Jason Moloney hopes that opportunities against world-class opposition are close to coming to fruition. Talks of possible bouts with Nonito Donaire and Andrew Cain have been mentioned but have not happened. Moloney last fought six months ago, losing a 10-round unanimous decision to the much-improved Tenshin Nasukawa in Japan.
“It has been a frustrating time,” Moloney said. “Everyone wants the best to fight the best in boxing, but when you are a fighter like myself who will fight anyone and take on the hard fights, you get punished and sit on the sidelines.”
Moloney, 27-4 (19 KOs), a former WBO bantamweight titleholder, will still take on all comers. Yet the 34-year-old Australian hasn’t gotten an offer as of now. He pointed to the current interim WBA bantamweight titleholder, Filipino boxing legend Donaire, who recently won the title by defeating Andres Campos in June.
“Nonito and I faced off at the WBA convention in 2022, and that was a fight that was hopefully going to happen,” Moloney said. “That is a fight that I have had on my wish list for some time.”
The fight didn’t materialize and then Moloney fought Vincent Astrolabio to win the WBO title. But Moloney is optimistic. He believes a bout with the 42-year-old Donaire, 43-8 (28 KOs), could be revisited.
“I always wanted that fight with Nonito and I always felt I could beat him,” Moloney said. “He is a future Hall of Famer, and was in a similar position as myself coming off two losses. Somehow, he fought for the interim WBA title, and now he has what I want.”
Another name Moloney mentions as a viable option is Liverpool, England’s Cain, 14-1 (12 KOs). Cain, 29, is on a four-fight win streak since his lone defeat to Ionut Baluta.
“He is rated No. 3 by the WBC at the moment,” Moloney said. “He is a highly rated name in the UK, and that is another fight I am confident I would win.”
Moloney followed his brother Andrew to Mexico as he prepares for the IBF junior bantamweight title eliminator on August 16 against Argi Cortes. Jason hopes that the training he has done during this camp, and getting away from Australia, will help.
“When you go out there and fight the hard fights and lose a fight, you get penalized,” Moloney said. “After I lost my world title to Yoshiki Takei, I could have gone the easy route, got a few wins and gotten another title shot. We rolled the dice with Tenshin. It is just hard that when you lose in this sport, you just get thrown out the door.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
