:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66969865/moloneyfrancoweighin.0.png)
Results
- Joshua Franco UD-12 Andrew Moloney (115-112, 114-113, 114-113)
- Christopher Diaz UD-10 Jason Sanchez (98-92, 97-93, 98-92)
- Miguel Contreras UD-6 Rolando Vargas (58-56, 58-56, 58-56)
- Helaman Olguin MD-6 Alex Stewart (57-57, 58-56, 58-56)
Round By Round
Andrew Moloney vs Joshua Franco
Round 1: Moloney starts with a few stiff jabs but Franco defends them well. Moloney tries a right hand but that’s also blocked. Moloney keeps the jab out but hasn’t found a home for it yet. Moloney misses on a right uppercut. Double jab comes from Moloney but Franco still picking them off for the most part. Right hand to the body lands for Franco. Moloney comes forward with a few more punches as Franco keeps a tight guard. Franco misses on a left hook to the body. Moloney scores on a right downstairs. Moloney lands a counter left to the body. Franco lands a jab upstairs. Moloney 10-9.
Round 2: Double jab comes from Moloney as Franco covers up. Now Moloney tries to go to the body with a left hand. Franco lands a jab to the body. Double jab comes from Moloney again as Franco keeps the earmuffs on. Right hand to the body comes from Franco. Moloney comes back forward with a few punches and although he’s not landing a lot of clean shots, he’s easily outworking Franco. Left hand to the body lands for Moloney. Now Franco throws his own left downstairs. Now Franco throws a jab to the body. Double jab comes from Franco and backs up Moloney who then steps off the ropes to land a good left to the body. Both fighters trade at center ring now and Moloney gets in another left to the body. Moloney 10-9, 20-18.
Round 3: Double jab comes from Moloney but doesn’t find a home. Franco times a counter left hook but misses on an uppercut that follows. Both fighters trade jabs at center ring. Three punches come from Franco and make contact. Jab lands for Franco this time. Moloney tries a right hand after a jab but mostly catches leather. Left hook to the body lands for Franco. Left and right hand make partial contact for Moloney. Nice right hand lands for Franco as Moloney comes in. Franco tries to work in some uppercut and hooks. Franco 10-9.
Round 4: Moloney jabs and has it caught. Franco presses forward and trades shots with Moloney. Uppercut lands on the inside for Moloney. Nice left to the body lands for Moloney. Moloney bounces around and is using a little more movement and having good success. Left gets in upstairs for Moloney. Uppercut makes contact to the body for Moloney after he pivots out. Franco tries to jab to the body. Moloney sticks another jab between Franco’s guard. Moloney lands another good left hook to the body. Another left targets the midsection of Franco. Counter left lands for Moloney. Moloney 10-9, 39-37.
Round 5: Both fighters come out and trade jabs. Franco looks to jab to the body and Moloney counters with a hook to the head. Jab lands for Moloney. Franco goes back to the body with a jab and now Moloney returns fire with a right to the body. Moloney slips a few shots from Franco along the ropes. Three punches comes from Moloney. Franco presses forward and lands a couple of shots. Franco lands a counter hook as Moloney comes in. Right hand lands over the top for Franco. Franco 10-9.
Round 6: Moloney rattles of a few quick punches to start the round as Franco covers up. Two punches come from Franco. Moloney lands a clean jab off the ropes. Three straight punches from Moloney find their way home. Franco comes back and lands a shot to the head and body. Double jab comes from Moloney who gets back on his toes. Right hook to the body makes contact for Franco, the an body shot. Moloney lands a counter right hand off the ropes. Jab lands clean for Moloney. Franco gets in a grazing hook to the head. Clean one-two lands for Moloney, that probably steals the round for him in my book. Moloney 10-9, 58-56.
Round 7: Franco tries to press forward as Moloney tries to implement some more movement. Jabs come from Franco and keep Moloney’s hands at home. Right hand gets in for Moloney again upstairs. Moloney works the body with a left hook. Franco tries to fire back at center ring. Franco lands a jab to the body. Hard left to the body scores for Moloney. Franco throws a few punches and lands one or two. Clean left hand picks off Moloney stepping in. Left hook lead lands for Franco. Franco 10-9.
Round 8: Moloney leads with a jab and then a right hand. Right hand from Franco grazes Moloney upstairs. Moloney jabs and moves but Franco gets him to the ropes and throws a couple of shots until Moloney smothers him. Franco works both hands at close range at center ring. Hard left to the body scores well for Moloney but so far it hasn’t made much of an impact. Right hand lands upstairs for Franco. Franco continues to throws but mostly misses on the follow up. Moloney throws two hooks off the ropes but doesn’t land them clean. Franco presses forward and gets in a jab at the bell. Franco 10-9, 76-76.
