Andrew Moloney Believes His Experience Will Be The Tale Against Junto Nakatani
Australian Andrew Moloney (25-2-1, 16 KOs, 1 NC) is preparing for his May 20 battle against unbeaten Junto Nakatani (24-0, 16 KOs) for the vacant WBO junior bantamweight title. The bout will occur on May 20 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on the undercard of the world lightweight title bout between undisputed champion Devin Haney and three-division champion Vasyl Lomachenko. Motivated to win a world title, Moloney promises to give Nakatani the fight of his life.
The WBO belt became vacant when the previous champion Kazuto Ioka vacated the title. Rather than engage in an ordered fight against Nakatani, Ioka has opted to fight a rematch with current WBA champion Joshua Franco.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CHALLENGE
Moloney is excited about the upcoming fight. During an interview with Australia’s Perth Now, the 32-year-old acknowledged that Nakatani is a good fighter. However, he also believes his Japanese opponent is untested.
“I don’t believe he’s been in the ring with anybody on my level yet, so we will see how good he really is on the night. I plan on bringing absolutely everything to win this fight. I know this fight changes mine and my family’s life.”
Nakatani is the former WBO flyweight champion at 112 pounds. He vacated that title in November 2022 to move up to 115 pounds. The 25-year-old is a skilled southpaw who carries power in both hands. Some insiders believe he is the most dangerous fighter in a loaded junior bantamweight division. But despite his physical ability, Moloney is the best fighter he will face in terms of skill and experience.
Moloney is banking on his boxing skills and everything he’s learned throughout his career serving him well on fight night. He plans to take Nakatani into deep waters, make him drown, and walk away with the WBO title wrapped around his waist.
