Australia’s boxing brothers Andrew and Jason Moloney are set to fight for world titles on the same night – or no more than days apart – as part of a blockbuster championship push also involving megastar Manny Pacquiao.
A key part of Australian boxing’s resurgence, the Moloney twins are now gunning to fight for world titles within the first half of this year – with Jason set to challenge for the WBO bantamweight strap and Andrew the WBO super flyweight crown.
While several opponents have been discussed for Jason, Fox Sports Australia understands promoter Top Rank is keen to pit its No.1 contender against Vincent Astrolabio (18-3) from the Philippines.
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Another Filipino fighter Reymart Gaballo has also been mentioned as a potential rival should Astrolabio choose to fight for the IBF title instead.
Andrew, meanwhile, is in talks to fight Japan’s undefeated Junto Nakatani (24-0).
There have been suggestions Top Rank would like to have both brothers fight for their belts in America on the same night, or at least on separate cards only days apart.
Regardless, the showdowns also look set to resume Australia’s wonderful boxing storyline with one of the greatest fighters who ever lived, Pacquiao.
It has now been six years since the Pac Man descended upon Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium and, before a raucous crowd of 50,000, lost his WBO welterweight title in a huge upset to that greatest of fighting school teachers, Jeff Horn.
While it may be his fists that have long made the headlines, Pacquiao has since 2015 also run a boxing promotion company, MP Promotions – with the aim of helping aspiring young boxers, particularly those from the Philippines.
And one of those within his stable is Astrolabio, the 25-year-old ranked top two with both the WBO and IBF.
In fact, after his most recent win in December against Nikolai Potapov, Astrolabio revealed he’d earned the sixth round KO after promising a finish to Pacquiao as a birthday present.
Ironically, legendary US promoter Bob Arum — the man responsible for bringing Pacquiao Down Under — will also be present on fight night given he is also now responsible for promoting Australia’s favourite fighting twins.
The bantamweight division’s four major belts have all become available following the decision by undisputed Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue, in January, to move up in weight and chase new titles.
Initially, Jason Moloney was set to fight for Inoue’s vacated WBC belt against yet another Pacquiao countrymen – the famed ‘Filipino Flash’, Nonito Donaire.
But a dispute between the pair’s promotional teams now sees him instead moving across to challenge for the vacant WBO strap, where he is currently ranked No.1.
Astrolabio is ranked No.2.
Puerto Rico’s Emmanuel Rodriguez, meanwhile, is ranked third another Filipino, Reymart Gaballo, sits at No.4.
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Only recently, the IBF ordered Astrolabio and Rodriguez to fight for its vacant title, given they are also that division’s top two contenders.
They have until February 25 to forge a deal.
If an agreement were reached, the pair would then forfeit their No. 2 and No. 3 rankings in the WBO – and thereby catapult Gaballo (20-1) into a title fight with Moloney.
Andrew Moloney, meanwhile, looks set to get his shot at Nakatani for the WBO super flyweight strap after it was vacated by another Japanese fighter, Kazuto Ioka.
Andrew famously made international headlines back in 2020 when, in the second fight of his world title trilogy with Joshua Franco, he was cruelling robbed via ‘No Contest’.
The decision prompted an outpouring of support for the Aussie on social media from the likes of Dame Helen Mirren, Jeff Fenech, Joe Rogan, Rosie Perez, Daniel Cormier and LL Cool J.
His two Franco losses are the only blemishes on a resume that, since said trilogy, has seen the 32-year-old win four straight and force his way back into world title contention.