Exclusive: Andrew Moloney Aiming For WBA Title, Then Unification With Jerwin Ancajas
Undefeated super flyweight contender Andrew Moloney opens up about recently one of the latest additions of Top Rank Boxing and what it means for his championship aspirations.
In an exclusive interview with Fightful, Moloney talked about his excitement at signing with Top Rank and has plans for eventually challenging a 115-pound world title. When describing the start of the next chapter of his career, Moloney said inking a deal with the promotional company “is a dream come true” and is looking forward to eventually making his U.S. debut on a Top Rank card later this year.
Signing with Top Rank does present with potential route to a super flyweight title opportunity for Moloney. Although Moloney does have a future shot at Kal Yafai’s WBA world title, Top Rank also has IBF champion Jerwin Ancajas. Even if Ancajas is a promotional stablemate of Moloney, the Australian’s goal remains Yafai.
Back in March, Moloney won a title eliminator in Chile to become the mandatory challenger to the WBA title. Now if Moloney were to face Yafai and even win the WBA title, then he would look at a potential fight against Ancajas.
” I am already in the mandatory position so the [WBA] world title fight was already going to happen sooner rather than later but I know that by being with Top Rank once I win the title they will be able to get me the big fights I want and make me into a star of world boxing like they have done with so many others. My ideal situation would be to win the WBA title first and then unify against Ancajas,” Moloney said.
A shot against Yafai won’t happen for a while as Yafai is reportedly going to face Norbelto Jimenez on a DAZN card taking place in Rhode Island on June 29. But before Moloney can even think about a world title shot, he must first defend his WBA Oceania title on June 15 against Ruben Montoya. When it comes to this upcoming fight, Moloney stressed the importance of performing well here as it will be the last fight before he officially starts preparing for his debut as a member of Top Rank’s roster.
“I think it is extremely important that I win this fight in impressive fashion. I would love to knock Montoya out but I won’t be putting any pressure on myself to force it as I know he is extremely tough. His last two fights where against ex-world champions and they where both close fights, neither of them where able to hurt Montoya at all during those fights,” Moloney said.
Moloney’s fight will take place in Tweed Heads in New South Wales, Australia and the card will also feature his brother, Jason Moloney, in action against Cesar Ramirez