10/31 ESPN+: Naoya Monster Inoue vs Jason Moloney (WBA/IBF Bantamweight Titles)

[patscorpio]

Naoya Inoue slated to fight Jason Moloney on Oct. 31 in Vegas

By Steve Kim
ESPN


Naoya Inoue's Top Rank debut is set.

The unified bantamweight titlist and ESPN's No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter is scheduled to face Jason Moloney (21-1, 18 KOs) at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas this fall, according to Moloney's manager, Tony Tolj.

"We're still in talks and finalizing the fight, but it appears we will be fighting Inoue for all his titles," Tolj said.

Bob Arum, who promotes both Jason Moloney and his brother Andrew, says the bout is slated for Oct. 31.

Originally, the highly regarded Inoue was scheduled to face WBO belt holder John Riel Casimero. That fight fell apart due to the changing economics in the sport because of the coronavirus pandemic. Casimero is now facing Duke Micah on Sept. 26.


"We would like to thank John Riel Casimero and Sean Gibbons [of MP Promotions]. We might actually send a Christmas hamper to the Philippines for making the fight happen," Tolj joked. "We don't run from 'the Monster,' we're there to take him on."

On June 25, Jason Moloney stopped Leonardo Baez in seven rounds in his debut with Top Rank. Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) last fought Nonito Donaire last November.

Andrew Moloney (21-1, 14 KOs) lost his WBA 115-pound title in a hard-fought unanimous decision to Joshua Franco on June 23 but has enforced his rematch clause and will most likely face Franco again in November.

Tolj says both Moloneys will be prepared.

"They're the consummate fighters; they're in the gym every day," he said. "These guys eat, breathe, live boxing."

Tolj said the pair will return to the United States about a month before the Inoue bout, saying these will be two of the most important bouts the Moloneys will ever have.

In Ric Flair's words, Tolj joked, "To beat the man, you've got to beat the man."

 

[Conscious Pilot]

What a Monster Halloween Night we have in Store

 

[patscorpio]

Naoya Inoue vs. Jason Moloney - Undercard Information
By Random Hits

Published On Thu Oct 22, 2020, 07:33 PM EST

Robson Conceicao, a 2016 Olympic gold medalist for his native Brazil, seeks to notch the signature win of his unblemished professional career when he takes on Luis Coria in a 10-round junior lightweight fight Saturday, Oct. 31 from the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble.

Conceicao-Coria will serve as the chief support bout to the world championship doubleheader featuring unified bantamweight world champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue’s title defense against Jason Moloney and Mikaela Mayer challenging WBO female junior lightweight world champion Ewa Brodnicka.

The card will also feature Toledo's 20-year-old heavyweight sensation, Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson (6-0, 6 KOs), who will fight Luis Eduardo Pena (6-1, 6 KOs) in a six-rounder. Anderson has three knockout wins inside the Bubble and four first-round stoppages in his young career.

The entire Inoue-Moloney card will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the co-feature (Brodnicka-Mayer) expected to start at approximately 10 p.m. ET.

Conceicao (14-0, 7 KOs) turned pro under the Top Rank banner in 2016 after an amateur career that included the Olympic gold medal, more than 400 victories and two World Championship medals. He last fought in August in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and knocked out Eduardo Reis in the second round. Conceicao takes a giant step up in class against Coria (12-3, 7 KOs), a Robert Garcia-trained fighter who is coming off a razor-thin majority decision loss in June against Adam Lopez in one of the year’s best back-and-forth brawls.

In other undercard bouts:

Julian Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) vs. TBA
10 Rounds, Junior Welterweight

“Hammer Hands” Rodriguez is 4-0 with three knockouts since returning from a nearly two-year layoff last July, re-establishing himself as one of the 140-pound division’s top prospects. He made his Bubble debut Aug. 22 and knocked out the previously undefeated Anthony Laureano in the first round. Rodriguez turned pro in 2013 as an 18-year-old, and at 25 years old, is approaching contender status.

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (12-0, 8 KOs) vs. TBA
8 Rounds, Light Flyweight

Rodriguez, a 20-year-old southpaw prodigy from San Antonio, Texas, put forth a star-making performance inside the Bubble Sept. 5, knocking down the normally iron-chinned Janiel Rivera three times en route to a first-round stoppage. Trained by Robert Garcia and promoted by Teiken Promotions, Rodriguez has won four straight bouts by stoppage, and his sublime footwork reminds many boxing observers of Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Andy Hiraoka (15-0, 10 KOs) vs. Rickey Edwards (12-4, 3 KOs)
8 Rounds, Junior Welterweight

Hiraoka, a stablemate of Inoue’s from Yokohama, Japan, made his U.S. debut last November and knocked out Rogelio Casarez in two rounds. A former high school distance-running star, the 24-year-old also bested former world title challenger Akihiro Kondo via 10-round decision in July 2019. Edwards, from Paterson, N.J., hopes to snap a two-bout losing skid and pick up his third victory over a previously undefeated prospect.

Andres Cortes (13-0, 7 KOs) vs. George Acosta (10-1, 1 KO)
8 Rounds, Junior Lightweight

Cortes returns for his second Bubble bout nearly four months removed from his July 7 slugfest against Alejandro Salinas. Cortes recovered from a fourth-round knockdown to earn an eight-round unanimous decision. As an amateur, he notched a pair of victories over undisputed lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez. Acosta, from Long Beach, Calif., has won three consecutive fights since a six-round decision defeat to Ruben Torres.

