Australia’s Jason Moloney has misplaced his WBO bantamweight world title to Japan’s Yoshiki Takei in a shocking upset at a packed Tokyo Dome in Japan.
Takei, 27, a former kickboxing world champion, solely made the swap to boxing in 2020 and introduced an 8-0 file into Monday’s bout, with all eight wins coming through knockout.
The challenger was compelled to go the space this time, however did greater than sufficient to earn the victory on factors over 12 rounds.
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Takei was declared the winner by unanimous determination, with the judges scoring the bout 117-110, 116-111 and 116-111 in his favour.
Towards the 33-year-old Aussie, Takei took full benefit of his further attain, holding Moloney at bay and setting the agenda over a dominant first half of the battle, as you possibly can see within the video participant above.
Moloney battled his manner into the competition over the center phases, however Takei discovered a second wind and completed the stronger, surviving a livid remaining spherical to take his file to 9-0.
Moloney had received 27 of his 29 fights coming into the conflict with Takei, using a six-fight profitable streak relationship again to his loss to Naoya Inoue again in October 2020.
However this defeat is a significant setback within the profession of the Victorian, coming within the co-main occasion to Inoue’s IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO and Ring tremendous bantamweight world title showdown with Luis Nery subsequent up on Monday.
“I feel he’s simply a much more superior boxer,” commentator and Corridor of Fame boxer Tim Bradley mentioned of Takei within the closing phases.
“He’s the higher athlete.”
When the battle received underway, challenger Takei was warned thrice for low blows within the opening spherical.
A fourth low shot halfway by the second spherical had the Japanese fighter docked some extent in an early benefit for Moloney.
Southpaw Takei was intent on taking the battle to the Aussie, throwing extra punches by the opening rounds as he aimed to wrestle the belt from the champion.
The house favorite landed 46 punches to simply 16 from Moloney over the opening three rounds as he made an outstanding begin.
It had the commentators questioning Moloney’s name to battle in Japan somewhat than at house for his second title defence.
“That’s an enormous determination,” Bradley mentioned. “His reasoning is smart, he needs to battle in entrance of a giant crowd, however he might’ve fought at house.
”You bought house subject benefit, you could possibly convey this gentleman on the market, why not do this?
“If this battle is shut, he must be fearful. He has to dominate this battle tonight to be able to get a choice.”
But it was Takei that continued to dominate the motion, comfortably dictating phrases over the opening 5 rounds as the house supporters began to sense an upset.
“There’s going to need to be a shift from Moloney within the sport plan,” Bradley mentioned.
“He’s going to need to take some dangers, Takei is just too superior on the surface.
“He must let his palms go to hope to catch Takei out of place.”
Moloney lastly began to show the competition from the sixth spherical, touchdown some heavy punches because the challenger began to tire and drop his palms.
Moloney rocked Takiei with a giant straight proper early within the eighth spherical, earlier than the Japanese fighter signalled to the referee he was combating with out his mouth guard in a significant blunder from his nook.
The Japanese fighter survived a robust interval for the Aussie by the later rounds after which completed properly, with Moloney unable to seek out the KO he wanted within the twelfth and remaining spherical.
Boxing returned to the Tokyo Dome for the primary time since Buster Douglas shocked the game by knocking out Mike Tyson, the undisputed, undefeated heavyweight champion, manner again on February 11, 1990.
On a battle card that was dominated by Japanese fighters, Moloney entered the ring to Males at Work’s Land Down Beneath.
He was making the second defence of the world title he first received in March 2023 within the US.
After profitable the title in California and defending it in Quebec, Canada in January, Moloney has now fallen wanting a second defence in Japan.
Moloney, whose twin brother Andrew Moloney is difficult Pedro Guevara for the WBC junior bantamweight crown in Perth this weekend, had hoped to move house with the WBO bantamweight belt nonetheless round his waist.
However his dream fell brief and can now drive a rethink for Moloney and his camp.
