While the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament has major names such as Nonito Donaire, Ryan Burnett, Zolani Tete, Naoya Inoue and more, Jason Moloney is looking to crash the party and make a run to win the tournament.
Moloney, who is coming into the global tournament as a big underdog and one of the four unseeded fighters, is in a tournament where the winner could walk away with the IBF, WBA and WBO bantamweight titles around his waist.
Not many people are expecting Moloney to win the tournament, but the undefeated Australian contender tells Fightful that he's not sweating the underdog status and that he's looking forward to proving any skeptics wrong with a world title win in the first round of the tournament on October 20.
"Yes, of course I?m going into this competition as an underdog and well I guess that?s fair considering I haven?t achieved what some of these guys have achieved just yet, but I?m happy with that. Proving people wrong is something I really enjoy doing! We are happy just working away, continuing to improve and doing whatever it takes to make sure we win this fight on October 20," Moloney said.
His first opponent in the World Boxing Super Series will be none other than IBF bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodriguez, who will be making his first title defense. After an impressive showing in his title win over Paul Butler, which saw Rodriguez knock Butler down in the first round before proceeding to outbox the Brit throughout all 12 rounds, Rodriguez is coming in with a lot of momentum. Against one of the breakthrough bantamweight of 2018, Moloney said he'll need to fight at his best in order to win the IBF title and advance in the tournament.
"It will take me fighting to the best of my ability. I believe that me at my best, I?m capable of beating everyone in this tournament. At this top level, if you don?t perform on the night and you don?t implement the right game plan then you?re going to fall short. I?m a very determined fighter and I have a phenomenal coach in my corner, I believe that if I am at my best and I listen to my coach then we are very hard team to beat," Moloney said.
Although Moloney does not carry the notoriety as some of his bantamweight compatriots, that doesn't mean Moloney brings nothing to the table as far as his resume goes. His last win was a sixth round stoppage victory over two-time world champion Kohei Kono, the biggest resume booster for his career.
But if you asked the Australian about his confidence in winning a world title before and after the win against Kono, Moloney would tell you that he always had that belief that he would be ready to take on the world's best bantamweights.
"Beating Kono was great but I have always had the confidence and belief that I am ready to fight and beat these guys at the top level, we just needed the opportunity to prove it. Now we have that opportunity and I?m ready to make the most of it," Moloney said.
Now when it comes to predictions, Moloney doesn't really have one, but he did say that the fight between him and Rodriguez will be one the Orlando crowd will very much enjoy.
"I expect a very tough fight which I am sure the crowd will really enjoy and I believe that my hand will be raised at the need of the fight," Moloney said. "I am willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen!
The fight between Rodriguez and Moloney takes place at the CFE Arena in Orlando and the card will also feature a WBSS cruiserweight quarterfinals matchup between Yunier Dorticos and Mateusz Masternak.