JASON MOLONEY-ASTON PALICTE BANTAMWEIGHT SHOWDOWN & JUNIOR FA-LUCAS BROWNE HEAVYWEIGHT TILT HEADLINE KAMBOSOS-HANEY UNDISPUTED UNDERCARD
Australian two-time bantamweight
world title challenger Jason “Mayhem” Moloney and New Zealand-born
heavyweight contender Junior Fa hope to showcase their talents for the home
region fans at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, on the undercard of
the George Kambosos Jr.-Devin Haney undisputed lightweight world title
showdown. The Kambosos-Haney world championship event is projected to be
one of the biggest boxing events ever on Australian soil.
Moloney will battle former world title challenger Aston Palicte in a
10-rounder for the vacant WBO International bantamweight title, while Fa
will take on Australian fan-favorite Lucas Browne in a 10-rounder for the
WBA Oceania and IBF International heavyweight title belts.
Kambosos-Haney, Moloney-Palicte, Fa-Browne, and an eight-round heavyweight
fight between Hemi Ahio (18-0, 13 KOs), of Auckland, New Zealand, and Joe
Jones (13-4, 10 KOs), of Jersey City. N.J, will be televised LIVE on ESPN,
ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ Saturday, June 4, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
In a swing bout, cruiserweight David Nyika (2-0, 2 KOs) will be showcased
in 6/4-rounder against an opponent to be named. Nyika, from Hamilton, New
Zealand, captured a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. A
beloved sporting hero in his country, Nyika has earned his stripes as a
sparring partner for heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Following the main event, streaming live and exclusively in the United
States on ESPN+, world-rated junior bantamweight contender Andrew
Moloney (23-2,
15 KOs) will battle Nicaragua’s Alexander Espinoza (21-3-2, 8 KOs) in an
eight-rounder, and Devin Haney Promotions-signed junior middleweight
prospect Amari Jones (5-0, 5 KOs) will fight Ankush Hooda (3-0-1, 1 KO) in
a scheduled six-rounder.
“When it comes to presenting an undercard worthy of its main event — the
battle between world champions George Kambosos Jr. and Devin Haney for the
undisputed lightweight world championship — it’s Aussie Rules. Australian
fight fans in Marvel Stadium and viewers around the globe will be treated
to a feast of exciting all-action bouts, many featuring contenders and
prospects from Australia, as well as New Zealand. And those not televised
live on ESPN will be streamed to the U.S. on ESPN+,” said Lou DiBella,
President of DiBella Entertainment. “We are prepared to make history in
Melbourne.”
Browne (30-3, 26 KOs) won the WBA Oceania title with a knockout victory
over Faiga Opelu in December and is a former WBA world titlist. The
32-year-old Fa (19-1, 10 KOs) is looking to get his career back on track
after losing to former world champion Joseph Parker in his last outing in
February 2021. Fa has notable wins over American veterans Devin Vargas and
Dominick Guinn.
“I would love nothing more than to fight for another world title, and
Junior Fa is standing in my way,” Browne said. “If I can put him away
early, that will send a message to the boxing world that I am far from
finished. He has only lost once in his career, to Joseph Parker. I plan to
hand him his second defeat.”
“I am 100 percent back myself, but I’m not taking Lucas lightly, as he is a
former world champ and was stopped by Paul Gallen with some illegal blows,
so I don’t count that as a loss for him,” Fa said. “He has his power, and
we saw him use it to KO his last opponent. I’ll be getting the best Lucas
Browne for this fight as I’m in the way of him being a contender again.
It’s a huge opportunity for him and it’s going to be a tough fight.”
Moloney (23-2, 18 KOs) has re-ignited his career since an October 2020
knockout loss to pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue. He defeated top
contender Joshua Greer Jr. last August and made his 2022 debut in April
with a one-sided decision over Francisco Javier Pedroza. He is currently
ranked No. 2 by the WBC and No. 3 by WBO. Palicte (28-4-1, 23 KOs), from
Bago City, Philippines, twice challenged for world titles at junior
bantamweight and has won three consecutive fights. He is world-rated No. 6
by the IBF.
Moloney said, “I am grateful to Top Rank and Lou DiBella for the
opportunity to be part of the biggest event in Australian boxing history.
It is a dream come true. I’m expecting a tough fight against a former world
title challenger in Aston Palicte, as he has shown that he can perform at
the top level. I will be coming with everything I have to deliver the
impressive performance of my career. Get ready for Mayhem!”
The undercard, which will be streamed in the U.S. exclusively on ESPN+,
features three highly touted Ferocious Promotions prospects: Terry
Nickolas, Isaias Sette and Hussein Fayad. Nickolas (2-1, 2 KOs), from
Sydney, takes a step up in opposition experience when he rumbles with Lachlan
Higgins (7-4-1, 2 KOs), from Mornington, Australia, in a six-round junior
middleweight bout. Junior middleweight Sette and junior lightweight Fayad,
both from Sydney, will be making their pro debuts in four-round bouts.
Sette will fight Melbourne-born knockout artist Luke Gersbeck (2-0, 2 KOs),
while Fayad will take on Pom Thanawut Phetkum (1-1), from Springvale,
Australia. Taylah Robertson (4-1, 1 KO), from Brisbane, Australia, and Sarah
Higginson (3-0-1, 1 KO), from Perth, Australia, will face off in a
five-round junior bantamweight battle. Both fighters enter this bout having
won their previous title fights. Robertson scored an eight-round unanimous
decision over Kylie Fulmer in their Australia Female bantamweight title
fight while Higginson scored her first knockout, stopping Danni Mace in the
fourth round to capture the vacant Australian National Boxing Federation
Australasian Female bantamweight title.
