder, with his win over Moloney coming on May 6.
Everyone except Inoue is left-handed.
When asked to pick the best fighter, Moloney had his doubts but ultimately chose Nakatani, who had a 12th-round knockout win over Jason’s twin brother, Andrew, at 115 pounds.
“That’s probably the pick ’em right now,” Moloney said. “We really need to see champions fight champions. That’s what everyone wants to see. Obviously, I want to jump in there and fight one of them before that happens. But I think Nakatani is probably the biggest name in the division right now.”
“I think stylistically he’s probably the toughest opponent in the division, but he’s still someone I’d like to get in there and try my hand at. But we’ll have to wait and see.
“It is said that Nakatani may fight [Takuma] Inoue, so they’ll start looking at ways to unify and combine the titles, but first I want to get in there and try my hand at Inoue.
“Of course I would also like a rematch with Takei. It wasn’t my best performance and I really believe I can beat him, so I would like to try him again. Inoue, he is the best for me. If I could choose, he is the one I would want.”
But for Moloney, boxing is about more than titles and scalps. It’s about moments he’ll cherish for the rest of his life.
“I just want to get the most out of this sport that I can,” he said. “I’ve dedicated my life to this sport, so all you want are gigantic occasions, gigantic nights and unforgettable occasions that you can tell your children and grandchildren about in the history books.”
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
Lauren Price MBE will defend her world title for the first time on Saturday, December 14 at the Exhibition Center in Liverpool, while the Welsh champion plans to stage an all-British unification clash with welterweight rival Natasha Jonas, which will headline the Collision Course that night.
Price defends her WBA welterweight title against undefeated Colombian challenger Bexcy Mateus on the same night as Jonas attempts to unify the IBF and WBC titles with Ivana Habazin as part of BOXXER’s ‘Collision Course’ fight night, which can be seen live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK UK and Ireland and Peacock in the US.
Price MBE (7-0, 1 KO) made history with an excellent performance, defeating former undisputed welterweight world ruler Jessica McCaskill in front of her fans in Cardiff in May.
Price, the first Welsh boxer to win Olympic gold, once again entered the record books by becoming the country’s first world champion in just her seventh professional fight. The 30-year-old from Ystrad Mynach, who has yet to lose a round as a professional, will now defend her world titles for the first time as she focuses on dominating the welterweight division.
Mateus (7-0, 6 KO), ranked No. 5 in the WBA rankings, is undefeated in the professional ranks and has won all but one of her seven fights by knockout. The 29-year-old from Bogota, fighting outside her native Colombia for the first time, will now have her first chance at global fame, with her goal to dethrone Price and take the top spot in the welterweight division.
Lauren Price said: “I’m excited to defend my belts and complete what has been an crucial year for me. I have full respect for Mateusz. I will prove that I am the best in the division and I will not let anything or anyone stand in my way of being undisputed.”
BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “It’s a massive night for the women’s welterweight division with three world champions competing. Natasha Jonas returns to her hometown for a mandatory unification fight against Ivana Habazin, and Lauren Price defends her world titles against undefeated challenger Bexcy Mateus. The fight for the undisputed continues. If Natasha and Lauren win on December 14, it will set the stage for a massive “Battle Of Britain” world title unification fight next year.
There’s reason to celebrate as BOXXER delivers a Christmas cracker to end the year. In addition to the world championship fights between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price, fight fans can expect a gala full of drama and entertainment.
Undefeated Irishman Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KO) will face English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KO) in an invigorating super welterweight fight for the silver WBC International title.
McKenna impressed fans in his three-round fight against Joe Laws last August at Oakwell Stadium in Barnsley. The two struck out in the first round, then McKenna began to apply the pressure, losing Laws three more times and maintaining his undefeated record after a third-round stoppage.
English cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KO) returns to action from a rib injury that has kept him out of the ring since a career-best victory over Mikael Lawal in March. Riley will be looking to shake off the ring rust as he takes on high-profile opponents in the recent year.
Undefeated Chorley super middleweight Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KO) scored an explosive fifth-round knockout victory over Darren Johnston in May and will be looking to bring more drama to Liverpool’s Exhibition Center as he goes in search of his 19th professional win.
Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KO) from Cheshire, a former two-time British title challenger from Ellesmere Port, will be counting on local support as he returns to the title track.
After signing a promotional contract with BOXXER, local star Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) can achieve his third victory in 2024, when he returns in front of his fans in Liverpool. The 23-year-old lightweight fighter is a player of the notable city team Rotunda ABC, and his manager is former world champion Liam Smith.
Mike Tyson will miss his final record-breaking days after becoming the oldest former heavyweight champion to walk through the ring.
“The Baddest Man on the Planet” reached an all-time high in Texas on Friday night, returning from a two-decade absence. However, Tyson gave the achievement five days later to former Lennox Lewis conqueror Oliver McCall.
On Tuesday night at The Troubadour in Nashville, Tennessee, the former WBC heavyweight champion returns to action and will face veteran Stacy Frazier in a fight scheduled for four rounds. At age 59, McCall will set the record for a sanctioned fight, beating Tyson by fourteen months.
McCall was born in April 1965, and Tyson’s mother gave birth to him in June 1966. “The Atomic Bull” hopes to score his 60th career victory tonight. He enters the fight with a record of 59-14, including 38 knockouts.
The Chicago native believes his continued activity over the last 19 years will be what separates his performance on Tuesday night from what Tyson looked like on Friday.
“I’m ready. I’ve been training here in Nashville for a few weeks now, but I’m always in shape,” McCall said. “It will be a completely different match than what the fans saw on Friday.
“I think being lively has a lot to do with it. I haven’t fought in five years because of the pandemic and a few things that didn’t work out.
“If you look at my record, since 2005 I have fought 25 times, of which I have won 19-6 times against quality fighters and won various regional titles.
McCall fights without financial motivation. He sees his fighting days approaching and is already planning his post-retirement plans.
“I want to do this for another year. This means I will be 40 years into my career as a professional boxer. Then I want to train and become a manager. I want to return the favor and assist the next generation of players try to become world champions.
“I came here to Nashville and contacted the manager who took me to the title [Country Box] promoter Jimmy Adams. I’m learning a lot about this aspect of the sport. I love the players here and everything that happens with Country Box.”
The Country Box 25 gala will also feature eight-round fights between super bantamweight Elon DeJesus (8-1-2, 7 KO) and Dominique Griffin (5-7-2, 2 KO), as well as super middleweight fighters. Sean Hemphill (16-2, 10 KO) fights Bryant McClain (6-5-2, 1 KO).
Airy heavyweight Isaac Carbonell (8-0, 5 KO) will face Antonio Louis Hernandez (7-19-4, 4 KO) in six-round fights; Joel Mutombo (6-0, 4 KO) vs. Kevin Torian (3-2, 3 KO) in a cruiserweight fight.
In a four-round fight, Ryan Zempoaltecatl (2-0, 1 KO) will face Raymond Chacon (10-64-1, 2 KO).
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