Andrew Moloney finally reached the top at 35, beating Willibaldo Garcia in Tokoname, Japan, by majority decision to win the IBF super flyweight title. The judges scored it 115-113, 114-114 and 115-113, and Moloney dropped to his knees when the verdict was read.
The result answers the search that brought boxing fans here today: who won willibaldo garcia vs andrew moloney, what the scorecards were, and what belt changed hands. Moloney left the ring as a world champion for the first time after years of coming up short, and he did it in a fight he had to close hard, finishing the final round aggressively after the three judges in Japan had him ahead in five of the first six rounds before Garcia rallied.
In his post-fight interview, Moloney said he was “the happiest man in the world” and added that there was “not one person in the world happier than I am now.” He also said the fight was worth the sacrifices, saying he had given everything in the sport for 20 years and that there was no way he could leave the ring without winning a world title. That kind of relief only lands after the kind of bruising road Moloney has taken to get here.
He had his first world title fight in June 2020 against Joshua Franco and lost by unanimous decision. Six months later, the rematch was stopped in the second round because of a cut to Franco’s eye, then ruled no contest after an accidental headbutt. Moloney later lost a WBO super flyweight title fight to Junto Nakatani and a WBC interim super flyweight title event against Pedro Guevara, and he retired after the controversial points decision in that bout.
That is why this win matters beyond one scorecard in Japan. It turns Moloney from a nearly man into a champion with the IBF belt in his hands, and it gives his career a second life after the frustration of those earlier title nights. The next target is already there: unbeaten American Jesse Rodriguez, who looms as Moloney's route to undisputed status, even if the date and place are still to be set.
