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Kingscliff boxer out to claim No.1 spot in the Australian...

JASON Moloney knows who you think the face of Australian boxing is.

“And I need to change it,” he laughs.

Undefeated in all but one of 22 fights – a contentious world title loss two years ago – Moloney is now just days out from the biggest bout of any Australian in 2020. This Sunday in Las Vegas (AEST), he headlines at the MGM Grand in a bantamweight world title fight against Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue – a man Ring Magazine rates the third best boxer anywhere on planet earth.

Which is some fight. Moloney’s second MGM Grand headliner this year, too.

“And why,” the 29-year-old says, “I think I deserve Australia’s No.1 spot”.

But the rest of you?

Well, your “face” vote probably goes to Tim Tszyu. The undefeated super welterweight with 16 wins, a surname you know and that August win over a man previously considered Australia’s best – Jeff Horn.

Even the nation’s popular fight website, Aus-Boxing.com, lists Tszyu as our pound-forpound king, with Jason second and twin brother Andrew third.

To which Moloney says what? Especially given he is not only fighting for belts once owned by Jeff Fenech and Lionel Rose, but in a headliner Boxrec is giving four of five stars.

Sure, the Kingscliff slugger has opened a 3/1 outsider, with Inoue, who is undefeated in 19 fights, and winning all but three via KO, 5/1 on with Las Vegas bookies.

But remember too, that Moloney is only here after upsetting American Leonardo Baez in June at the same Las Vegas venue.

Just as his one career loss was a controversial split decision against Emmanuel Rodriguez, who in 2019 would lose that same IBF title to Inoue.

“I’ll never say anything bad about another Aussie fighter,” Moloney stressed from his camp just off the Vegas strip.

“More than anything, I want Aussie boxing to blossom. Be as big as it can be, with all of us succeeding. But, yes, I deserve to be the No.1.

“Which isn’t to say it bothers me (that Tszyu sits there). Just as I’m not bitter about.

“But still, I’m going to do my best to earn it.

“And the way I do it is winning this fight.

“I beat Inoue and I’m Australia’s No.1 fighter for a long, long time.”