Jason Moloney praises Ye Joon Kim’s strength but questions his chances vs Naoya Inoue
Australian warrior Jason Moloney, training for a crucial bout with Tenshin Nasukawa next month, has a unique perspective on Friday’s fight in Japan between undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue and challenger Ye Joon Kim.
Bantamweight Moloney fought Inoue in Las Vegas in 2020, and has recently bagged sparring rounds with the South Korean challenger.
“I’d never done any work with him before, but I was told he was in Brisbane and he was a southpaw,” Moloney told BoxingScene. “He was pretty handy, so I went over and sparred with him last week. When we were sparring, they said, ‘We’re on in two weeks and the replacement position, if [Sam] Goodman pulls out, we’ll get the shot.’”
That call came when the cut that caused Goodman to withdraw from the Inoue fight the first time, in December, reopened.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Moloney added. “I’d never heard of this guy before. I know it’s short notice, but I would have thought he would have been looking for at least a name that people know. I can’t see the fight being very competitive, to be honest. I guess they just want to keep the show alive and keep moving and weren’t willing to push the date back again. I don’t think the fight’s going to be very competitive, but I guess at least he gets the spot.”
Kim was at the time training for a different fight on the January 24 show at the Ariake Arena.
“Obviously, at that stage, they didn't have the fight yet, but they were training up because they were going to be on the card regardless. We did eight good rounds, but I think he’s got a bit of work to do before he steps in the ring against Inoue.”
Moloney noted Kim’s strength and said “he’s pretty solid” for the division.
“He’s strong, but I don’t think anyone in the division is going to beat Inoue. I don’t want to talk badly of him. Anyone’s got to jump at the opportunity and Inoue will give it his best. It’s a shame, but I was looking forward to watching the Goodman fight.”
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
