It wasn’t the result Aussie fight fans wanted, but Jason ‘Mayhem’ Moloney 21-2 (18) showed great toughness and tenacity before eventually going down in seven rounds to arguable the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue 20-0 (17) at ‘The Bubble’ at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
Japan’s Inoue, the WBA, IBF and Ring magazine bantamweight champion, was clinical against the capable Australian, dropping him early in the sixth term with a left hook. The 29-year-old Moloney did well to survive the round, but the writing was on the wall.
A savage right cross put paid to Moloney’s world championship ambitions in the following round. Referee Kenny Bayless waved off the contest at 2:29 of the seventh.
The result impressed broadcaster and former world champion Tim Bradley, who admitted he was sceptical of the 27-year-old Inoue ahead of his Vegas debut.
“What I saw tonight, honestly — I wasn’t completely sold on Inoue (coming in), I’m gonna be honest with you,” Bradley said.
“I just have to say that this guy is special. He’s special. He’s gonna reign for a very, very long time, if he stays healthy. If he can have his hands healthy as well.
“His speed, his accuracy, his counter-punching ability, it’s different. It’s not like, it’s not like everybody. It’s different.”
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum was similarly impressed with his new signing, saying: “The Monster is a special fighter. I haven’t seen a young fighter like that in a long time. And credit to Jason Moloney for fighting like a warrior. He gave it his absolute best.”
Moloney did have some success in the fight with his jab and right hand to the body and won the fourth round on two of the official scorecards. But Inoue was in control throughout the contest, dictating the range and getting through with power shots when he chose to engage.
Inoue praised Moloney for making the fight difficult and said he would like to face the winner of the WBC title fight between undefeated champion Nordine Oubaali 17-0 (12) and Filipino veteran Nonito Donaire 40-6 (26).
“The final punch, the finishing punch, I’m very happy and satisfied with that punch,” said Inoue, who scored a hard-fought 12 round unanimous decision over Donaire in the final of the World Boxing Super Series last November.
“Moloney has a great defence, and it was very difficult to get through. The two punches you mentioned are something we really practiced in Japan a lot and I was able to perform well and use it and I‘m very happy with that.”
“As you go fight to fight, you learn things from the previous fight. Regarding [the Nonito Donaire fight], I think I’m getting wiser and better.
“The Oubaali-Donaire [winner] with the WBC title and [John Riel] Casimero with the WBO, they’re within my sights are far as fights go.”
 showed great toughness and tenacity before eventually going down in seven rounds to arguable the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue 20-0 (17) at ‘The Bubble’ at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.){kind=link}