2023 Knockout of the year: Nakatani-Moloney
Plus 10 honorable mentions in order; past winners year-by-year
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The result of the fight between Junto Nakatani and Andrew Moloney had long been decided.
Japan’s Nakatani was beating the you know what out of Australia’s Moloney as they battled for the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title on May 20 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on the Devin Haney-Vasiliy Lomachenko undercard on ESPN before the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ main card began on pay-per-view.
The fight was as one-sided as could be. Nakatani, a former WBO flyweight titlist in his second bout in his new division, knocked Moloney down in the second round and again in the 11th and was in total control, which was evident when the scorecards were later revealed: 108-99, 108-99 and 107-100 going into the final round.
The only question was why hadn’t the fight already been stopped — there had been a discussion in Moloney’s corner after the 11th round about it — and would Moloney, who was bloodied, bruised and taking tremendous punishment, be able to make it to the final bell?
The answer was a resounding no.
To Moloney’s credit, he showed enormous heart in taking such a one-sided pounding before the inevitable and extremely violent ending resulted in the 2023 Fight Freaks Unite knockout of the year.
It happened when the southpaw Nakatani, who was making his United States debut, crushed him with a destructive overhand left that nailed Moloney squarely on the chin with full leverage and dropped his limp body hard on his back under folded legs.
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Oh my! That was devastating,” ESPN blow-by-blow announcer Joe Tessitore roared. “He is laid out in brutal fashion! Absolute devastating dynamite power by Nakatani, and now there’s a situation in the ring with Moloney. They need medical attention in there right away! That was as brutal of a single punch as you will ever see!”
Referee Mark Nelson immediately waved off the fight without a count at 2 minutes, 42 seconds and Moloney, who was attempting to join twin brother Jason Moloney as a world titleholder, immediately received medical attention.
“I was very pleased and satisfied to have a good knockout,” Nakatani said through an interpreter in a major understatement. “I was ready for him and his style. I knew he would fight that way and we adjusted to that.”
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