In a shocking turn of events, Australian boxer Andrew Moloney has announced his retirement from the sport following a contentious defeat to Mexico's Pedro Guevara in the WBC interim bantamweight bout in Perth. The decision, which left the Moloney camp stunned, has sparked a wave of controversy in the boxing world.
Moloney, 33, was visibly in control during the 12-round bout, landing a significant number of headshots against Guevara. However, the judges' split decision of 115-113, 115-113, 113-116 in favor of Guevara left the Australian boxer and his team in disbelief.
"I felt in total control. I did what I had to do in there tonight to get the win," Moloney said. He further revealed that he had entered the fight with a torn biceps, limiting his ability to throw a left hook. Despite this, he felt he had dominated the fight.
In a separate interview, Moloney expressed his frustration with the sport, stating, "I’m f***ing done with this sport because it’s corrupt and I can’t do anything more than I already am."
Meanwhile, on the same card, former three-division world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko is set to return to the ring against Australia's George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF lightweight title. The Ukrainian boxer, a fan favorite, is considered a strong contender for the title.
"I’m just looking forward to the IBF title. I need to take my title, and then after that, I can think about my future," Lomachenko said during the pre-fight press conference. The 36-year-old double Olympic gold medalist is looking to add another belt to his collection, despite acknowledging that his boxing career is nearing its end.
Lomachenko, who has had 20 professional fights with 17 victories, is making his first appearance in the ring after a controversial points defeat to Devin Haney last year. Despite the setback, he remains one of the most accomplished fighters in the sport, having won world titles in three divisions: featherweight, junior lightweight, and lightweight.
In another twist on the night, a mix-up in the scoring of the women's WBA bantamweight battle between England's Nina Hughes and Australian Cherneka Johnson led to a temporary reversal of the result. The error was later corrected, with Johnson declared the winner.
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