.png)
The Moloney twins are set to make history in the sport of boxing. Both Andrew and Jason have secured title fights within consecutive weekends, giving them the chance to bring home major titles to Australia.
Andrew Moloney’s fight against Japan’s Junto Nakatani for the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title is set to take place on May 20 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Meanwhile, Jason Moloney will challenge for the vacant WBO bantamweight title one week prior against the Philippines’ Vincent Astrolabio.
The Moloney brothers are no strangers to the world of professional boxing. Andrew, who is ranked just one spot below Nakatani in the WBO junior bantamweight rankings, previously won the interim WBA junior bantamweight title in November 2019 and was upgraded to WBA ‘Regular’ titlist in 2020. However, he failed to produce a successful defense, losing his title to Joshua Franco in his June 2020 U.S. debut in Las Vegas. Moloney and Franco then engaged in a bizarre trilogy, with Moloney initially winning the title back in their November 2020 rematch, only for the fight to be ruled a No-Contest when it was deemed Franco’s badly swollen right eye was the result of an accidental clash of heads. Their August 2021 trilogy clash saw Franco prevail via unanimous decision.
Andrew’s upcoming fight against Nakatani is a significant opportunity for him to claim another world title. Nakatani was named the mandatory challenger to the WBO junior bantamweight title during the sanctioning body’s convention last October in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He won the WBO flyweight title in November 2020 and made two successful defenses before relinquishing the crown last October. Nakatani made his junior bantamweight debut in his most recent start, when he outpointed former unified strawweight titlist and current top ten junior bantamweight contender Francisco ‘Chihuas’ Rodriguez last November 1 in Saitama, Japan.
Jason, on the other hand, is a former Commonwealth Games gold medalist and has been making waves in the bantamweight division. He will challenge for the vacant WBO bantamweight title against the Philippines’ Vincent Astrolabio on May 13 as part of an ESPN telecast. The Janibek Alimkhanuly-Steven Butler WBO middleweight title fight will headline the event from a location that has yet to be determined.
The Moloney brothers are determined to bring home the titles and make history in the sport of boxing. If they are successful, they will become the first Australian twins to hold world boxing titles at the same time. This is a significant achievement for the brothers and Australian boxing, as they continue to pave the way for up-and-coming boxers in the country.
In conclusion, Andrew and Jason Moloney have a golden opportunity to win major titles in consecutive weekends. Their upcoming fights are set to be some of the most exciting and anticipated bouts of the year, with the potential for them to make boxing history. The Moloney brothers have trained hard and are ready to take on the challenges that lie ahead. We wish them the best of luck as they represent Australia on the world stage.