Joshua Franco vs Andrew Moloney WBA super flyweight title rematch
Only 24 hours into his Sydney quarantine stint, Andrew Moloney - who lost Australia’s only world title a fortnight ago - has been granted every beaten fighter’s dream.
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Andrew Moloney will fight to regain the WBA super flyweight title by November, with US promoter Bob Arum granting the Australian a chance to win back his gold strap in coming months.
Only a week after losing Australia’s only boxing title — and bursting both eardrums — against rugged American Joshua Franco, Moloney has confirmed he will be given a Las Vegas rematch.
While the 29-year-old lost via a courageous unanimous points decision, Top Rank boss Arum has since reached out to the dethroned champ and confirmed, in big news for Australian boxing, that he will be given another title shot.
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On Wednesday, Moloney arrived back in Sydney to begin two weeks of quarantine in the same hotel room as twin brother Jason, who won his own bantamweight headliner against Mexican Leonardo Baez.
Despite being stitched above the eye and inside his mouth, Moloney said his only real injury concern remained the perforated ear drums – with the left busted in round four against Franco and the right in “round seven or eight”.
“So once quarantine is done, I’ll get these ears looked at and get straight back into the gym,” Moloney said.
“And I know I can get the job done second time around.
“I’ve already watched the fight back four times and with every one of them, mate, I’m kicking myself.
“I just know I can perform better.
“But being granted the rematch is a big relief. Made the trip home not quite so bad.
“I’d worked my whole life to win that world title so to then go and lose it – it was so disappointing.
“So now I just need to go work my arse off and get that championship back.”
While not keen to make excuses for his loss, Moloney conceded his balance had been affected by the “incredibly unlucky” suffering of two burst eardrums.
“My balance was off and I couldn’t hear,” he said. “There was a ringing in my ears too which was quite distracting.
“It was just bad luck.
“I felt like I started the fight well and was winning the first half.
“But then he landed that shot right on my left ear, which isn’t that common.
“Normally punches land around the front of the face.
“But he got me on the left ear early and then … yeah, extremely unlucky when the second one went as well.
“I was also feeling crook in the stomach and threw up a lot afterwards.
“Things went astray which was really frustrating because I know I can perform a lot better.”
Moloney added that he would be back fighting in the States by November.
“And that would be at the latest,” he said. “If I heal up OK the fight could be sooner.
“Top Rank are just waiting for me to get checked out and give them a date.
“I got some stitches in my mouth which have already dissolved. And the ones above my eye, they’re still there but the cut is looking really good.
“The doctor has done a good job of it.
“So I’m getting there.
“I’ll rest up the next two weeks here in quarantine then get back into it.
“I want that title back.”
Originally published as Joshua Franco vs Andrew Moloney WBA super flyweight title rematch