Andrew Moloney suffered an upset loss to Joshua Franco on Tuesday night, and also suffered perforated eardrums in the bout, but after a hospital visit that evening, he was back on ESPN Thursday night to support twin brother Jason, who came away victorious against Leonardo Baez.
The 29-year-old Andrew (21-1, 14 KO) was briefly interviewed on ESPN during his brother’s fight, and says he’d like to get a rematch with Franco (17-1-2, 8 KO), who took the WBA’s secondary “world” title from Moloney in victory.
“It was heartbreaking. I know that wasn’t the best version of myself,” Andrew told Bernardo Osuna. “I’ve watched the fight a few times now and I’m kicking myself, because I know I can beat Joshua Franco, and I really hope we can make that rematch happen.”
There is potential to do the rematch in a few months, surely, as everyone is going to likely continue to be very limited in the matchmaking they can pull off. Franco is a Golden Boy fighter, so Moloney may well have to go to a Golden Boy show to get the rematch, but that’s surely doable, one favor for another and all that. The promotional companies aren’t best buddies, but we’re long removed from the period of time they simply didn’t work with one another at all. Golden Boy has been good about sending their fighters to Top Rank cards for opportunities, and you’d imagine Top Rank would be willing to do the same in return.
That doesn’t mean it will happen, at least not immediately, but while most watching felt Franco clearly won the fight, two of the judges had a knockdown the only difference between a Franco win and a majority draw, so it wouldn’t be hard to explain doing it again. If it’s the best fight, it’s the best fight.