Former WBO bantamweight world champion
Jason Moloney patiently awaits fight news as the 34-year-old seeks to snap a two-fight losing streak for the first time in his 11-year pro career.
Liverpool's
Andrew Cain, who last month moved up three places to No. 3 in the WBC's 118-pound divisional rankings, is among the Australian's targets as well as a long-awaited clash with Hall of Fame inductee Nonito Donaire - who won the WBA interim title with a
technical decision win over Andres Campos on his return from a two-year layoff in mid-June.
Cain (14-1, 12 KOs) last fought on the Nick Ball-TJ Doheny undercard in his native Liverpool hometown on March 15, edging a 12-round split decision win over former WBC flyweight world titleholder Charlie Edwards in a frustrating affair without much noteworthy action.
Moloney (27-4, 19 KOs) insisted he didn't want to be
viewed as a stepping stone, though was comfortably outpointed in a ten-round contest by rising Japanese southpaw contender Tenshin Nasukawa (7-0, 2 KOs) the month prior.
Nasukawa, eight years his junior, and reigning WBO champion Yoshiki Takei (11-0, 9 KOs) have inflicted stock-impacting decision losses on a former titlist eager to prove there's more in the tank, not only to compete at an elite level but win amongst the very best.
Training in Mexico alongside brother Andrew,
who faces Argi Cortes in an IBF junior bantamweight title eliminator on Aug. 16, Jason was optimistic about a resurgent contender in Cain who has responded well after European spoiler Ionut Baluta halted his ascendancy with a split decision win following their frenetic 10-round firefight in March 2023.
He told BoxingScene: "He [Cain] is rated No. 3 by the WBC at the moment. He's a highly rated name in the UK, and that is another fight I am confident I would win."
Cain's head trainer Paul Stevenson recently told The Ring of his hopes that both Cain and junior featherweight stablemate Peter McGrail are rewarded for their recent success with world title opportunities before much longer.
The 29-year-old was slated to box Mexico's Alejandro Jair Gonzalez (19-6-3, 11 KOs) in an eliminator for RING, WBC and IBF champion
Junto Nakatani's green-and-gold belt though no details have been shared since the fight booking was public in early June.
"He's due to have a world title eliminator. It was supposed to be in August but it looks like being late September, early October. He's nearly there, ready to go, take this fight and then get the world title in his next one," Stevenson said.
Gonzalez dropped a place to No. 4 in July's rankings update, while Moloney did too at No. 9 as former titleholder Ryosuke Nishida (10-1, 2 KOs)
replaced the recently-retired Daigo Higa after his June stoppage defeat by Nakatani in an unsuccessful title unification matchup.