The trainer of Filipino super flyweight prospect Judy Flores 13-1 (7) admits his young charge is taking a step up in class in his next fight against Australia’s Andrew Moloney 25-3 (16), but Nonito Donaire Sr insists it’s a winnable fight.
Moloney is currently ranked number nine by the WBC and number 10 by the WBO. Flores is the WBA’s number 15 ranked contender.
Flores, 25, will be having just his second fight on the round following his eight-round unanimous decision loss to former world title challenger Antonio Nieves 20-4-2 (11) in the United States in May last year.
He has rebounded with three straight wins against moderate opposition at home.
Donaire Sr says Flores is up for the task of defeating Moloney in their 10-round bout at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne, Australia on December 9.
“He’s ready to go,” Donaire Sr said told SunStar Cebu. “He has a huge chance of winning. He just needs to remain busy with his punches.”
Moloney, 32, has mixed it with some of the best in the 115-pound division with varying results. He holds wins over former WBA titleholder Luis Concepcion and former world title challengers Miguel Gonzalez and Norbelto Jimenez, but was stopped in the 12th round of his last fight against Junto Nakatani for the vacant WBO super flyweight title in Las Vegas, Nevada in May.
Unbeaten Japanese prodigy Nakatani 26-0 (19) was simply too good for Moloney on the night. The 25-year-old southpaw had Moloney on the end of his punches, dropping him in rounds two and eleven before finishing him off with a hellacious left cross that left him out cold in the final round.
“I’ve rested and reset after the Nakatani fight,” Moloney told the media last month. “I’m ready to get back in there and I know I’m still improving, that’s what’s exciting, and I may go down to flyweight in 2024. That’s yet to be determined, I’m still ambitious in the sport and will be world champion again by any means necessary.”
Donaire Sr says that providing Flores follows his instructions, he will come away with the win.
“Moloney is easy to hit and can’t handle a solid punch,” said Donaire Sr. “As long as [Flores] will follow the game plan, then he has a huge chance of winning.”
Moloney insists he is not overlooking Flores and he wouldn’t want to be. A loss would put his career on the skids.
“Flores is a solid customer, I’m not overlooking him at all,” he said. “He comes from a really solid camp which has multiple current and former world champions, so he’s going to be game and try to test me. That excites me.
“He knows he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. I need to show I’m back to my best and have another world title in me, so there’s a lot at stake on December 9.
“I believe I have a lot left in the tank and I intend on showing it December 9 in Victoria. It’s always nice to box at home and put on a show, so I’m zoned in on putting on an explosive performance.”
