Moloney a knockout
Andrew to fight for world title after epic victory
COMMONWEALTH Games gold medallist Andrew Moloney returns to the Gold Coast airport ready to fight for a world boxing title after an extraordinary stoppage over world No.2 Miguel Gonzalez in Chile.
The mild-mannered Moloney, 28, from Kingscliff, NSW, scored one of the best wins by an Australian in many years on Saturday when he ventured into the lion’s den to score a huge upset over local hero Gonzalez at the Gran Arena Monticello in Chile.
He will now face England’s undefeated world super-flyweight champ Khalid Yafai and, on his performance against Gonzalez, will likely start favourite against a boxer unbeaten in 25 starts.
Behind on points going into Round 8, Moloney improved to 19-0 with 12 KOs when he flattened Gonzalez with two screaming left hooks.
Last October his twin brother Jason Moloney went within a whisker of winning the IBF world bantamweight title in Florida, and Andrew will be ringside on Saturday night when Jason fights Filipino slugger Cris Paulino at the Seagulls Club in Tweed Heads as he bids to climb the world rankings again.
Andrew went into his fight in Chile as the world No.3 but knew he was venturing into hostile territory and he received no favours from officials as he handed Gonzalez his second loss in 31 fights.
Female referee Romina Arroyo scored a knockdown against Moloney in the sixth round after he slipped to the canvas without being hit and, going into the final round, the Chilean hero was ahead on two scorecards 68-64 and 67-65. A third judge had the fight even at 66-66.
Worried about the local scoring, Moloney upped the tempo in Round 8. He ripped Gonzalez hard to the body and then dropped him with two left hooks in close.
Gonzalez managed to beat the count but was out on his feet when the referee stopped the fight.
Moloney said after the win: ``I’m just so over the moon be- cause I was scared that everything I’d worked so hard for in the last 15 years was slipping away from me.”
Last September Moloney stopped Panama’s former world champ Luis Concepcion in Bendigo and he is confident of taking Khalid Yafai’s world title.
``Yafai has the WBA belt and I’ve watched him for a while now,’’ Moloney said. ``He’s definitely a solid fighter. He’s world champion for a reason but I definitely believe I can beat him.’’
Moloney hopes to be ringside at New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 1 when Yafai defends his title against the No.1 contender Norbelto Jiminez from the Dominican Republic.