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Super flyweight contender Andrew Moloney has retained experienced boxing attorney Josh Dubin to represent him in the appeal process to overturn last Saturday’s no-decision ruling in his rematch with WBA “regular” champion Joshua Franco, which took place at the MGM Grand’s Conference Center in Las Vegas.
The fight was a rematch on their June encounter – where Franco won an upset twelve round decision to capture the WBA title.
In the first round of the rematch, Franco’s right eye began to rapidly swell.
Referee Russell Mora made an immediate ruling that Franco’s injury was created by an accidental head clash.
By the end of the second round, Franco’s eye was nearly shut – which prompted the ringside physician to stop the contest before the third round got underway.
When the fight was stopped, there was immediate confusion as Moloney – and members of his team - aggressively claimed that Franco’s eye injury was created by a series of hard jabs.
After a near 30 minute delay, and countless replays of the first round, the Nevada State Athletic Commission sided with Mora’s ruling – and the fight was declared a no-decision.
Dubin has also reviewed the video countless times and he’s been unable to track down a head clash that would have injured the right eye of Franco.
“I’m going to be filing an appeal to have the decision overturned. There is a legal mechanism for this in the Nevada State Athletic Commission rules. I’ve been through the video more times than I would admit, and there was no head clash. I’m confident that [NSAC head] Bob Bennett and the Nevada State Athletic Commission will realize that a mistake had been made, based on the evidence that I will provide,” Dubin told BoxingScene.com.
“He was on his way to clearly winning if not stopping Franco. I will do everything in my power to ensure that all of the time that Moloney spent away from his family to prepare for the fight will not go unnoticed and will not be forgotten. This is the only instance that I can remember where the opponent’s own promoter [Oscar De La Hoya] was agreeing that there was no head butt. I believe that the Nevada State Athletic Commission missed it this time, but I intend to get it right for Andrew Moloney.”