Australian boxer Andrew Moloney is set to face Willibaldo Garcia for the IBF super-flyweight title. The bout, originally planned for Kyrgyzstan this month, will now take place on June 6 in Aichi, Japan.
Moloney, who is based in Kingscliff, has declined a substantial offer of $250,000 to forgo this world title opportunity. Instead, he will dedicate the upcoming month to intense training under the guidance of his coach, Angelo Hyder, as he prepares for this pivotal match in his career.
After holding the secondary WBA world title seven years ago, Moloney is eager to seize this chance at Garcia’s IBF championship. The fight, which was initially scheduled for Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, has now been confirmed for Aichi, Japan, marking a significant moment in Moloney’s journey as he aims to reclaim a title.
As the mandatory challenger with a record of 28 wins and 4 losses, Moloney previously trained in Mexico for an elimination match against Argi Cortes, which he ultimately withdrew from due to ongoing changes in the fight arrangements. Following his designation as the IBF’s mandatory challenger, he permitted Garcia to compete against Kenshiro Teraji in Saudi Arabia late last year, but that fight was scrapped when Garcia withdrew after making weight.
Moloney was then presented with a lucrative step-aside offer from Jesse Rodriguez, the reigning champion across multiple organizations, to allow for unification bouts. However, the 35-year-old boxer opted to pursue his title shot instead, which could potentially lead to a confrontation with Rodriguez if he emerges victorious against Garcia and Rodriguez decides not to transition to bantamweight later this year.
Following a controversial loss in 2024 that nearly led to his retirement, Moloney reflected on the decision to decline the financial offer. “They mentioned a figure of $250,000, which is a significant sum—more than I’ve earned before for not fighting,” he stated. Ultimately, he decided to accept a smaller payout, approximately 15% of the step-aside offer, as he prepares to face Garcia in his first title defense.
This upcoming match will be Moloney’s debut in Japan, a country where he has garnered a following, having experienced significant fan engagement during his twin brother Jason’s second fight in Tokyo last year. A victory for Moloney would elevate him to become Australia’s sole male boxing world champion, especially after cruiserweight Jai Opetaia was stripped of his IBF belt following a controversial debut with Zuffa Boxing.
To prepare for this international bout, Moloney plans to simulate an overseas training regimen by moving into his trainer’s gym-side accommodation for the final weeks of preparation. Meanwhile, his brother Jason is gearing up for a fight against Andre Donovan in Brisbane later this month.
In other boxing news, unbeaten prospect Alex Leapai Jnr will face Veni Mafi in Sydney tomorrow, while heavyweight Justis Huni is scheduled to fight British veteran Frazer Clarke at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London next weekend. Opetaia’s team is currently contesting the IBF’s decision to strip him of his title following his signing with Dana White’s new boxing promotion after defeating Brandon Glanton in Las Vegas.
