Andrew Moloney: “We are really confident we can get the job done”

 
MELBOURNE based bantamweight, Andrew Moloney has set himself for this moment since turning professional a little over a year ago.

 
Moloney (4-0, 2 KOs) has a shot at the Australian bantamweight title against rugged veteran Roberto Lerio (16-22, 6 KOs) at Malvern Town Hall on December 18th.

 
The card was originally set for December 2nd at Hisense Arena as part of the Danny Green vs. Konni Konrad undercard, but was rescheduled after the main event was cancelled due to injury.

 
The Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and amateur star has his eyes on national honours and as he explains, has done so since he debuted back in October of last year.

 
“As an amateur I captured multiple Australian titles and to get a shot at doing it professionally is an awesome opportunity,” said Moloney in an interview with Aus-Boxing.

 
“I guess my short term goal when I turned pro was to capture this title and I have prepared and waited for this well over a year ago. To finish off the year as Australian champion would be great,”

 
“I am just really glad this card has been saved and I want to thank those that had a hand in getting it up and running again. Fight fans should definitely get along, some great fights lined up,”

 
On being questioned on what he knew of his opponent, the 24-year-old knows Lerio will come to fight and will come at him at every opportunity.

 
“Yeah he’s a very tough guy, he will be a challenge that’s for sure,” he added. “He’s had nearly forty professional fights so he’s an experienced guy,”

 
“People might look at his record and say he’s no good but he has fought the very best in the country at bantamweight and super bantamweight. He will be aggressive and be coming straight for me,”

 
“We have planned well and have put in all the work so we are really confident we can get the job done,”

 
Moloney recently returned from a two week training camp at the famed ALA Gym in the Philippines, and says the level of sparring in humid conditions has helped him immensely in his preparation going into his fight with Lerio.

 
“The level of competition at that gym is fierce,” Moloney explained. “It was a great opportunity to spar and train at ALA as they tend to be quite closed off to outsiders,”

 
“The fact that many of them are around my weight class was really handy in regards to sparring,”

 
“Jason and I sparred with Rocky Fuentes, Milan Melindo – who just fought for an IBF world title – and a few others that are right amongst the best in the world in the lighter divisions.”

 
“You would sweat just in a warm up over there. It was ridiculously humid, the conditioning I got out of that camp was second to none. Doing ten rounds over there in the gym is like doing twenty back here,”

 
“I noticed the difference straight away when we got back to Australia, I was flying through my sessions,”

 
Moloney said that this year has been a little slow for him only having just the two bouts to date this year.

 
He desperately wants to be busier next year aiming for at least five fights, one of them hopefully giving him a shot at a regional belt with a view to getting him a world ranking.

 
“I definitely want to be a lot busier next year, five fights will what I’ll be aiming for,” he concluded. “Hopefully after capturing the Australian title, I can get a shot at a regional belt and with that, a world ranking,”

 
“Next year is the year I am really looking at as a big year for me. But first we are looking at Lerio, and then we will go from there.”

 
 
Words: Dan Smart/Follow Dan on Twitter @dansmart76
Photo: Marty Camilleri/Marty’s Knockout Photography