Notebook: A. Moloney eyes title week after twin brother won belt
New deal for Kambosos; BetUS show; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Last Saturday, Jason Moloney outpointed Vincent Astrolabio to win the vacant WBO bantamweight title to take care of his half of the Moloney family plans.
This Saturday, Andrew Moloney, Jason’s twin brother, can give the family another world title by defeating Junto Nakatani for the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title on the Devin Haney-Vasiliy Lomachenko undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“To fight here in Las Vegas one week after my brother became world champion in Stockton (California), you couldn’t write a better story,” Moloney said. “That’s why I’m excited about Saturday. This is destiny. I’m going to become world champion.”
Moloney (25-2, 16 KOs), 32, of Australia, a former WBA “regular” junior bantamweight titlist, has won four fights in a row since going 0-2 with a no decision in a trilogy against Joshua Franco in 2020 and 2021. He faces a hard challenge in Nakatani (24-0, 18 KOs), 25, a Japanese southpaw and the former WBO flyweight titlist, who vacated to move up in weight.
“There’s no doubt that he is a good fighter,” Moloney said. “He was a world champion. He is undefeated. He has been avoided. But as you’ve seen with me and my brother, we will fight anyone.”
Moloney-Nakatani will take place before the start of the Haney-Lomachenko main card on pay-per-view as part of a two-fight block of preliminary bouts beginning at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.
BetUS Boxing Show
If you missed the BetUS Boxing Show live at 1 p.m. ET on Friday on YouTube, please check out the replay (and also subscribe to the YouTube channel). We previewed and picked three world title bouts that take place Saturday: Devin Haney’s defense of the undisputed lightweight title against Vasiliy Lomachenko, Junto Nakatani versus Andrew Moloney for the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title on the undercard, and undisputed women’s junior welterweight champion Chantelle Cameron’s defense against undisputed women’s lightweight champion Katie Taylor. We also took viewer questions and comments! Please check out the show here:
Kambosos’ Top Rank deal done
Top Rank announced that it has signed former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr. to a multi-fight co-promotional agreement under which it will work in conjunction with Lou DiBella, Kambosos’ longtime promoter with whom Kambosos also signed an extension. Fight Freaks Unite reported the deal last week but it was officially announced on Thursday.
“I am extremely excited to extend and sign a multi-fight co-promotional agreement with my longtime promoter, DiBella Entertainment, and my new co-promoter, Top Rank,” Kambosos said. “This is a very exciting time in my career having the backing, support and guidance from two powerhouse American promoters as I begin my journey back to the championship.”
The first fight of the deal for Kambosos (20-2, 10 KOs), 29, of Australia, was not announced but FFU also reported last week that he will engage in an IBF title eliminator (for the No. 2 position) against Maxi Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs), 32, a southpaw from England, in a bout that will headline a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card July 22 in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
“George Kambosos Jr. is an exciting fighter and an engaging personality who will continue to make great fights in the lightweight division,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “Top Rank was involved in two historical promotions in Australia with George, and we have no doubt that there will be many more to come.”
The fights Arum was referring to were last year when Kambosos lost back-to-back lopsided decisions to Devin Haney, first in a unification fight for the undisputed crown in June and in a rematch in October.
“I am thrilled to continue DBE’s long-standing relationship with George and Team Kambosos,” DiBella said. “George is the epitome of a championship-caliber fighter. He proved himself on foreign soil, became (unified) champion, fought in two of the biggest fights in Aussie boxing history, and has insisted on fighting the best. This co-promotional agreement with Top Rank presents George with prime-time U.S. opportunities on ESPN’s expansive platform, while remaining a PPV fighter in Australia. It creates an easier road to future mega-fights against Top Rank stars. I’m happy to again partner with Bob Arum and his great company.”
