Jason Moloney picks up the stoppage victory!
In the main of event of Top Rank’s June 25 telecast, bantamweight Jason “Mayhem” Moloney (21-1, 18 KO’s) was able to force Leonardo “Leon” Baez (18-3, 9 KO’s) to retire on his stool! It was a great morale boosting win following his brother’s, Andrew “The Monster” Moloney (21-1, 14 KO’s), upset loss two nights prior.
From the very outset, both men thought nothing of a “feel out process” and chose to go right at one another. It was clear that Mayhem wanted to move and vary his attack. Meanwhile Baez sought a gritty phone fight that was heavy on body shots.
During the first round, the flavor favored Moloney. Then in the second Leon got the phone booth war that he wanted with the results to match!
By the third, however, the former title contender was back on his wheels and largely dictating the parameters of the bout. While he appeared to be the more versatile boxer, the Australian was certainly eating his fair share of leather.
When jockeying for position on the inside, however, Moloney stubbornly held his ground and regularly pushed the taller Baez back. This was to the shock of commentator and former champion Tim Bradley as he did not expect this to happen.
In the final minute of the seventh round, Moloney connected with a slew of heavy punches that appeared to take a toll on the Mexican. This was obviously the case as the underdog waived the white flag from his stool.
The former World Boxing Super Series contender is itching to get another chance at a title. Since losing to Emmanuel Rodriguez by a close decision in 2018, he has managed to maintain a high ranking.
Let’s see when he will get his next shot at a title!
By: Bakari Simpson
