The last time boxing fans saw thrill-a-minute puncher Naoya “Monster” Inoue in the ring, the Japanese was locked in the toughest fight of his career opposite Filipino Nonito Donaire Jr.
Inoue was supposed to run over Donaire with the tenacity of a bowling ball smashing hapless pins, but instead he went 12 hard rounds with him. Inoue still won by unanimous decision but went home with a busted nose and fractures to his right eye socket. And, oh, Inoue was hurt by a right hand from Donaire in the ninth stanza. Inoue notched the win but worked doubly hard to get it.
Some 11 months after the war with Donaire, WBA (super) and IBF bantamweight (118 lbs) champion Inoue is booked to return to action this weekend when he takes on Australian challenger Jason Moloney at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas. Inoue fought in California three years ago, but the fight in Las Vegas marks his debut in boxing’s biggest stage.
The 27-year-old Inoue (19-0, 16 knockouts) was originally scheduled to meet WBO counterpart Johnriel Casimero in April, but the fight was called off because of the outbreak of the coronavirus. Surprisingly, when pro boxing cards resumed in the US in June, Inoue shifted gears and picked Moloney instead. Inoue’s camp cited visa issues, but Casimero averred that the Monster simply chickened out of their duel.
As can be deduced, Inoue is looking to send his critics chirping with the birds this weekend. The Moloney fight is crucial as Inoue wants to prove that the Donaire fight was just an aberration and his confidence remains intact.
Before the Donaire fight, Inoue was virtually untouchable. He turned pro in 2012 and won titles in the junior flyweight (108 lbs), junior bantamweight (115 lbs) and bantamweight divisions. Inoue left a path of destruction along the way, thus earning the “Monster” moniker. As aforementioned though, this was until Donaire exposed Inoue as a mortal.
The prognosis is that Inoue will get the job done and rebound strongly against Moloney (21-1, 18 knockouts).
The 29-year-old Moloney started boxing at age 13 to get fit for Australian football. He fell in love with boxing though and ended up pursuing it full-time along with his twin brother Andrew.
Jason debuted in August 2014 and went unbeaten in his first 17 fights before dropping a close split decision to Emmanuel Rodriguez in October 2018 in a battle for the IBF bantamweight crown.
Rodriguez dominated the first seven rounds of the fight and seemed on his way to an easy win when Moloney made a roaring comeback in the last five rounds. Rodriguez walked away with a decision win but was barely hanging on in the final round. If there were still a few rounds left, Moloney would have beaten Rodriguez.
Interestingly enough, the Moloney-Rodriguez fight took place in the quarterfinals of the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight unification tournament where Inoue was also a participant. The Moloney-Inoue would have happened earlier had Moloney defeated Rodriguez. It was Rodriguez who advanced to the next round and Inoue dutifully flattened the Puerto Rican in two rounds in May 2019. In a display of paralyzing power, Inoue knocked down Rodriguez three times in the second round.
Moloney has won his last four rights, all by knockout, but offers a style that is tailor-made for Inoue. One does not need a radar to find Moloney’s chin. Moloney is a pressure fighter who likes to get inside and outwork foes. This is Inoue’s preferred style as he can readily greet an incoming foe with his vicious right straight. With Moloney coming at him, Moloney also does not have to reach out that far to unload his debilitating body shots.
Inoue is clearly the smart money bet and many few believe that a convincing, if not concussive victory, is on hand. If Inoue delivers in impressive fashion, expect the media to again bombard him with questions about Casimero. Inoue has been relatively silent on Casimero’s taunts, but an impressive knockout of Moloney figures to get the Monster talking about Casimero. There is really no other way to go for Inoue but to face Casimero if he hurdles Moloney.
Inoue’s plan is clear: prove that he is still the Monster in the division by reducing Moloney into baloney and then tackling the pesky issue that is Casimero.
