Tenshin Nasukawa Triumphs Over Jason Moloney by Unanimous
Tenshin Nasukawa outpointed former WBO bantamweight champion Jason Moloney in a 10-round, 119-pound catchweight bout on February 24, 2025, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Nasukawa was 5-0 with two knockouts and this was only his sixth professional boxing match; Moloney entered at 27-3 with 19 knockouts. The judges scored it 97-93, 97-93 and 98-92 for Nasukawa, who improved to 6-0. The Top Rank event page lists the fight as a unanimous decision win and records all three cards.
The result marked a substantial step up in opposition for Nasukawa, the former kickboxing star who had switched to boxing in 2023. Moloney was a seasoned contender and former world champion, and he came forward behind a high guard to test the Japanese fighter’s timing. Nasukawa used speed, angles and a sharp jab to score at range, then moved before Moloney could answer with combinations. His footwork was central to the win, though Moloney’s pressure created difficult exchanges.
Moloney had stretches of success, particularly as he increased the pressure in the second half. He landed hard shots and finished the bout strongly, but Nasukawa’s cleaner work over the earlier rounds gave him enough separation on the scorecards. Two judges had the fight four points apart and the third had it six, a clear decision without a knockdown or stoppage. The Ring’s fight report noted Moloney’s late push while confirming that Nasukawa had built a lead before the closing rounds.
The win helped move Nasukawa toward a world title opportunity, but he was still developing as a professional boxer. Later in 2025, he challenged Takuma Inoue for the vacant WBC bantamweight championship. Inoue won by unanimous decision, scoring 116-112, 116-112 and 117-111, and gave Nasukawa his first loss in boxing. The WBC’s official report described how the fight changed after the middle rounds and confirmed the title result.
Nasukawa rebounded in April 2026, stopping former two-division champion Juan Francisco Estrada after nine rounds in a WBC eliminator. That win made him the mandatory challenger for the bantamweight title and set up a rematch with Inoue in September. In the rematch, Nasukawa knocked Inoue down in the seventh round, but Inoue recovered and won another unanimous decision, this time by scores of 114-113, 116-111 and 116-111. The WBC report on the Estrada eliminator and its rematch account document that path. The Moloney win remains Nasukawa’s clearest early test against a former world champion, and it preceded his first world-title challenge by nine months.
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Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
