Jason Moloney vs Leonardo Baez Odds and Pick
By Dylan Bowker in Boxing
Updated: June 26, 2020 at 12:27 pm EDTPublished:
- Jason Moloney vs Leonardo Baez goes Thursday, June 25th, at 8:00 PM ET
- Can Moloney continue to build his highlight reel of KOs or does Baez capitalize as a late replacement?
- Check out the fight odds and prediction below
Jason Moloney vs Leonardo Baez emanates from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday (June 25th). Much like the last few Top Rank cards, it will be taking place in The Bubble.
The ten-round bantamweight contest between Moloney and Baez promises fistic fireworks. A late opponent switch – Baez is replacing Oscar Negrete, who had to drop out due to a serious eye injury – has done little to affect the moneyline. Moloney was roughly a -1000 favorite to start and remains at those odds.
Moloney vs Baez Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jason Moloney | -1000 |
| Leonardo Baez | +600 |
Moloney’s Second Fight in America
Moloney has captured the WBA Oceania bantamweight title and the Commonwealth bantamweight belt over the last few years. His only career loss was to Emmanuel Rodriguez via razor-thin split decision in an IBF bantamweight world title contest.
Since that lone blemish on his record, Moloney has rattled off three straight stoppage victories. An impressive 3-0 campaign in 2019 leads into Moloney’s first effort of 2020. That aforementioned loss was his first foray fighting on American soil. It will be interesting to see how Moloney makes adjustments for his sophomore effort in the US.
Baez Enters as a Late Replacement
Leonardo Baez captured the NABA super bantamweight title, retained it successfully, and is on a six-fight win streak heading into this bout. That being said, he has faced reputable opposition just a handful of times. The tall and rangy brawler will be facing the stiffest test of his career.
This is by no means a pushover fight for Moloney though. The first few rounds will likely be competitive when you consider how both stack up against one another stylistically.
And now, we're on to Week 3️⃣ of the Summer Series on @espn, featuring the TR debuts of Australian twins @AndrewMoloney & @JasonMoloney1 🇦🇺
🥊 #MoloneyFranco | TUESDAY | ESPN
🥊 #MoloneyBaez | THURSDAY | ESPN
🥊 #BercheltValenzuela | SATURDAY | ESPN pic.twitter.com/fECzUoGWgZ— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 21, 2020
Moloney boasts an impressive 85-percent knockout rate. His preternatural KO power isn’t the only tool in his toolbox, though. Moloney is a crafty prizefighter with around 100 bouts cumulatively across amateur and pro endeavors. He has a varied offensive attack, is defensively savvy, and has a gas tank that allows for a sustained and supremely sharp effort as fights go into the deeper waters.
I think the fight will become progressively more lopsided in Moloney’s favor as it settles into the fifth and sixth rounds.
Moloney vs Baez Tale of the Tape
| 20-1 | Record | 18-2 |
| 17 | Knockouts | 9 |
| 5’5 | Height | 5’9 |
| N/A | Reach | 68.5″ |
| Immanuel Naidjala, Julias Kisarawe, Lolito Sonsona | Significant Wins | Moises Flores and Edixon Perez |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
Despite this being a relatively short-notice outing, Moloney has studied tape on his opponent. He understands the methodical pressure his adversary is going to bring and has even characterized this fight as being a tougher one than his initial Negrete matchup. This 118-pound contest should deliver big time.
When Moloney vs Baez goes down, the former will continue to add to his streak of stoppages. I see Jason Moloney securing the victory in the later rounds on Thursday night.
Pick: Jason Moloney (-1000)
Sports Writer
A part-time writer and full-time broadcaster, Dylan has hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, and covered some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage.
