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Moloneys' twin title shot in play with Perth chance

3 minute read

Andrew Moloney knows what's at stake when he fights for the interim WBC super flyweight title on the George Kambosos-Vasiliy Lomachenko card in Perth.

ANDREW MOLONEY.
ANDREW MOLONEY. Picture: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Andrew Moloney will help create Australian boxing history and has moved a step closer to fulfilling some of his own after securing a world title shot alongside George Kambosos Jnr.

Australia's former WBA super flyweight champion (26-3) will face interim WBC belt-holder Mexican Carlos Cuadras (42-5-1) in Perth on May 12 at RAC Arena.

Former world champion Cherneka Johnson will have another shot at a title, the Australian to face WBA bantamweight champion Nina Hughes on the same card.

With Kambosos to fight Ukraine's Vasiliy Lomachenko for the vacant IBF lightweight world title it creates a historic Australian world title triple-header.

And victory for Moloney would pave the way for a clash with division king Kosei Tanaka, that title fight likely to take place on the same card as brother Jason Moloney's title defence, should his twin retain his WBO belt in Japan a week earlier.

Jason is fighting fellow Japanese star Yoshiki Takei at the Tokyo Dome on May 6, with Takei and Tanaka both managed by the same promoter.

"I need to make a huge statement and the doors will open if I can pull this off," Andrew Moloney told AAP.

"There's a lot riding on this one. A fight like this, in Australia, is huge.

"I have a feeling if we both pull this off we'll be on the same card fighting for world titles on our next fight."

Cuadras is a 16-year-pro and one of the leading lighter weight fighters of this generation, who made six defences of the WBC world title between 2014-2016.

Since being dethroned by pound-for-pound great Roman Gonzalez in September 2016, he is 7-4, including decision defeats to Jesse Rodriguez and Juan Francisco Estrada in bids to regain his WBC world title.

"He's fought them all and only the very best have beaten him," Moloney said.

"He's a huge name in Mexico and the US so to get him to Australia is a pretty huge effort.

"I'm buzzing and need to make the most of it."

Moloney's fought just once since his brutal, final-round knockout loss to Japanese superstar Junto Nakatani for the WBO strap last year.

"After a loss like that it looked like it was going to be a major setback, but it's happened so fast," he said.

"I rushed things against Nakatani, was way too eager and it's definitely a lesson I'll take.

"I need to be the neater boxer, stay patient and use my brain."

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