Category: Australian Champions

Andrew Moloney

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Photographer: Mikey Williams

Andrew Moloney is a 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and is currently ranked #8 junior bantamweight in the world by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

Moloney (twin brother of Jason) was one of Australia’s best recent amateur boxers. He won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and was the Australian amateur champion in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014. Despite narrowly missing Olympic selection in 2012, Andrew competed at the World Championships in 2011 and 2013 as well as the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Turning professional shortly after his triumph in Glasgow, Moloney won the Australian bantamweight title in 2015 before moving down to the junior bantamweight division where he won the OPBF and Commonwealth titles in 2017. Moloney has defeated Rene Dacquel, Luis Concepcion, Elton Dharry and Miguel Gonzalez, earning himself a top ten world rating in March 2018.

Moloney climbed as high as #7 in the rankings before losing to Joshua Franco in June 2020. In their November rematch, Moloney seemed to damage Franco’s right eye with a jab in round one, but the referee ruled the injury was caused by an accidental head clash and declared the bout a no-decision, robbing Moloney of avenging the loss.

Amateur Bouts

Australian Titles 2009
2009-03-29          Shane Webster                 19:7 (Final)

AIBA Presidents Cup (Azerbaijan)
2009-12-09          Rachid Oubaali                  3:9

Australian Titles 2010
2010-03-19          Anthony Missale              10:0
2010-03-21          Dylan Perkins                     7:5 (Final)

Konstantin Korotkov Memorial
2010-04-10          Elvin Mamishzade           15:11
2010-04-11          Artem Mirzayev                2:16 (Final)

Cuban Olympiad (Cuba)
2010-05-25          Desiderio Gonzalez         5:10

Oceanian Championships 2010
2010-08-07          Blanco Wharton                12:0

Commonwealth Games 2010
2010-10-07          Paul Kava                             RSC1
2010-10-09          Paddy Barnes                     3:5

Australian Titles 2011
2011-03-06         Jayden Hansen                  12:3 (Final)

Giraldo Cordova Cardin Memorial (Cuba)
2011-06-01         Robeisy Ramirez               6:26

Copa Roberto Balado (Cuba)
2011-06-10         Leordan Nunez                  5:0

President’s Cup (Indonesia)
2011-07-04          Mohd Subrie Kamis        19:17
2011-07-06         Julio Bria                              25:7

Popenchenko Memorial (Russia)
2011-07-13         Denis Yashchuk                 12:8
2011-07-14         Ovik Ogannisyan               11:16

Liventsev Memorial (Belarus)
2011-07-21         Erdal Inanli                          3:4

World Championships 2011
2011-09-27         Georgi Chigayev               10:19

Australian Titles 2012
2012-02-03          Reggie Palm Island           16:13
2012-02-05          Jackson Woods                 12:16 (Final)

Australian Titles 2013
2013-02-16          Jahmarley Dawson          RSC (Final)

World Championships 2013
2013-10-14          P.Dilanka Suresh              3:0
2013-10-18          Ilyas Suleymanov             0:3

Ahmet Comert Tournament (Turkey)
2013-09-04          Aydin Sakal                         PTS
2013-09-06          Norbert Kalucza                PTS
2013-09-07          Vasiliy Vetkin                     0:3

Sting Cup
2014-03-08          Jackson Woods                 WPTS   

Australian Titles 2014
2014-04-12          Jahmarley Dawson          2:0 (Final)

Commonwealth Games 2014
2014-07-27          Taiwo Wasiu                       3:0
2014-07-29          Ruari Dalton                       3:0
2014-08-01          Reece McFadden             2:1
2014-08-02          Muhammad Waseem    3:0 (Final)

Professional Bouts

2015-12-18          Roberto Lerio                     KO4
Wins Australian Bantamweight title

2016-03-19          Ryohei Takahashi             W10
2016-10-08          Jether Oliva                        TKO6
03-02-2017          Renoel Pael                        W8
2017-08-19          Raymond Tabugon          TKO4
Wins OPBF Junior Bantamweight title

2017-10-21          Hashimu Zaberi                 TKO4
Wins Commonwealth Junior Bantamweight title

2018-02-24          Rene Dacquel                    W12
OPBF Junior Bantamweight title

2018-05-19          Richard Claveras               W10
2018-09-08          Luis Concepcion                TKO10
2019-03-22          Miguel Gonzalez              TKO8
2019-11-15          Elton Dharry                       TKO8
Wins interim WBA Junior Bantamweight title

23-06-2020          Joshua Franco                    LPTS12
(WBA Regular Bantamweight title)

14-11-2020 Joshua Franco ND2
(WBA Regular Bantamweight title)

Ambrose Palmer

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Ambrose Palmer was born in Footscray, Victoria into a boxing family. His father Bill was a former Victorian lightweight champion who had trained with the legendary heavyweight Peter Jackson, and together they developed “The Method,” a technical style of boxing that Bill then taught to his sons.

