A new working fight date for a pivotal 115lbs title fight comes with both good and bad news.
BoxingScene has learned that the Willibaldo Garcia-Andrew Moloney IBF mandatory title fight has been pushed back to June 6. The bout was once loosely targeted to land on April 18 as part of the three-day Saikou Lush boxing event in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Kameda Promotions – which claimed promotional rights to the IBF-ordered clash – has instead targeted June for the contest, at a location to be determined in Japan.
The delay means Garcia, 23-6-2 (13 KOs), will have been inactive for more than a year by the time he enters the ring for his first title defense.
A major positive to take from the shift in plans, however, is that it puts the winner on the same general timeline as lineal, Ring, WBA, WBC and WBO 115lbs champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez. As previously reported by BoxingScene, San Antonio’s Rodriguez, 23-0 (16 KOs), is targeting a June return as well – likely on June 13 in a one-off stop at bantamweight, as he would gladly drop back down if it meant fighting for the undisputed crown.
There were initial efforts to have Garcia sidestep his mandatory versus Australia’s Moloney, 27-4 (16 KOs), in a bid to square off with Rodriguez. However, Moloney begrudgingly allowed Garcia to enter a voluntary title defense versus Kenshiro Teraji, with the promise that his title shot would come next, and he wasn’t interested in walking back down that road.
Garcia and Teraji had to submit written confirmation that the winner would commit to a mandatory title fight versus Moloney by no later than June 27.
The fight never happened, though, as Garcia fell ill shortly after both boxers made weight for their planned December 27 clash in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Teraji was left without an opponent, and the aftermath left Garcia without any wiggle room to avoid his mandatory obligation.
Garcia has yet to defend the title he claimed in a split decision victory over countryman Rene Calixto in their IBF 115lbs title fight rematch last May 23 in Zacatecas, Mexico. The win came five months after the two fought to a spirited draw in their December 2024 vacant title fight on a Kameda Promotions show in Tokoname, Japan.
Garcia is now looking at a 54-week gap between fights, provided that the June 6 date sticks and the matchup is not met with further delays.
Moloney fought just once in 2025, a rust-shaking knockout victory in Suva, Fiji. The opportunity was secured after his time was wasted in an oft-rescheduled and ultimately canceled IBF title eliminator versus former title challenger Argi Cortes.
IBF officials stood by Moloney and honored the former secondary WBA titleholder as its mandatory challenger.
