Australian bantamweight contender Jason Moloney will compete in the eight-man World Boxing Super Series this fall, tournament organizer Comosa AG announced on Sunday.
Moloney is the mandatory challenger for the 118-pound world title held by Emmanuel Rodriguez, who was introduced as one of the participants during a May news conference in London that unveiled three of the fighters who would compete.
Rodriguez (18-0, 12 KOs), 25, of Puerto Rico, won a vacant belt on May 5 by decision against Paul Butler and will make his first defense against Moloney (17-0, 14 KOs) in the quarterfinals on a date and at a site to be determined, tournament officials said.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of the World Boxing Super Series. For me, this is a dream come true,” Moloney said. “It has been my dream for many years now to become world champion. It is something which myself and my team have been working very hard towards. Now I will have the opportunity to achieve this dream and much more. We now have the opportunity to become a unified world champion, win the glorious Muhammad Ali Trophy and become the undisputed No. 1 bantamweight in the world.”
Moloney, a former amateur standout, has boxed exclusively in his home country and is coming off a sixth-round knockout of faded former junior bantamweight titlist Kohei Kono on May 19. He is looking forward to growing his profile in the tournament.
“I am going to grab this opportunity with both hands, and I truly believe that we have what it takes to go all the way and win this tournament and become Australia’s next world champion,” Moloney said. “We are not in this competition to make up the numbers. We are here to shock the world.”
Besides Moloney and Rodriguez, others already announced for the field are world titleholders Ryan Burnett (19-0, 9 KOs), 26, of Northern Ireland, and Zolani Tete (27-3, 21 KOs), a 30-year-old southpaw from South Africa.
Also, Japanese star Naoya Inoue (16-0, 14 KOs), 25, has not been formally announced by the World Boxing Super Series as a participant, but he said following his electrifying first-round knockout of Jamie McDonnell to win a secondary world title on May 25 in Tokyo that he would be part of the field.
“Moloney is yet another exciting addition to season II,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland, Comosa AG’s chief boxing officer. “He is one of the biggest prospects in Australian boxing and enters the world stage and Ali Trophy action full of confidence. He is clearly a very determined, power-punching fighter eager to impress.”