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Steve KimESPN
Joshua Franco captured the WBA junior bantamweight title by defeating previously undefeated Australian champion Andrew Moloney in a hard-fought unanimous decision Tuesday night at the fan-free MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.
The judges had the scores at 115-112, 114-113 and 114-113 for Franco,
What was a closely fought battle in the first half became a fight that Franco took over in the late rounds with steady pressure and a consistent mid-range attack. While Moloney (21-1, 14 KOs) banked early rounds and made an early commitment to the body with his left hook, Franco never bowed to the pressure. In fact, he seemed to get stronger and stronger as the night continued,
A booming overhand right in the 10th round cut Moloney near his left eye and his face began to visibly bruise. In the 11th round, Franco scored a knockdown from an accumulation of punches, which proved pivotal in the scoring.