Exclusive: Jason Moloney Talks Pivotal Clash With Japanese Superstar ‘ There is no playing it safe’
Australia’s Jason Moloney is a man on a mission.
After losing his WBO world bantamweight title last May against Japan’s Yoshiki Takei inside the famous Tokyo Dome, the 34-year-old refused to let his spirits drop. Instead, he gritted his teeth and returned to the gym with renewed determination to scale the heights of world boxing again.
Hitting the pads, travelling the globe to get the best sparring, and keeping his diet sharp and his body ready, the 34-year-old has been biding his time waiting for the right opportunity to leap back into contention for a shot at a world title.
On February 24, Moloney will get that opportunity when he takes on Japanese superstar Tenshin Nasukawa in a 10-round bantamweight contest inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.
Nasukawa, a decorated kickboxing champion, is 5-0 in his boxing career and is looking to become a two-sport world champion. However Moloney, focused on becoming a two-time world champion, is relishing the chance to return to action in such a high-profile bout.
“‘It’s a huge, huge opportunity, and one that really excites me. I was over there for his last fight in Japan in September, and I saw how hugely popular he is, ” Moloney says, speaking to Boxing Daily.
“He is also ranked well across the board in the sanctioning bodies: No.2 in the WBA and No.3 in the WBC. It’s a huge opportunity for me to return to where I want to be, and that’s at the top of the division.
A good win over him will be great for my profile, especially in Japan, but it will also open doors up for a world title fight, and that’s what it is all about, me getting back and becoming a world champion again this year, and I know this is the right fight and I’m taking the opportunity with both hands.”
Moloney will be looking to erase memories of his last outing in Japan, which saw him drop his belt. After a slow start, the Australian finished the fight strongly and almost had Takei out on his feet in the final round. However, Takei survived until the final bell, and Moloney went home rueing a performance he felt was far below his best.
This time around, Moloney is looking to remind everyone why he is one of the elite 118-pounders on the planet. A sharpened focus following his loss to Takei has Moloney at the top of his game, and he is hungry to return to Tokyo and display his full range of talents to what will no doubt be a huge audience of boxing fans.
“It was a real tough lesson to learn that, [the] mistakes that I made and,that’s something that won’t allow to happen again. I’m really eager to get out there this time and show [ people] what I am made of and get it right from the start, and show the best of me.”
While still in his prime, Moloney knows that a boxer’s time in the ring is finite, and the day will eventually come when he will exit the ring for the final time. To that end, he is determined not to waste or take for granted any opportunity that comes his way.
“There is no playing it safe,” Moloney explains.
” I know I belong at the top of the division, and I want the best and hardest fights possible. And I believe that on my day, I can beat everyone in the division. I’m just after the biggest fights and the best opportunities possible.
You know, I’ve always been the ultimate professional, and I keep myself ready year-round. I’m always ready for every opportunity that comes my way. And I’m willing to work hard and make all the sacrifices needed. So, I believe that I’m good enough to become a world champion again.”
Ever since his professional debut in 2014, Moloney has been laser-focused on claiming the mantle as the world’s top bantamweight fighter. After experiencing the euphoria of becoming a world champion, he then felt the bitter sting of losing what he had spent years working for.
Now, in 2025, he will set out to regain paradise lost and reunite himself with the world title, and the road to doing just that begins on February 24 against Tenshin Nasukawa.
