Andrew Moloney vs. Joshua Franco - June 23, 2020

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release

From Down Under to “The Bubble,” Australia’s Moloney twins — Andrew and Jason — are set for their Las Vegas debuts.

Andrew “The Monster” Moloney will make the first defense of his WBA super flyweight world title Tuesday, June 23 from the MGM Grand Conference Center—Grand Ballroom against Joshua “El Professor” Franco (ESPN & ESPN Deportes, 8 p.m. ET). Moloney-Franco will be the first men’s boxing world title bout since February 29.

The fights continue from the MGM Grand Thursday, June 25, when WBO No. 2 bantamweight contender Jason Moloney will face Leonardo Baez in a 10-rounder (ESPN & ESPN Deportes, 8 p.m. ET).

Week 3 of the Top Rank on ESPN summer series concludes from TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City on Saturday, June 27, when WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt will face Eleazar “Tronco” Valenzuela in a 10-round lightweight bout (ESPN & ESPN Deportes, 11 p.m. ET).

“It’s very exciting times as Australia's only world champion, Andrew Moloney, will defend his title against a tough warrior in Joshua Franco,” said Tony Tolj, who manages the Moloney brothers. "Jason has trained hard and is ready for world championship opportunities. Both are in tough fights that the fans are going to love. We want to fight the best. It's a great honor to headline back-to-back shows, especially at MGM Grand.”

June 23
MGM Grand Conference Center – Grand Ballroom

Main Event
Andrew Moloney (21-0, 14 KOs) vs. Joshua Franco (16-1-2, 8 KOs)
12 Rounds, Moloney’s WBA Super Flyweight World Title

Andrew Moloney has won four consecutive bouts by knockout, including an eighth-round stoppage over Miguel Gonzalez on Gonzalez’s home turf in Chile. He captured the WBA interim world title last November, stopping Elton Dharry on cuts following eight one-sided rounds. The WBA elevated Moloney to full champion in March, and he will defend his strap against Franco, a San Antonio native who is best known for his action-packed trilogy against Oscar Negrete. Franco, who has gone five bouts since his lone professional defeat, went 1-0-2 versus Negrete.

“It’s a dream come true for me to be headlining at the MGM Grand for my first world title defense,” Andrew Moloney said. “Thank you to Top Rank and my team for giving me this amazing opportunity. Franco is a great fighter, but I believe I am faster, more powerful, and too hungry to let anyone take this belt away from me.”

Said Franco: “I have been waiting all my life to fight for a world title. I know that all my hard work will pay off when I step into the ring and become a world champion. These are tough times for the world, so I’m grateful to have this opportunity when the world has come to a halt. I will do my best to entertain the fans during this time and make my training team, promoter and everyone in San Antonio proud. This June 23, class will be in session, and everyone’s invited to watch on ESPN.”

Co-Feature
Christopher Diaz (25-2, 16 KOs) vs. Jason Sanchez (15-1, 8 KOs)
10 Rounds, Featherweight

In a clash of former world title challengers, the winner will re-enter the world title picture. Diaz is 2-1 since a decision loss to Masayuki Ito for the vacant WBO junior lightweight world title. Following the Ito loss, Diaz moved down in weight to compete as a featherweight. Sanchez gave a valiant effort in a June 2019 decision loss to then-WBO featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez. The Albuquerque native rebounded with a knockout win over Adeilson Dos Santos last October.

“I know that winning this next fight opens the door to a world title shot, and I have worked hard to make it happen and finally achieve my dream of becoming a world champion," Diaz said. "Jason Sanchez is a world-level opponent. His only defeat is against Oscar Valdez — and he is a seasoned Mexican warrior — but I am coming prepared for everything Sanchez will bring to the ring."

Undercard

Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno (14-0-1, 12 KOs), who is coming off an eight-round draw in January, will look to get back to his winning ways against Alexis del Bosque (17-5, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder at lightweight.

In a junior welterweight battle set for six rounds, Miguel Contreras (10-0, 6 KOs), from Bakersfield, California, will fight 20-year-old knockout artist Rolando Vargas (5-0, 5 KOs).