Quick hits
Weights from Las Vegas for Saturday’s Top Rank/ESPN+ PPV: Devin Haney 134.9 pounds, Vasiliy Lomachenko 135 (for Haney’s undisputed lightweight title; Haney faces commission fine for forcefully shoving Lomachenko at the ceremonial weigh-in); Oscar Valdez 132.1, Adam Lopez 132.1; Raymond Muratalla 133.9, Jeremia Nakathila 133.6; Junto Nakatani 114.6, Andrew Moloney 114.5 (for vacant WBO junior bantamweight title); Nico Ali Walsh 158.4, Danny Rosenberger 158; Emiliano Vargas 133.8, Rafael Jasso 134.7; Abdullah Mason 135.8, Desmond Lyons 135.3; Floyd Diaz 119.8, Luis Fernando Saavedra 119.8; Amari Jones 160, Pachino Hill 161.9.
Weights from Dublin, Ireland for Saturday’s Matchroom card on DAZN: Chantelle Cameron 139.7 pounds, Katie Taylor 139.7 (for Cameron’s undisputed women’s junior welterweight title); Gary Cully 137.25, Jose Felix 137.25; Terri Harper 150.8, Cecilia Braekhus 153.3 (for Harper’s WBA women’s junior middleweight title); Dennis Hogan 153.3, James Metcalf 153.75; Caoimhin Agyarko 159.8, Grant Dennis 159.3; Thomas Carty 258.6, Jay McFarlane 283.7; Paddy Donovan 148.1, Sam O’Maison 149.3; Maisey Rose Courtney 112.1, Kate Radomska 109.7.
Frazer Clarke (6-0, 5 KOs), 31, a 2020 British Olympic super heavyweight bronze medalist, will face his most notable foe in vastly experienced former world title challenger Mariusz Wach on the Boxxer card headlined by Adam Azim-Aram Fanyan on June 16 (Sky Sports in U.K.) at York Hall in London. Wach (36-9, 19 KOs), 43, of Poland, is past his best days and has lost three in a row but is still a step up for Clarke in his first scheduled 10-rounder. Wach lost a decision to then-champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2012 and has also faced Alexander Povetkin, Dillian Whyte and Hughie Fury. “Wach is a very tough opponent,” Clarke said. “His record speaks for itself. Look at the names he’s been in there with and the kind of fights he’s had with them. So I hope it’s clear to everyone now that Frazer Clarke isn’t afraid of anyone.”
Liam Davies (13-0, 5 KOs), 27, will make his first European junior featherweight title defense against Jason Cunningham (32-7, 7 KOs), 33, of England, on July 29 at Telford International Centre in Telford, England, Davies’ hometown, promoter Frank Warren announced. The bout will headline a card on TNT Sports, the new name for BT Sport beginning on July 18, in the United Kingdom.
Show and tell
The first fight I covered at ringside after being hired as the boxing writer for USA Today was Lennox Lewis’ heavyweight title defense against Michael Grant. I wrote about some of my vivid memories on it in the “Show and tell” section of a past notebook. Three weeks later I covered my second fight as the official USA Today boxing writer, making the drive to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to cover what I thought was a potentially very exciting heavyweight doubleheader in the main ballroom at Bally’s that was televised on “Boxing After Dark” on HBO. This was a fun and highly entertaining card featuring some of the most notable heavyweights of the era, including three of whom would go on to win world titles. Also of note: On the morning of the fight, after a walk on the Boardwalk, I returned to Bally’s and had some spare change in my pocket. So, I dropped 75 cents into a slot machine and on that first spin won $175 and walked away with a tidy weekend profit.
As for the fights, in the opener, future lineal champion Hasim Rahman engaged in a rock ‘em, sock ‘em shootout with the late South African big puncher Corrie Sanders, who would go on to KO Wladimir Klitschko for a belt. Sanders dropped Rahman in the third round and Rahman knocked him down in the third and fourth rounds. One of them appeared to be a double knockdown that the referee did not call. Rahman eventually stopped Sanders in the seventh of what I think is one of the most underrated heavyweight battles of the decade.
The main event matched future titleholder Oleg Maskaev with Derrick Jefferson in a fight that was short-circuited because Jefferson injured his ankle getting knocked down in the first round. He hobbled around for a few more rounds, including getting dropped again in the second round, before the fight was halted in the fourth round because he couldn’t walk. The card took place on May 20, 2000 — 23 years ago on Saturday. Here is a scarce site poster in my collection.
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Photos: Moloney-Nakatani, Haney-Lomachenko: Mikey Williams/Top Rank; Taylor-Cameron: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
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