Australia’s Andrew Moloney has, through tears, blasted the corruption existing throughout boxing – and then sensationally retired from the sport – after declaring that “an envelope pushed under the table” was behind his shock world title loss in Perth.
Moloney was so rocked by the controversy that he announced he was quitting the sport after suffering the second major robbery of his career on the undercard of fellow Australian star George Kambosos.
Facing Mexico’s Pedro Guevara for the WBC interim super flyweight title, Moloney lost the fight on the judges scorecards, 113-115, 116-113 and 113-115.
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The result came only days after his twin brother Jason also lost his world title in Japan and four years after he suffered one Australian boxing’s great robberies against Joshua Franco.
Moloney also revealed he had come into the title fight with a torn bicep in his left arm, before then announcing that he was retiring from the sport.
However, the fighter’s longtime manager Tony Tolj said he had already spoken with the WBC, who had insisted an immediate rematch was there if Team Moloney wanted it.
Asked what he thought the two dissenting judges saw, Moloney replied: “They saw an envelope get pushed under the table.
“No way he f…ing won that.”
And as for why they wanted Guevara winning?
“Money,” he deadpanned. “He’s Mexican.”
After entering the press conference and, initially, working back and forth across the stage, Moloney finally sat on stage and addressed the shock result.
“When one judge scored it for him (Guevara) I thought ‘OK, you can’t get any worse than that’ – surely the other two will give it to me, wide,” Moloney started.
Then after a short pause, he said: “There’s no reason other than it’s corruption.
“No qualified judge can see him winning that fight.”
Back in 2020, Moloney should have been awarded a world title win over reigning Franco, who he busted
Asked later about taking a rematch, he said: “It’s definitely something I’ll think about.
“It’s hard at the moment.
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“I’ve given my life to this sport, given everything.
“I can’t give anymore.
“And twice they’ve just ripped it from me.
“It’s f…ing heartbreaking.
“So the rematch, maybe I’ll look at it because I know with two arms I’ll knock him out.
“But I don’t know how long I’ll be out with this bicep
“And they just keep f…ing doing it to me in this sport.
“I dunno.”
Later, he added: “I feel like I won at worst 10 rounds. I felt in total control.
“I honestly could’ve picked it up if I needed to, but I thought I’d done all I’d needed to to win.
“Out boxed him with ease, really.
“I went into this fight with a torn bicep.
“I could throw the jab perfectly and that’s why I boxed behind the jab for the fight.
“But I knew that if I needed to dig deep I could throw it as a rip or a hook.
“But I didn’t need to work.
“I felt what I was doing was working and I was going home as champion.”
Source Agencies