How mighty Moloney twins lifted Barry Hall for Paul Gallen fight
Andrew Moloney is the hot favourite to become Australia’s only current world boxing champion when he battles Brooklyn’s Elton Dharry on the same night that his mate Barry Hall fights Paul Gallen.
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While Barry Hall gets ready to make his mark against rugby league heavyweight Paul Gallen on Friday night, the AFL legend admits two boxers half his size will be the really big hits on his huge “Code War’’ fight card.
Together, twins Andrew and Jason Moloney barely weigh as much as the 105kg former Swans premiership captain but Hall knows they punch well above their weight.
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Andrew, 28, who won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is set to become Australia’s only current world boxing champion, when he battles Brooklyn’s Elton Dharry for the WBA Interim super-flyweight (52kg) title on the same night Hall fights Gallen at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena.
Jason Moloney, the world’s No. 3 bantamweight (53.5kg), fights Nicaraguan firecracker Dixon Flores, on the same card.
“These guys are the real fighters,’’ Hall said as he winds down his training for his first major sporting test since he was chaired from the field after kicking five goals in his last AFL game for the Bulldogs against the Dockers at Etihad Stadium in 2011.
“While Gallen and I are getting most of the attention I hope it draws more people to watch the fight and see the talent of the Moloney boys on the same show.
“They are both class acts.’’
Hall has sparred for this fight wearing gloves once worn by Mike Tyson in preparation for his last ever professional fight against the giant Irish-American Kevin McBride in 2005.
The gloves were souvenired by Tyson’s cornerman Angelo Hyder, a key figure in the careers of Australian boxers such as Danny Green, Vic Darchinyan and Bob Mirovic.
Hyder, along with Gold Coast boxing identity Tony Nobbs, trains the Moloneys at Kingscliff in northern NSW and has helped prepare Hall for the fight over a gruelling seven-week training camp.
“I would have liked more time to prepare,’’ Hall said. ``Seven weeks ago I was sitting on the couch watching TV but I was offered the Gallen fight and I had to decide then and there. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m happy with the work I’ve done.
“Training alongside the Moloneys has been an education.’’
Jason Moloney, who went close to winning the world bantamweight title in Florida last year, remembers his days as a 13-year-old Swans fan and having his photo taken with Hall 15 years ago after ``Big Bad Baz’’ signed his red and white jersey.
“Never would I have thought that 15 years later we would training together every day and preparing to fight on the same show,’’ Moloney said.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to share a gym with Baz and I look forward to celebrating our wins together on Friday night.
“He has been sparring really top-class guys – Ben Kelleher, Daniel Russell and Nick Midgley – and he looks like an experienced professional fighter. I know Baz did some boxing when he was a teenager but you would never think he was a bloke about to have his first pro fight. The way he moves and throws punches, it looks like he’s been boxing for years.’’
Originally published as How mighty Moloney twins lifted Barry Hall for Paul Gallen fight