‘Owes me a rematch’: Terence Crawford chasing Aussie Andrew Moloney after Vegas showdown

He’s pound-for-pound one of the best fighters in history, and Terence Crawford has his sights set on an Aussie rematch, as he lands in Australia for the week.

Terence Crawford is in Australia this week, and the boxing great is demanding a rematch with an Aussie hero before turning his attention to his blockbuster world title showdown with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in September.

One of the world’s best pound-for-pound boxers, Crawford is in the country for a once in a lifetime five-day speaking and coaching tour organised by boxing insider Grant ‘Tassie’ Brown.

The week culminates in an exclusive dinner function in Melbourne on Friday night, but first, Crawford needs to settle the score with Andrew Moloney.

Not in the boxing ring though.

Known as ‘Bud’, Crawford is still burning about a couple of table tennis games the pair played nearly five years ago.

Crawford (L) will fight Canelo (R) in September in the biggest boxing match of 2025. Picture: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Speaking to Code Sports just hours after touching down, Crawford revealed his favourite Aussie boxers, even if he wants to get payback on one of them.

“I like the twins, I like those Moloney boys, Andrew and Jason, they’re my guys,” Crawford said. “He still owe me a game of ping pong though!”

It was back in the peak Covid years, when boxing in Las Vegas was held at ‘The Bubble’ at the MGM Grand.

Crawford was preparing to defend his WBO welterweight world title against Kell Brook, and Andrew was fighting Joshua Franco for the WBA super-flyweight world championship in the co-main event.

With no crowds in attendance, and movement around the MGM Grand severely limited, Crawford and Moloney found themselves in the same room with a table tennis table.

And, as competitive sportsmen do, they each picked up a paddle.

Wearing masks and their tracksuits after completing their fight week commitments, there’s music blasting in the background, and their teams can be heard making side bets on the game.

Andrew Moloney (L) went shot for shot on the table tennis table with Terence Crawford. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

There’s even a rules controversy as Moloney twice thinks he’s got the match won.

“I was coming out of the dressing room, and I still had on all my boxing outfit and everything,” Crawford said. “We was in The Bubble, and I was just f***in around with him, then I started playing him.

“He got a jump on me, and I was like, ‘Oh, this guy can really play!’

“I came back on him, but he beat me by, like, two points or something.

“It was real close, so I was like, ‘We gotta play again, man’, and I beat him, but we left it at that.

“It’s 1-1, so he owe me another game.”

Crawford (R), is one of the best boxers on the planet. Picture: Steve Marcus/Getty Images

Moloney, who has an IBF world title eliminator against Argi Cortes (27-4-2) lined up, has been dreaming of this moment ever since that night.

“I wasn’t sure he’d even remember it,” Moloney told Code Sports on Monday. “We’re going up to his event on the Gold Coast tonight at Fidel Tukel’s gym, and we’ve got the table tennis table strapped to the trailer.

“We’re ready to call him out. Sounds like he wants it too.

“When we played, it was already like 10pm the night before we both fought.

“I just knew how competitive he is, so I eased off and almost let him win the second game.

“I just knew that he’d be so competitive that he wouldn’t let me leave without getting a win. We’d have been there all night.”

Speaking shortly after landing in Australia, Crawford also confirmed he was linked to a fight with Tim Tszyu last year, before ‘The Soul Taker’ lost to Sebastian Fundora.

Tszyu’s bloody defeat saw Crawford instead fight Israil Madrimov in his world title debut at super-welterweight.

Grant 'Tassie' Brown, Phil Gould and Crawford at the airport on Monday morning. Picture: Supplied

“My name was definitely in the mix, but he chose to fight Fundora instead of me, so he went down that route,” Crawford said of Tszyu.

“Then Fundora chose not to fight me, and I chose the next best opportunity, which was Israil Madrimov who was ranked number one in the division.”

Crawford has been savage in his opinion of Tszyu in the past.

During the Aussie’s brutal loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev in October, he Tweeted, “It’s over for Tim” before adding: “Tim thought he had an easy one.

“Took this dude lightly and was worried about other fighters.”

Despite holding the WBA super-welterweight world title, the 37-year-old Crawford says there’s no chance of ever fighting Tszyu, who is preparing for a rematch with Fundora for the WBC super-welterweight belt.

“Nah, that’s over,” Crawford said. “Tim’s still got a little more in him, but the fight, that’s over with.”

He did say Tszyu would be welcome to train with him in the States though.

“Bring him over here,” he said. “It depends on what my coach wants to do.

“My coach is the one who gets the sparring partners for me, but I wouldn’t be against it if that’s what they wanted.”

Tim Tszyu will fight Sebastian Fundora in a rematch on July 19 in Las Vegas. Picture: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images

Tszyu’s comeback will take place on the same MGM Grand card as Pacquiao’s world title return against Mario Barrios, with Crawford tipping Pacman to get it done.

“It’s crazy, I think Manny Pacquiao’s still got a little movement,” he said. “He’s a little slower now, but you can’t overlook an all-time great.

“Like they say, the last thing to leave you is your power, so you’ve gotta be careful with those old dogs.”

Meanwhile Sydney’s George Kambosos fights Richardson Hitchins for the IBF super-welterweight title - the same belt Crawford once held before moving up to welterweight and beating Jeff Horn.

‘Bud’ is blunt in his assessment of that fight.

“Richardson gonna outbox him,” he said. “Way too slick.”

Crawford’s first appearance in Australia is on Monday night, where Code Sports and Courier Mail journo Peter ‘Bomber’ Badel will host a Q&A session at Fiteklub Gym.

He then has plans to catch up with Anthony Mundine, Danny Green, Billy Dib and others as he visits Sydney and Melbourne later in the week.

Originally published as ‘Owes me a rematch’: Terence Crawford chasing Aussie Andrew Moloney after Vegas showdown