Ambrose followed his older brothers into the professional game after losing in the final of the 1927 national amateur title. Ambrose went undefeated in his first year as a pro, earning himself an eliminator against Brisbane’s Norm Johnson. Palmer was ahead on points when he was disqualified for a low blow.

At the end of 1930, Australian middleweight champion Jack Haines was criticised in the press for selecting Palmer as an opponent for a non-title fight. Palmer shocked the 23-year-old champion, outpointing Haines in a major upset which earned him a shot at the Australian middleweight title.

Haines built up an early lead but had to settle for a draw after Palmer rallied in the championship rounds. The two men fought their third 15-rounder in just 12 weeks on December 27. Palmer once again rallied, knocking Haines out in the 12th round and became the new star of Australian boxing. Haines spent a month in hospital after the bout recovering from a cerebral haemorrhage.

Palmer lost the title on another low blow to Bob Thornton but reclaimed it with a win points win over Thornton in September 1933. In his final successful defence of the middleweight title, Palmer outpointed Fred Henneberry in a thrilling 15-round fight in October 1931. Palmer added the heavyweight title to his collection with a points win over Jack O’Malley in February 1932. In his next fight, he surrendered the middleweight title to Henneberry when he was again disqualified for a low blow.

With issues making the middleweight division, Palmer stayed at heavyweight and agreed to a major money fight with world-ranked contender Young Stribling. Stribling toyed with Palmer, badly damaging his left eye and knocking him out in ten rounds, however Palmer made just under a year’s salary for the fight.

Palmer continued to dominate the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions in Australia from 1932-1936, never losing to another Australian boxer. Among his victories in this time were three wins over fellow three-weight national champion Ron Richards and a stoppage win over Henneberry in their 1936 rubber match. He also split fights with former welterweight title challenger Dave Shade (losing again by low blow) and defeated American puncher Deacon Leo Kelly.

After a brief tour to Great Britain was cut short due to family issues, Palmer returned to Australia. He was stopped by Deacon Leo Kelly in their rematch, which derailed a major money fight with Maxie Rosenbloom, and Palmer retired afterwards due to further damage to his left eye. He later returned to the ring, stopping Kelly in a rubber match before scoring his fourth win over Ron Richards to regain the Australian heavyweight title before. Palmer retired for good following a points loss to Gus Lesnevich, the first time he was beaten over the distance.

After boxing, Palmer played Australian Rules Football for Footscray before a broken jaw forced his retirement. He trained fighters in Melbourne throughout the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s, teaching “The Method” to a new generation of Australian boxers. His crowning accomplishment as a trainer was he guided Johnny Famechon to the world featherweight title in 1969. Palmer died in 1990, aged 79.

External Links

Professional Record

Palmer biography

Billy Grime

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“The Wombat Walloper”

Billy Grime was born in 1902 in the small village of Wombat near the town of Young, New South Wales. Grime started boxing in tent shows in Young until he moved to Sydney in 1920 and turned professional. Winning as many as he lost during his days as a preliminary fighter, Grime entered and won the NSW state championship tournament in 1921, winning four fights over 20 rounds in the space of ten weeks to claim the title.

Grime graduated to a main event fighter in 1922, headlining shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, but with mixed results. In 1923 he won the Australian featherweight title when he outpointed Bert Spargo. In 1924 he won and lost the Australian lightweight title in bouts with Hughie Dwyer, before regaining the title with an 18th round knockout over Ben Martin.

Grime defeated many international opponents in 1925 and 1926, regularly headlining shows across the east coast of Australia and earning himself a world ranking at junior lightweight, a class that wasn’t recognised in Australia at the time. On New Year’s Day in 1927, Grime added the Australian welterweight title to his collection when he knocked out Eddie Butcher in the fourth round with a body shot. The win clearly established Grime as the biggest boxing star in Australia.

Against the persuasion of his friends and promoters, Grime travelled to America later that year. He claimed he was doped by his manager in one of his fights, and that he was paid to take a dive in other bouts. He returned to Australia in 1929, having lost more than he won, and he was a shell of his former self. He lost a disappointing fight with former flyweight world champion Fidel La Barba in front of 9,000 fans in Melbourne. His last great win was over Petey Sarron in 1929, but he lost four times to the future featherweight champion in subsequent fights.

Investments in an Athletic Club and a brand of boxing boots failed, and Grime was forced to continue fighting into the 1930s. He finished his career as it started; fighting in the tents of agricultural shows that displayed his three championship belts as an attraction. He worked odd jobs in his later life before dying of heart disease in 1949.

External Links

Professional Record