3 minute read
Australian boxer Andrew Moloney will fight Pedro Guevara instead of fellow Mexican Carlos Cuadras for the vacant WBC interim junior-bantamweight world title.
Mexican Pedro Guevara has been named as Andrew Moloney's new opponent as the Australian fights for the vacant WBC interim junior-bantamweight world title in Perth.
Guevara replaces former world champion Carlos Cuadras, who was forced to withdraw from the scheduled May 12 showdown at RAC Arena with a torn Achilles tendon suffered in training.
Moloney-Guevara will be the co-feature to the vacant IBF lightweight world title showdown between Ukrainian war fighter Vasiliy Lomachenko and Sydney's former unified champion George Kambosos Jr.
In other world championship action on the bill, WBA bantamweight world champion Nina Hughes looks to turn back the challenge of one-time world champion Cherneka "Sugar Neekz" Johnson.
Promoted by DiBella Entertainment, Top Rank, Ferocious Promotions, TEG Sport and Duco Events, Lomachenko-Kambosos, Moloney-Guevara and Hughes-Johnson will be broadcast in prime time in the USA on Saturday, May 11.
"I'm grateful that Top Rank and my team were able to get such a great opponent so quickly and to still be fighting for the WBC Interim world title," Moloney said.
"Guevara has only lost to world champions, and each of his defeats have come by either split or majority decision.
"I look forward to being the first person to beat him convincingly and making a massive statement."
Moloney (26-3, 16 KOs) is unbeaten when fighting on Australian soil and looks to continue his climb back up the 115-pound rankings.
After suffering a 12th-round stoppage defeat to Junto Nakatani for the vacant WBO junior bantamweight world title last May, he returned in December with a convincing decision over Judy Flores in Melbourne.
Guevara (41-4-1, 22 KOs) is a former WBC light flyweight world champion who made two world title defences in 2015.
He challenged Kenshiro Teraji for that title in 2017, dropping a majority decision. Guevara saw his 10-fight winning streak end when he lost a split decision to Cuadras last November for the WBC Interim junior bantamweight world title.
In February, he outlasted Lamberto Macias via a 10-round decision in Mazatlan.
