By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Ohashi Promotions held an online press conference to announce that “The Monster” Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) will defend his WBA super/IBF bantamweight belts as he faces Australian Jason Moloney (21-1, 18 KOs) in Las Vegas on October 31. Naoya was once slated to face WBO counterpart John Riel Casimero for unification in April, but it was postponed and then canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in US. Instead, Naoya will risk his belts against the formidable and technical Aussie, 29, whom The Monster described “durable, tough and highly skillful.”

Inoue, two years his junior, also said, “It will be almost a year since I battled a grueling war with Nonito Donaire last November. I then suffered an optical injury, but could completely recover thanks to this oft-postponement. I’ll have a very good condition on this fight.”

Inoue, who will arrive in Las Vegas a couple of weeks before the event, finally said online, “I have fought as a pro for eight years, and will fight for eight more years. I am going to write my second chapter of my career, which will start from Las Vegas. I’d like to show a good performance.”

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