Andrew Moloney is already eyeing another showdown for the world title, as he sets his sights on Japanese legend Kazuto Ioka.
Ioka recently made another successful of his WBO world crown, which is his fourth defense of the belt that made him a four weight world champion.
Ioka was made to work for his victory against the very game Mexican Francisco Rodriguez Jr.
Moloney gave his thoughts on Ioka’s defense and weighed in on a potential clash between the pair.
“I watched the Ioka fight and thought it was a close fight. I thought Rodriguez started the fight well but Ioka finished stronger and was landing the cleaner punches through out the last half of the fight.
“I would absolutely love the opportunity to fight Ioka. Ioka is a legend of the lighter weights, a 4 division world champion and a future hall of famer but its a fight I truly believe I can win. I really hope we can make this fight happen as soon as possible.
“A win over Ioka would be huge for my career so that’s the fight I want and I will be doing everything I can to make it happen. If that means traveling to Japan to fight him I am happy to do that. I have nothing but respect for the great champion, and I would love to challenge for his title.”
Moloney’s manager, Australian boxing baron Tony Tolj gave his thoughts on a perspective showdown between two of the best super flyweights on the planet.
Tolj said, “I really like this fight not just for Andrew but as a boxing fan. Andrew has admitted he has worked hard and learned a lot from his experiences in the USA, and this is a fight that really gets the interest of the proper boxing fans especially in the likes of Australia and Japan, who understand the skills of the fighters in the lighter weights.
“For me Ioka is a legend. An amazing fighter. Our team have all the respect in the world for him. Respectfully, Team Moloney would like to challenge him for his title, as we believe this would be a great fight, especially in Japan. Andrew and his brother Jason have showed they are not scared to travel, and we look forward to hopefully making this fight in the future.”
Andrew Moloney wants Ioka vs. Rodriguez Jr winner
Andrew Moloney isn’t holding back in his career, as the Aussie is determined to become a two time world champion in the not so distant future.
Moloney has been known to travel the world and never take the easy route. Having traveled to Glasgow to win the Commonwealth Games in 2014, all the way to defending his world title in the United States as a pro. The Australian has never mapped out easy routes, and already has his sights set on a route back to being a world champion.
The Aussie opened up about his recent trips to the United States and reflected on the positives going forward from his previous experiences.
Moloney said, “I’m obviously disappointed to not come back to Australia as world champion, however, I’m happy I’ve gained experience and I’m understanding where I’ve made mistakes and where I can improve as a fighter. That excites me going forward and gives me the confidence that I can become a two time world champion and possibly a multiple weight world champion in the future.
“Boxing is all about learning and improving. I feel I’ve got a lot of improvements to make. I have a great team behind me who are pushing me on and I feel that I am more driven than ever to want to get back to the gym and improve on my skills and I believe by doing that I will 100% become champion of the world again.”
A tasty 115lbs fight that is on the horizon is the contest between WBO champion Kazuta Ioka and Francisco Rodriguez Jr. Moloney discussed the possibilities of challenging for the WBO version of the 115 pound strap in the future.
He said, “I would love to fight the winner of Ioka and Rodriguez. This is a good fight and I do expect Ioka to emerge victoriously. I’ve proven I will travel anywhere to fight anybody, so traveling to Japan or America again to fight Ioka would be fine by me.
“Ioka is a great champion and I respect him. His only losses have come in elite class against the likes of Donny Nietes. I believe I’m in that class and I’m still very fresh. Myself and Ioka would be a real fight that boxing fans would love, so right now that would be my focus, to get a fight like Ioka straight away. I’m not in boxing for easy fights, I’m in boxing to be the best.”