Round 9: Double jab comes from Moloney but Franco continues to come forward and apply pressure to Moloney. Jab lands to the body for Franco. Combination from Franco misses. Right hand gets in upstairs for Moloney. Both fighters trade jabs. Double jab comes from Franco this time. Right hand gets in upstairs for Franco. Right hand lands to the body for Moloney but Franco gets a harder one back. Jab lands to the body for Franco. Counter left hook to the body gets in for Moloney. Right hand lead scores for Moloney, then a jab. Franco 10-9.
Round 10: Jab lands for Moloney out the gate. Double jab comes from Moloney this time. Clean left gets in for Moloney at the end of a three-punch combination. Left hook lands to the body for Moloney. Franco gets warned to keep his punches up. Moloney partially lands a left hook before slipping at center ring and hitting the deck. Franco comes forward with combinations and Moloney tries to smother it but not before he has a bad cut around his left eye! Moloney is in big trouble now! Left hook lands to the body for Franco. Moloney is bleeding pretty badly from the eye and nose it looks like. Right hook to the body lands for Franco at the bell. Franco 10-9.
Round 11: Franco throws a jab to the body. Franco presses forward and targets the body and then mixes in a couple of clean head shots that hurts Moloney badly and he goes down! Moloney gets up but he’s in big trouble. Franco targets the body and then goes back up to the head. Moloney tries to find himself some time by dancing around the ring. Right hand lands for Franco upstairs. Right to the body lands for Franco. More punches land for Franco as he tries to put Moloney away. Franco is emboldened knowing he has Moloney on the brink and he doesn’t seem to respect his punching power. Franco 10-8.
Round 12: Moloney needs a knockout or at least some knockdowns to win on my card now. Both fighters trade jabs. Franco lands a right hand over the top. Right hand lands to the body for Franco now. Franco continues to apply pressure as he tries to break Moloney. Right hands scores downstairs for Moloney. Three punches come from Moloney and make contact even if they don’t do much damage. Franco throws punches but Moloney defends most of them well. Right hand lands over the top for Franco, then a left uppercut on the inside. Right hand lands upstairs for Franco. Franco lands a jab upstairs. Moloney rattles off a few punches but it’s too little too late. Franco gets in one more right hand upstairs. Franco 10-9. I’ve got it for Franco, 116-111.
Christopher Diaz vs Jason Sanchez
Round 1: Diaz falls short on a jab, so does Sanchez. Both fighters miss on their new couple of jabs before Diaz tries a right hook that doesn’t find the mark. Sanchez throws his own hook that doesn’t land clean. Jab to the body lands for Diaz, who then misses on a follow up right hand moments later. Double jab to the head and body comes from Diaz. Big right hand lead misses for Sanchez. Right hand from Diaz falls short again after a jab. Jab lands to the body for Diaz. Cagey first round, I’ll slightly edge to Diaz. Diaz 10-9.
Round 2: Sanchez misses on a couple of half-hearted jab attemps. Diaz steps forward and Sanchez tries to meet him with an overhand right that misses. Diaz continues to stalk forward and pops a jab upstairs. A couple of body shots land for Sanchez who wings a few more hooks up close for good measure. Diaz has a jab parried but takes control of center ring. Now Diaz lands a left hook to the head. Now Diaz loops in an overhand right. Sanchez partially lands a right hand to the body as Diaz pulls away. Sanchez tries to press forward but can’t land anything clean. Both fighters miss on big right hands at the same time. Diaz 10-9, 20-18.
Round 3: Diaz pops a couple of jabs that get blocked. Sanchez misses on a lead left hook. Diaz steps forward behind a jab and backs Sanchez towards the ropes. Lead left hook from Diaz gets blocked. Diaz is just out-quicking Sanchez for the most part. Sanchez throws several jabs in a row and lands a couple now. Diaz misses on a right hand to the body. Sanchez throws three quick punches but doesn’t land them clean. I edge this round to Sanchez 10-9.
Round 4: Double jab comes from Sanchez. Both fighters mix it up at center ring for a moment. Diaz lands a good body shot. Right hand lands over the top for Diaz. Double jab lands for Sanchez. Diaz lands his own jab now but misses on the follow up hook. Counter left lands to the body and head for Diaz. Sanchez throws three quick jabs while Diaz has his hands up. Jab to the body scores for Diaz. Jabs from Sanchez don’t find the mark. I think Diaz did some good countering in this round. Diaz 10-9, 39-37.
