Naoya Inoue lived up to the billing and delivered a ‘Monster’ performance on Halloween.
The three-division and reigning unified bantamweight titlist was brilliant in dominating Australia’s Jason Moloney in his Las Vegas debut. Two knockdowns paved the way for a 7th round knockout win Saturday evening at The Bubble at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Inoue floored Moloney in rounds six and seven, the latter prompting the stoppage at 2:59 of round seven.
Inoue came racing out the corner to start the fight, only to ease off the gas and simply work his jab at center ring. Moloney attempted to work his way inside but was met with straight right hands on most occasions as well as a wicked uppercut. None of it discouraged Moloney from continuing to come forward, landing a body shot late in the round and ending the round with a counter left hook following a right hand from Inoue.
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Moloney looked to establish his jab in round two, with Inoue playing defense and coming back with a purposeful stick of his own.Inoue slipped a shot from Moloney to connect with a left hook to the body midway through the round.Moloney attempted to apply pressure but struggled to keep up with Inoue’s superior hand and foot speed.
Inoue opened round three with a crisp combination against an incoming Moloney, followed by a sharp right uppercut at center ring. Moloney was urged by his corner to not overcommit to his punches, to which he attempted to adjust. Inoue exploited the moments where Moloney failed to heed the advice, connecting with a right hand and left hook late in the round.
Moloney bounced on his toes and utilized lateral movement in round four, doing his best to change his luck. Inoue adapted to every approach, shooting right hands and a piston-like jab. Moloney was not without his moments, landing enough right hands in the round to get the attention of Inoue’s father and trainer who urged his son to not allow the challenger to bring the fight at close quarters.
The gifted power of Inoue was convincingly felt by Moloney late in round five, as the unbeaten pound-for-pound entrant connected with a right hand over the Aussie’s guard. Moloney took the shot, though forced to do a double step in order to steady himself.
Inoue scored the first knockdown of the night early in round six. A counter left hook from the defending champion forced Moloney to the canvas, beating the count but spending most of the rest of the round regaining his faculties. Inoue stunned his challenger with a left hook with roughly one minute to go in the frame.
Moloney was warned by referee Kenny Bayless in between rounds to find a way to turn things around, that it was his job as the ring’s sole arbiter to protect the athletes. That speech wouldn’t have to come again, only because Moloney wouldn’t make it back to his corner.
Inoue was poised at the start of round seven, content to box and find the perfect openings for his explosive power. Moloney paid the price dearly for leaving his chin exposed, shooting a jab but was too slow with the right hand behind it. Inoue slammed a right hand across Moloney’s chin, sending him crashing to the canvas.
Moloney bravely tried to climb off the deck, but never made it to his feet as Bayless waved off the contest.
Inoue makes the second overall bantamweight title defense and first as a unified titlist. The unbeaten 27-year old improves to 20-0 (16KOs).
Moloney suffers his second title fight defeat, falling to 21-2 (18KOs) overall. The loss snapped a four-fight win streak since dropping a narrow split decision to then-unbeaten titlist Emmanuel Rodriguez in October 2018.