Helaman Olguin (7-3, 3 KOs), winner of five straight, will take on Adam Stewart (8-0-1, 5 KOs) in a six-rounder at heavyweight.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Top Rank Boxing returns to ESPN on Tuesday at 8 pm ET, featuring the return of WBA “world” junior bantamweight titleholder Andrew Moloney, who makes his U.S. debut against Joshua Franco. It’ll be the first 12-round main event we’ve seen since BOXING CAME BACK! in The Bubble.

So who wins? Our staffers pick it.

Scott Christ

I like the Moloney twins, I think they’re both legit contenders, I think they both can fight, and frankly I think both of them should win this week. But I’m picking against Andrew for two reasons:
1.It’s fun! I should have gone with that nagging gut feeling and taken Plania over Greer last week, but I didn’t.
2.Andrew, despite being the twin with no losses, has looked the more vulnerable fighter of the two, at least to me.

A lot of that goes back to his fight last November against Elton Dharry, a scrapper he was expected to beat handily, and if you just looked at the BoxRec, it’d appear he did, right? Andrew got a stoppage and was up 78-74, 79-73, and 79-73 when the fight was stopped after eight on a cut.

But that fight was a war. Dharry had Moloney reeling in the fifth round, badly hurt, and should have scored a knockdown, but the referee missed Moloney’s knee touching the canvas. I’m not trying to blast Moloney for this, either, as he held on and then fought back really nicely, putting a beating on Dharry until the stoppage, which was a fair one as Dharry was basically fighting one-eyed at that point.

Franco is no legendary talent, but neither was Dharry. And Franco is battle-tested from his trilogy with Oscar Negrete, and he also has a loss, so he’s not going to be tentative about his “0” or anything like that. This is for a secondary world title belt, so Franco should be all the way up for it. I’m not picking it this way because I see any particular way that Franco has some big edge on Moloney; I have $0 riding on the outcome of this fight and just have a bit of a gut feeling. Less of one than I had about Plania last week, to be fair. Franco SD-12

Wil Esco

Top Rank keeps the action coming with another fight that — unless I’m completely off-base — should go according to script. The 29-year-old twin from Australia has racked up an undefeated record through 21 fights and was specifically tabbed by Top Rank to help bring boxing back after its hiatus. Moloney isn’t really a dynamic fighter with fast hands or feet, but he’s pretty steady working behind his tight guard.

Franco, on the other hand, has gone through three nip-and-tuck fights with Oscar Negrete in recent years, two of which resulted in draws, which I believe is indicative of his ceiling as a fighter. Franco isn’t trash or anything, but I don’t think he offers anything in this fight that Moloney shouldn’t be able to cope with, stylistically. I’d probably lean towards a decision but I have a slight hunch that Moloney will step on the gas in the second half to force a late stoppage. Moloney TKO-9

Patrick L. Stumberg

Moloney’s fight with Elton Dharry revealed what may be a key weakness in the Aussie’s style: as sharp as his jab and combination punching are, he’s so linear in his advance that he’s vulnerable to catch-and-pitch counters. Unfortunately for Franco, I’m not sure he has the tools to properly exploit that. Oscar Negrete, a far more limited technician than Moloney, consistently troubled him with his pressure and volume despite offering a plethora of clean countering opportunities that Franco lacked the composure or firepower to capitalize on.

Honestly, it’s hard to see anything going Franco’s way. Moloney’s jab is the more potent by a fair margin, he’s crisper with his combinations, and he looks to hit a fair bit harder. Much as I’m rooting for my fellow San Antonian, I don’t see him making Top Rank regret their investment in the Aussie twins. Moloney UD-12

Lewis Watson

It’s nice to see Franco in with a fighter other than Oscar Negrete. He shared 30 rounds with “Jaguar” over 10 months, underlining his tenacity in the pocket throughout those three contests (two of which he drew).

This work-rate and relentless throwing that Franco has previously displayed should come undone against a heavier-hitting Moloney. The Australian “Monster” is unlikely to waste his output and may force Franco to think twice about trying to live in his boots. Moloney is slick and should be able to wear down the challenger in the first half of the fight before stopping him late. Moloney TKO-9

And the staff winner is...



Andrew Moloney (3-1)!

[Cent0089]

what do you think? Are these Moloney twins any good ?

[margaret thatcher]

The one who fought Rodriguez was good, I actually thought he squeaked it 115-114. Not seen as much of this one.

