Moloney Eyes Masuda Fight To Reign With Twin

Jason Moloney wants a shot at WBA bantamweight champion Riku Masuda as he chases his own world title reign alongside twin brother Andrew.

The 35-year-old Australian told The Ring he believes his recent signing with Zuffa Boxing would not prevent a fight with Masuda, despite promotional hurdles that often derail matchmaking. Moloney pointed to Zuffa's role in securing the Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn bout as evidence that any fight is possible if fans want to see it.

Moloney's Goal To Reign Alongside His Brother

Moloney watched Andrew capture the IBF junior bantamweight title with a narrow decision over Willibaldo Garcia in Japan on June 6. The former world champion said the moment hit him harder than his own title win. "I was more emotional when Andrew became champion than my own world title," he said, per The Ring.

Andrew endured three losses to Joshua Franco and a setback against three-division champion Junto Nakatani before finally breaking through. Jason called his brother one of the unluckiest fighters of the past five years, adding there were moments when Andrew nearly walked away from the sport.

Masuda claimed the WBA regular bantamweight strap with a split decision over Daigo Higa on July 20. Moloney scored the bout for Masuda in a close fight, praising the high level of boxing coming out of Japan. The Australian now holds a 29-4 record with 20 knockouts and sees Masuda as the pathway back to championship status.

Source: ringmagazine.com