WBO bantamweight champion Jason ‘Mayhem’ Moloney 27-2 (19) is expecting strong local support when he defends his world title against former kickboxer Yoshiki Takei 8-0 (8) at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on May 6.
The 33-year-old Australian has a strong affiliation with Japan after conducting training camps there in the past. Fighting in the Land of the Rising Sun has always been on his bucket list.
Moloney will be boxing on the blockbuster card headlined by undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue 26-0 (23) defending his WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine belts against Luis Nery 35-1 (27).
There will be four world title bouts on the show at 122-pounds or below. An estimated crowd of 55,000 people are expected to full the venue in what will be the first boxing event at the indoor baseball stadium since Buster Douglas’ shock win over Mike Tyson to claim the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world in February 1990.
Moloney, who lasted into the seventh round against devastating puncher Inoue in Las Vegas four years ago, says he has been surprised by the level of support he has received from Japanese fight fans ahead of his bout against 27-year-old southpaw Takei.
“It’s surprised me… I don’t know if Takei is very well liked in Japan, but I’m getting a fair bit of support,” Moloney told AAP.
“It seems like quite a few Japanese want me to win.
“Maybe they don’t think he’s worthy possibly, after eight boxing fights.
“If I can notch an impressive win here I’ll have plenty more fans. Who knows, I might be fighting out of Japan a bit more often.”
Japan has become a hotbed for boxing in the lighter weight classes in recent years. Along with pound-for-pound stalwart Inoue, the proud nation boasts a host of world champions below 122-pounds including Kazuto Ioka, Junto Nakatani, Takuma Inoue, Kosei Tanaka, Kenshiro Teraji, Seigo Yuri Akui and Ginjiro Shigeoka.
Behind the champions are a host of hungry contenders nipping at their heels, making Japan the go-to country for lighter weight boxers.
“I think they like the humble champions over there,” Moloney said. “They all seem to like my fighting spirit against Inoue and how I dealt with the loss.
“No excuses; I showed respect and bounced back and improved and became a champion.
“They liked those characteristics and mentioned that they loved the fact I showed that I learned from the fight.
“Where guys like Stephen Fulton (who lost to Inoue last year) disappear and go off spending the money and aren’t humble in defeat.”
Moloney will receive a career-high payday for fighting in Japan and could see himself boxing back there again in the future.
“They seem to respect the lighter weights in Japan, and Inoue has helped that,” Moloney said. “Soon it could, in bantamweight, be me and three Japanese fellas with the titles.
“If I can establish myself with some good support, it’s pretty exciting. It can all pay off, but I need to stay focused.
“Twenty years of training and I’m in the position now where I can walk away having set up my family, which not many can say they have done.”