[Ruthless-RKO]

The one who fought Rodriguez was good, I actually thought he squeaked it 115-114. Not seen as much of this one.

You find out more when they’re in the tougher fights.

[jujigatame]

I think this is the first one of these TR cards I'll bother watching. Moloney seems like a serious contender at superfly and Franco is a solid B-level opponent.

[gregregegg]

Really wish boxrec would but REGULAR in bold when it lists belts people are fighting for WBA regular belt . many people think canelo won a real belt at 168, and i looked at this upcoming fight fight and thought, fuk yea andrew moloney has a world title fight... untill i relised that its reg belt witch is not a fornicating world title. Still nice little trinket but i hope he gets a real shot soon.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Franco Wants 'Chocolatitio' After Beating Moloney For Title Tuesday Night

Defeating Andrew Moloney on Tuesday night wouldn’t just make Joshua Franco a 115-pound world champion.

Overcoming Moloney in a 12-round title fight ESPN will televise from Las Vegas also would move the 24-year-old Franco into prime position for the fight he has always wanted – a shot at Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

San Antonio’s Franco (16-1-2, 8 KOs) will challenge Australia’s Moloney (21-0, 14 KOs) for the WBA’s secondary super flyweight title. Nicaragua’s Gonzalez (49-2, 41 KOs) is the WBA’s primary champion in the 115-pound division.

“Getting the world title, that opens up big doors for me, puts me on top,” Franco told BS.com. “You know, I could fight Roman Gonzalez next, even [Juan Francisco] Estrada. Those are the goals.”

Estrada and Gonzalez reportedly agreed to terms for a highly anticipated rematch before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shut down the boxing business in the middle of March. A then-unbeaten Gonzalez defeated Estrada by unanimous decision in their 12-round fight for Gonzalez’s WBA light flyweight title in November 2012.

Mexico’s Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs) has since emerged as one of the elite fighters in boxing’s lower weight classes. The 33-year-old Gonzalez lost twice to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai twice in 2017, but Estrada won the WBC 115-pound crown from Sor Rungvisai (47-5-1, 41 KOs) in April 2019 to avenge a majority-decision defeat to the strong Thai southpaw 14 months earlier.

A rejuvenated Gonzalez dropped Kal Yafai twice and stopped the previously unbeaten Brit in the ninth round of his last fight, February 29 in Frisco, Texas. Gonzalez won the WBA’s world 115-pound crown from Yafai (26-1, 15 KOs) in a fight DAZN streamed from Ford Center at The Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ training facility.

If the same money isn’t available from DAZN to put Estrada-Gonzalez back together once DAZN starts streaming fights again, Gonzalez-Franco would be a makeable alternative because Franco is represented by Golden Boy Promotions, which also is one of DAZN’s partners.

“That’s my dream fight,” Franco said of facing Gonzalez. “That’s the fight that I’ve wanted for a long time already. That would be fireworks. That would be ‘Fight of the Year.’ You know, that’d be a great fight. That’s the dream fight. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”

The WBA elevated Gonzalez to the status of “super” champion at 115 pounds once he beat Yafai, who was its world champion. The WBA also promoted Moloney from interim champion to world champion in the super flyweight division.

Oddsmakers have installed the 29-year-old Moloney as a 9-1 favorite to defeat Franco, the WBA’s 12th-ranked contender for his title. The Moloney-Franco fight will headline ESPN’s five-fight broadcast Tuesday night from MGM Grand Conference Center (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

[Ruthless-RKO]

Andrew Moloney: This Is A Big Opportunity To Increase My Profile

What began as a year of disappointment for Andrew Moloney has instead become one for his personal time capsule.

The unbeaten 29-year old from Australia had long pushed for an overdue shot at the 115-pound crown, instead settling for an upgrade from WBA “interim” to “Regular” junior bantamweight title claimant earlier this year. The distinction is an important one, as he will become the first boxer to make a major title defense during the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The opportunity comes this Tuesday, with a clash versus Joshua Franco also doubling as his first career fight in the United States.

“This is a big opportunity for me to increase my profile,” Moloney (21-0, 14KOs) told BS.com of his upcoming fight, which airs live on ESPN from MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. “This is my chance to introduce myself to a worldwide audience and make a name for myself.”

