Aussie Fighters Bidding to Challenge Japanese Boxing Hegemony in Asia
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 27 Feb 2024
The Moloney brothers.
With Japanese fighters led by the Inoue brothers decimating their Asian, mostly Filipino, rivals for world supremacy in the lower weights, top boxers from Australia are bidding to challenge their hegemony.
There is historical precedence in this especially in the late 60s with Australian aborigine Lionel Rose ending Fighting Harada's long reign as world bantamweight champion and French born Johnny Famechon frustrating his bid to become two division world titlist at featherweight.
Jeff Fenech in the early 80s spelled doom to Satoshi Shingaki as he knocked out the Japanese to wrest his IBF bantamweight title and kayoed him again in their title rematch.
Today, three Australian fighters are bidding for history repeat namely super bantamweight Sam Goodman, IBF bantamweight champion Jason Moloney and his twin brother super flyweight Andrew Moloney.
The Moloney brothers are aiming to fight underneath the George Kambosos vs Vasily Lomachenko clash for the vacant IBF lightweight crown in Australia this coming May.
Jason is targeting for a unification showdown with either WBA champion Takuma Inoue or WBC titlist Junto Nakatani. Jason may have special preference for Nakatani who defeated his brother Andrew by a one punch last round knockout in their fight for the vacant WBO super flyweight title fight last year which was the Ring's KO of the Year awardee. If that fight is arranged, Jason would be out to avenge his twin bro.
Perhaps realizing that losing to Nakatani was no shame given what the Japanese has recently achieved at bantamweight, Andrew is aiming to bring new WBO super flyweight champion Kosei Tanaka to Australia to challenge him for his title.
Sam Goodman.
Meanwhile Sam Goodman is ambitioning for a grand mainer of his own in a date to be set by bringing over undisputed world super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue and challenging him for his crowns in the tradition of Jeff Horn-Manny Pacquiso blockbuster bout in 2017.
Inoue is set to defend his titles first against Mexican Luis Nery this May in Japan. The Monster said he wanted three fights this year, all at 122 lbs. and among the names mentioned as his possible foes are former unified champion Murodjon Akhmaladiev, Sam Goodman and Johnriel Casimero.
To prep for a possible title challenge of Naoya, the undefeated Goodman is fighting Mark Schleibs (12-3) this March 13.
Challenging these Japanese champions is one thing, but bringing them Down Under could be a problem.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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