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The World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament has its fifth member and its first confirmed matchup, as IBF mandatory challenger Jason Moloney has signed on to face champion Emmanuel Rodriguez in the quarterfinals.
The fight currently has neither a date nor a location.
Moloney (17-0, 14 KO) actually beat Michael Conlan in the 2010 Commonwealth Games at the age of 19 and has impressed enough as a pro to earn a write-up in The Ring. In May, he became the second man to finish Kohei Kono, stopping the former super flyweight champion on cuts after six rounds.
Rodriguez (18-0, 12 KO) exploded onto the world stage that same month with a twelve-round torching of Paul Butler. He certainly looked as though he belonged in this tournament, but Moloney could prove an even greater challenge.
With the addition of Moloney and Naoya Inoue’s expected presence, the field now features each of BoxRec’s top five bantamweights. Get hype.