Moloney’s American dream comes two days prior to his twin brother and current bantamweight contender Jason Moloney headlining his own ESPN show in Vegas. The two arrived in country in late May, a welcomed makeup call to the separate U.S. fights they were to have enjoyed this past April.

For Andrew Moloney, it also makes up for the title fight he was denied. The unbeaten junior bantamweight was due to face WBA “Regular” titlist Khalid ‘Kal’ Yafai, a fight he was guaranteed shortly after hitting the road in scoring an 8th round knockout of Miguel Gonzalez in their title eliminator last March in his opponent’s native Chile.

From there, his focus shifted to Yafai’s scheduled title defense versus mandatory challenger Norbelto Jimenez, whom the Brit outpointed over 12 rounds last June in Providence, Rhode Island. Rather than receiving a clear shot at the title, Moloney—who had since added the WBA “interim” title to his collection—instead watched boxing royalty jump in the line as former four-division titlist Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez was granted the opportunity to become a two-time 115-pound titlist.

Gonzalez did just that, stopping Yafai in nine one-sided round this past February. Shortly thereafter came the decision from the WBA to upgrade the Nicaraguan legend to “Super” champion, with Moloney receiving a promotion with the move.

It seems silly to the average boxing fan fed up with sanctioning body politics. However, the designation allowed Moloney and his brother to receive a travel exemption from Australia to the United States and in time for the sport’s first title fight in more than three months.

“Honestly, it feels good to have wrapped that up. It all happened in a bit of a roundabout way,” notes Moloney. “We chased that Yafai fight for about three years. Finally, after more years of wanting a title fight and dedicating my whole life to boxing that I can now call myself a world champion.

“It sets me up for bigger and better things in the future. Now here I am fighting in America, June 23 at the MGM Grand. It’s another dream come true.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Main Card (ESPN, 8 pm ET)

WBA 'Regular' World Super-Flyweight Championship
Andrew Moloney (21-0, 14 KOs) vs Joshua Franco (16-1-2, 8 KOs)

8 Round Lightweight Bout
Joseph Adorno (14-0-1, 12 KOs) vs Alexis del Bosque (17-5, 9 KOs)

6 Round Heavyweight Bout
Adam Stewart (8-0-1, 5 KOs) vs Helaman Olguin (7-3, 3 KOs)

6 Round Junior Welterweight Bout
Rolando Vargas (5-0, 5 KOs) vs Miguel Contreras (10-0, 6 KOs)

10 Round Featherweight Bout
Christopher Diaz (25-2, 16 KOs) vs Jason Sanchez (15-1, 8 KOs)

[Ruthless-RKO]

Anyone gonna watch this?

[jujigatame]

Stewart was awful. I actually scored it a draw but considering Olguin looked about 50 pounds overweight and Stewart was the undefeated "prospect" in the fight I expected a wipeout.

[ldlamb]

What did Olguin cornerman say?

[margaret thatcher]

What did Olguin cornerman say?

Did he say something offensive or something

[jujigatame]

I was wondering what they were talking about there when they said a cornerman used a racial slur. That happened during the first fight?

[margaret thatcher]

Gringo? What else would they say when they are fighting a whiteboi?

[ldlamb]

It made it sound like Olguin’s cornerman called his own fighter a “racial slur”...Im Just curious: 1) what he said; and 2) is he also Latino.

They kicked him out of the building it was sooooo bad evidently.

[margaret thatcher]

pretty good main event here

[margaret thatcher]

Anyone could take this with 3 left....

[margaret thatcher]

Big 10th for Franco! He has Maloney bloody and reeling

[margaret thatcher]

Maloney down in the 11th! He survives but it's all with Franco now...should be ahead on the cards and has a KO in his sights now going into 12

[jujigatame]

I didn't score it but it seemed like Franco deserved at least half the rounds, plus the knockdown.

[margaret thatcher]

Josh Franco should win this about 115-112 / 116-111 I think

[gregregegg]

This will be an interesting score. i wasnt scoring but i think its possable that moloney got 6, with the knockdown 7 seems too much of a stretch. id guess 8-4 or 7-5 to franko plus the knock down.

[margaret thatcher]

Moloney coulda been up 5-3 but JF bossed the later rounds