The Top Rank debut of Naoya Inoue proceeded as advertised. The ‘Monster’ produced a rampaging performance on Halloween to shrug aside game but overwhelmed challenger Jason Moloney in seven rounds at the Bubble’ in the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, on Saturday night.
WBA Super and IBF champion Inoue (20-0, 17 KOs) looked sharp and spiteful. A left hook dropped Moloney (21-2, 18 KOs) in the sixth before referee Kenny Bayless implored the Australian to improve or he would be forced to halt a one-sided contest.
That pep talk was rendered redundant in the following round when Inoue unleashed a right hand that dropped Moloney for the full count.
“The final punch, the finishing punch, I’m very happy and satisfied with that punch,” said Inoue afterwards. “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.”
Bob Arum, Top Rank Chairman, added: “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.”
Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank.
In the co-feature, Mikaela Mayer clinched the WBO super-featherweight title with a landslide points decision over Poland’s Ewa Brodnicka. Scores were 100-88 (twice) and 99-89.
Brodnicka (19-1, 2 KOs) had forfeited her world title on the scales on Friday after missing the weight by one pound, after previously registering five successful defences. Brodnicka deducted points for holding in the sixth and seventh rounds.
Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank.
Los Angeles’ Mayer (14-0, 5 KOs) said: “Like [head trainer] Coach Al [Mitchell] said, her holding and her movement was a little tricky for me to catch on to. I still feel like I did win every round. There were definitely some things I could’ve done a little bit better, but ultimately it was a good learning fight.
“I definitely want to unify this division. I don’t want to wait around. I don’t want to take a couple of years to do it. I want to do it right away. So, [WBC champion] Terri Harper told me to get a belt. Eddie Hearn told me to get a belt. I have the WBO belt now, so let’s make that fight happen. I want Terri Harper next.”
Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank.
On the undercard, 2016 Olympic gold medallist Robson Conceicao (15-0, 7 KOs) rallied to outscore Louie Coria (12-4, 7 KOs) at super-featherweight. Scores were 95-92 (twice) and 94-93. Conceicao was dropped in the second and had two points deducted for low blows, but won the last three rounds on two judges’ cards to emerge victorious.
New Jersey 140-pounder Julian Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs) decked Jose Lopez (29-8-2, 15 KOs) four times, finishing matters with a body shot in the third round.
Heavyweight hope Jared Anderson (7-0, 7 KOs) earned his fifth first-round stoppage by overwhelming Luis Eduardo Pena (6-2, 6 KOs) on the ropes after 2:46 of the opening session whilst Yokohama 140-pounder Andy Hiraoka (16-0, 11 KOs), a stablemate of Naoya Inoue, halted Rickey Edwards (12-5, 3 KOs) in the fourth after scoring three knockdowns.
Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank.
Main image: Mikey Williams/Top Rank.