 

[patscorpio]

Ewa Brodnicka Misses Weight, Title Only At Stake For Mikaela Mayer
By Jake Donovan

Published On Fri Oct 30, 2020, 05:41 PM EST

Ewa Brodnicka’s stateside debut is already one to forget.

The unbeaten junior lightweight titlist from Warsaw, Poland saw her lengthy reign come to an unceremonious close after twice failing to make the 130-pound limit for her showdown with mandatory challenger Mikaela Mayer (13-0, 5KOs). Brodnicka was 0.9 pounds over the limit on her first attempt, before returning within the one-hour time frame allotted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission only to still arrive slightly heavy at 130.1 pounds.

The two camps were in discussion over financial compensation for Mayer as a result of the scale fail, as this goes to publish. Their clash will stream live on ESPN+, live from The Bubble at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mayer is still eligible to win the title, having weighed 129.8 pounds on the first try. The 2016 U.S. Olympian and current unbeaten contender from Los Angeles—who now lives and trains in Colorado Springs—enters her first career title fight.

Brodnicka (19-0, 2KOs) was attempting the sixth defense of the belt she claimed in May 2017, having first won the interim title before being upgraded prior to her April 2018 win over Sarah Pucek. The entirety of her career has taken place in Poland, though the unbeaten 36-year old has trained in Miami and Vegas for this event.

Both have fought just once in 2020. Mayer scored a dominant 10-round decision win over Nigeria’s Helen Joseph in this very venue this past July, in what was the first-ever female bout to headline on ESPN’s flagship network. Brodnicka outpointed Djemilla Gonturak this past March,

The bout will serve as the chief support to the unified bantamweight title fight between Japan’s Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16KOs)—as the reigning champ—and Australia’s Jason Moloney (21-1, 18KOs) who enters his second career title fight.

 

[patscorpio]

Inoue-Moloney ESPN+ Weigh-In Report From Las Vegas
By Jake Donovan

Published On Fri Oct 30, 2020, 04:30 PM EST

Naoya Inoue and Jason Moloney both did their job at the scale to provide viewers with a Halloween treat in the ring.

The pair of bantamweights made weight ahead of their unified bantamweight title fight, which airs live Saturday evening on ESPN+ from The Bubble at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Inoue hit the scale at a ripped and ready 117.7 pounds for his first career fight in Vegas and just second overall in the United States. The 27-year old from Yokohama, Japan previously traveled abroad for a 6th round stoppage of Antonio Nieves in their September 2017 clash in Carson, California.

Moloney (21-1, 18KO) checked in at 117.9 pounds for his second straight fight at this venue, having visited The Bubble for a 7th round knockout of Leonardo Baez in June. The 29-year old from Kingscliff, Australia carries a four-fight win streak—all inside the distance—ahead of his second career title fight. Moloney came up just short in an October 2018 split decision to then-unbeaten titlist Emmanuel Rodriguez in Orlando, Florida.

The loss to Rodriguez came during the quarterfinal round of the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament, which Inoue (19-0, 16KOs) won outright. The three-division and reigning unified 118-pound titlist scored a 1st round knockout of Juan Carlos Payano and a 2nd round stoppage of Rodriguez to storm into the finals, where he outpointed Nonito Donaire over 12 rounds last November. The WBSS finale was voted 2019 Fight of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

The evening’s chief support sees Poland’s Ewa Brodnicka attempt the sixth defense of her junior lightweight title as she faces unbeaten challenger Mikaela Mayer.

Warsaw’s Brodnicka (19-0, 2KOs) weighed 130.9 pounds for her first career fight outside of her native Poland. The long-reigning titlist will have to lose 0.9 pounds to avoid having to vacate her title at the scale.

Mayer—a 2016 U.S. Olympian from Los Angeles who now lives and trains in Colorado Springs—clocked in at 129.8 pounds for her first shot at a major title.

Also on the show, beginning 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+:

Robson Conceicao (14-0, 7KOs), Salvador, Brazil, 128.8 pounds vs. Luis Coria (12-3, 7KOs, Parris, California, 128.6 pounds—10 rds, junior lightweight

Julian Rodriguez (20-0, 13KOs), Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, 142.6 pounds vs. Jose Lopez (29-7-2, 15KOs), Torreon, Mexico, 142.3 pounds—10 rds, junior welterweight

Jared Anderson (6-0, 6KOs), Toledo, Ohio, 246.1 pounds vs. Luis Eduardo Peña (6-1, 6KOs), Ventura, California, 229.6 pounds—6 rds, heavyweight

Andy Hiraoka (15-0, 10KOs), Yokohama, Japan, 140.9 pounds vs. Rickey Edwards (12-4, 3KOs), Paterson, New Jersey, 140.7 pounds—8 rds, junior welterweight

 

[Amare's Right Hook]

Wow, lost it on the scales.

 

[LauderdaleBoss]

#MonsterSquad

 

[Bigblackted4]

Inoue ready to kill

 

[I AM WE ARE]

Inoue 7rd ko

 

[Conscious Pilot]

Jared Anderson fighting tonight, I like him as a Heavyweight Prospect.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Wrong thread

 

[Recca Gatsby]

Tonight gonna be wild

 

[Conscious Pilot]

Big Baby with the Chucky Outfit

 

[patscorpio]

big baby brutalizing big gristle

 

[patscorpio]

stop the fight!!!!