Tony Tolj starts a four-week period that could see him with three world champions by the end. The Australian manager and promoter begins that task when Jason Moloney fights Vincent Astrolabio for the vacant WBO world bantamweight title this Saturday in Stockton, California.
The following Saturday twin brother Andrew Moloney will face Junto Nakatani for the vacant WBO world super flyweight title on the undercard of Devin Haney Vs Vasyl Lomachenko in Las Vegas. To top that off, Chilean sensation Andres Campos challenges Sunny Edwards for his IBF world flyweight title in London just two weeks later.
ProBox TV News caught up with Tolj from his Las Vegas training base in an exclusive on the phone interview.
“Things are excellent out here mate.” Tolj said. “I’m with the twins while Andres is over at Jorge Rubio’s gym. Everyone is doing a great job with us here in Vegas. Everyone is on song and on track, we are just pumped for these fights. We went to see Bob Arum, he said it’s much different from when we came during lockdown.”
Jason Moloney’s last crack at a world title came in 2020 against pound-4-pound star Naoya Inoue losing by a 7th round knockout. Moloney (25-2, 19 KOs) has since rallied with four straight wins to land himself another chance at glory this Saturday night against Filipino Astrolabio (18-3, 13 KOs).
“It’s hard for Jason, when you compare anyone with Inoue.” Tolj continued. “Jason and Nonito Donaire are the only fighters that have ever taken rounds off Inoue in four or five years. But he has been a different animal since then, that was three years ago. He’s got a great chance to become world champion again, he’s in a great spot. But, Astrolabio is a good fighter, he beat [Guillermo] Rigondeaux, after that he beat Nikolai Potapov.
“I’m expecting Astrolabio to put on the performance of his life. He has recently been inspired by his countryman Marlon Tapales winning the bantamweight world title in an upset too. But I just think that Jason has fought the better opposition more regularly. Every fight he has had, even with the Inoue fight, he has just improved in every fight. He is a real pro, he has been taking his preparation to another level. We have three international sparring partners with us plus another one of fighters Alex Winwood. He’s in a great mental space at the moment. I’ve noticed a real difference in him since we signed for Top Rank. We have gone through a crazy journey the last few years, all the quarantine during lockdowns and the Inoue loss then rebuilding to now. I see a real maturity in him at the moment, not just in the ring, how he carries himself outside of it too. He’s oozing belief, not in a cocky or arrogant or arrogant way, he just has so much self belief because of the amount of hard work he has put in. It is his time to shine.``
Tolj moves quickly to Las Vegas with Andrew Moloney facing Japan’s Nakatani one week later, then it’s off to London where Campos could make history as Chile’s first ever world champion.
“Yes, it’s straight on to Vegas after mate.” Tolj added. “Andrew is in a really tough fight, we had some problems making that fight initially but now it is on. Nakatani is an exceptional boxer, former flyweight world champion, vacated the title and he has moved up a division. But, Andrew is flying at the moment, the Joshua Franco trilogy is a distant memory now, this is the best I’ve ever seen him. He’s had to rebuild too since those defeats. Him and his brother have had to deal with that at similar stages in their careers, so they’ve helped each other along.
“Campos is a completely different type of fight and a different type of fighter. He’s a bit younger, he's undefeated, ready to make history for his country. A whole different prospect, we go to England to face Sunny Edwards, another great fighter. But again, the preparation has been unbelievable, they are in Miami right now with the very best. We are going to London to rip that belt away, no judges, no messing around. Campos will stop Edwards, we’ve wanted this one ever since he got that title.”
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