Australia’s Andrew Moloney has branded his WBC interim super flyweight title fight with Pedro Guevara as the “last roll of the dice” for both men.
Moloney (26-3, 16 KOs) and Guevara (41-4-1, 22 KOs) join the undercard of Vasiliy Lomachenko and George Kambosos’s vacant IBF lightweight title fight this Sunday in Perth, Australia.
“At this stage of my career I really can’t afford to make any mistakes,” Moloney told BoxingScene. “I can’t afford any off nights or to not be at my best. I feel like I’ve gone to a new level in this camp. I don’t know what it is, but I feel like I’m maybe a late bloomer because I’ve had 30 professional fights already.
“This time we were able to prepare at home which has made things easier. I haven’t had to get used to any different time zones or food or anything like that, We flew some good sparring over from Japan. I feel like I’ve really turned a corner and really found myself, found my rhythm and I’ve been boxing better than ever. I’m looking forward to showing that on Sunday. This fight nearly sold out in 12 hours, the people of Perth are really keen for this. It’s going to be an awesome atmosphere, I’m sure. The [RAC] Arena it is in is perfect for boxing, there is going to be about 16,000 in there.”
Guevara stood up proudly at the official press conference to tell Moloney: “I’m going to fight like it’s my last opportunity. He’s coming in good condition for this fight, and so am I. You’re going to see a great fight. Don’t forget my name because you’re going to have a new champion from Mexico.”
“I didn’t know if he could speak English or not, but when he started they couldn’t get him to shut up,” Moloney laughed. “He seemed confident, but he understands that this is going to be his last shot at it, and it will be his last shot at it because I’m going to make sure of it. It’s the same situation for both of us, it’s the last roll of the dice. The loser of this fight probably has nowhere to go, it would certainly be a long journey back to another shot at a world title. There is a lot riding on this fight, that’s why I’ve prepared 100 percent.
“I couldn’t have done any more, I’m more than ready. I’m looking forward to getting the job done on Sunday. I think I will be too much for him, I also think I’m going to be the stronger man. We are about the same height, he’s got a bit of a longer reach, but he was at his best at light flyweight, where he was a world champion. I just don’t think he’s going to be as strong as I am from watching him. I think that will play a pretty big part in this fight.”
WBC super flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada will defend his belt against Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez on June 29 in Phoenix, Arizona. The winner of Moloney-Guevara will become the immediate mandatory challenger.
“I feel like Bam wins that fight and I feel like there is probably a rematch clause in there for Estrada,” Moloney added. “They will probably fight more than once, but we won’t worry about that until down the track. If that is the case, winning this fight puts me into a big fight either way. There are other champions out there that I would love to face too, I’ve expressed my desire to fight [Kosei] Tanaka too, so that’s something we can still push for if that’s the case.
“Winning this fight puts me into massive fights. It could really push my career to another level. There is a lot riding on this, but at the moment, the focus is just on Guevara and making sure that I perform at my best and get my hand raised. I want that strap around my waist. It’s a bloody beautiful looking belt, I’m looking forward to having that one in the cabinet.”