Rodriguez retains IBF bantamweight belt with decision over Moloney
MIAMI : Unbeaten Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodriguez retained his International Boxing Federation bantamweight world title Saturday with a 12-round split decision over previously undefeated Australian Jason Moloney in Orlando, Florida.
Two judges scored the bout 115113 for Rodriguez, who improved to 19- 0 with 12 knockouts. A third judge gave it to Moloney by the same score, but the Aussie fell to 17-1 with 14 knockouts.
The bout was part of the bantamweight World Boxing Super Series, with the victory sending Rodriguez into a clash with Japan’s Naoya Inoue.
In other world title action stateside on Saturday, Demetrius And rade won the vac ant World Boxing Organisation middleweight crown with a punishing 12-round unanimous decision over Walter Kautondokwa of Namibia in Boston.
Kautondokwa was a late replacement for British southpaw Billy Joe Saunders, who tested positive for a banned stimulant in August.
The WBO said Saunders voluntarily vacated the title after the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission declined to give him a license at an October hearing.
And r ade knocke d down Kautondokwa four times in the first four rounds en route to the victory, improving to 26- 0 with 16 knockouts.
Two judges scored the fight 120104 for Andrade while the third saw it 119-105.
Kautondokwa fell to 17-1 with 16 knockouts.
On the same card, Tevin Farmer retained his IBF superfeatherweight world title with a spectacular fifth-round technical knockout of Northern Ireland’s James Tennyson.
Southpaw Farmer dominated early, dropping Tennyson with a left to the body in the fourth.
One round later Farmer connected with a series of brutal body shots to put Tennyson down again and the fight was waved off.
“Who’s the puncher, now?” crowed Farmer, whoimproved to274 with one drawn and six knockouts and immediately reiterated his call for shot at unbeaten World Boxing Association title holder Gervonta Davis, who boasts a record of 20- 0 with 19 knockouts.
Tennyson, in his first world title tilt, fell to 22- 3 with 18 wins inside the distance.
In Las Vegas, US middleweight Rob Brant dethroned WBA ‘regular’ world champion Ryota Murata of Japan with a lopsided unanimous decision.
Two judges gave the fight to Brant by a score of 119-109 while the third saw it 118-110 for the American, who improved to 241 with 16 knockouts as he seized the title held by Murata – which is one rung lower the WBA’s ‘super’ world middleweight title held by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez of Mexico.
Murata fell to 14-2 with 11 wins inside the distance. — AFP