Round 5: Counter jab lands for Diaz. Now Diaz comes forward with a few punches. Double jab from Sanchez misses as Diaz slips. Left hook lead lands for Diaz. Right hand from Diaz just grazes Sanchez upstairs. Right hand lands clean for Diaz on the chin of Sanchez. Sanchez flicks a couple jabs and Diaz digs to the body with a left hook while Sanchez lands one upstairs. Diaz pops a jab upstairs. Left to the body scores for Diaz again. Diaz 10-9.
Round 6: Sanchez falls short on a right hand but then comes forward again with a few more. Right hand lead from Diaz misses as Sanchez manages to duck it. Jab lands for Diaz this time, though. Counter right hand from Sanchez misses. Jab from Diaz gets blocked. Diaz tries to time a looping right hand over the top but misses. Counter left hand scores for Diaz. Sanchez throws three jabs and partially lands two. Sanchez lands a right hand this time. Sanchez throws a flurry of punches but not much lands clean. Counter left to the body lands for Diaz. Sanchez 10-9, 56-58.
Round 7: Jab from Sanchez falls short. Jab from Diaz doesn’t find the range either. Lead left hook misses for Sanchez and Diaz gets in a left to the body. Jab lands clean for Diaz. Sanchez tries to let his hands go on the inside while Diaz covers up. Left to the body gets in again for Diaz at close range. Sanchez misses on three punches at center ring. Diaz pops another jab and a right hand that makes partial contact. Jab lands to the body for Diaz. Diaz 10-9.
Round 8: Both fighters miss on their jabs to start the round. Right hand lands upstairs for Diaz. Sanchez misses on a one-two. Three jabs come from Sanchez but none of them make contact. Right hand from Diaz makes partial contact again. Sanchez throws a few punches but Diaz defends them pretty well. Right hand from Diaz gets in upstairs. Nice combination lands for Diaz as Sanchez gets one in as well. Diaz gets warned for hitting on the break in the following sequence. Diaz 10-9, 78-74.
Round 9: Sanchez misses on a few punches to start the round. Right hook to the body lands for Diaz, then a jab upstairs. Now Sanchez lands a left hook to the head, followsed by a few good body punches. Diaz misses on a jab upstairs. Looping right hand lead lands clean for Diaz. Jab lands for Diaz again, then a check hook, then a right hand across the chin. Diaz presses forward and hits Sanchez with a couple more head shots. Sanchez misses on his punches during a charge forward. Jab lands for Diaz again. Diaz 10-9.
Round 10: Fighters touch gloves. Diaz comes forward and tries to pick up where he left off. Left hand lands for Diaz. Counter right hand just misses for Diaz this time. Two body shots get in for Diaz and Sanchez ties up along the ropes. Time out called so they can remove loose tape from Diaz’s glove. Diaz comes back with a jab that gets blocked. Hard right hand lands clean for Diaz and shakes up Sanchez a little. Sanchez tries to fire back but takes some more punishment from Diaz. Counter jab lands for Diaz upstairs. Chopping right hand from Sanchez misses. Now Diaz turns southpaw and lands a lead left hand. Diaz 10-9. I’ve got it a clear Diaz win, 98-92.
Tonight at 8 pm ET on ESPN, Top Rank is back from “The Bubble” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with a junior bantamweight title fight (kinda) in the main event, plus a featherweight co-feature and more.
Note (4:32 pm ET): The Adorno-del Bosque fight set for tonight’s card has been scrapped with Adorno feeling ill (he has not tested positive for COVID-19). The co-feature has been moved up to the traditional co-feature slot, instead of opening the broadcast.
Wil Esco will be here for round-by-round coverage of the main event and co-feature.
Andrew Moloney makes his U.S. debut in the main event, defending the WBA’s secondary “world” title at 115 pounds against Joshua Franco. It’s a better matchup than most that we’ve seen so far, and Australia’s Moloney will be looking to make a big first impression on American audiences, while Franco is getting a crack at a claim for a world title.
The co-feature will see Christopher Diaz and Jason Sanchez battle in a featherweight fight set for 10 rounds, with both needing a win to stay in the mix at 126.
Main Card (ESPN, 8 pm ET)
- Andrew Moloney (21-0, 14 KO) vs Joshua Franco (16-1-2, 8 KO), junior bantamweights, 12 rounds
- Christopher Diaz (25-2, 16 KO) vs Jason Sanchez (15-1, 8 KO), featherweights, 10 rounds
- Rolando Vargas (5-0, 5 KO) vs Miguel Contreras (10-0, 6 KO), junior welterweights, 6 rounds
- Adam Stewart (8-0-1, 5 KO) vs Helaman Olguin (7-3, 3 KO), heavyweights, 6 rounds