With boxing currently affected by the ongoing situation with COVID-19, boxers are eager to return to fight, even if it means fighting in an empty arena or even a WWE facility.
Top Rank’s Bob Arum recently said he would be open to talking to Vince McMahon about the possibility of using the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida for running empty arena shows. WWE, which was deemed an essential business by the state recently, is running episodes of Raw and SmackDown from the Performance Center with no fans allowed in the building.
Although it is not a guarantee that such a boxing event will ever take place, WBA “Regular” super flyweight champion Andrew Moloney and top bantamweight contender Jason Moloney, both promoted by Arum, are open to that idea. The two brothers joined the Fightful Boxing Podcast and discussed the possibility of fighting in a venue that has no fans. Both of them said they have been training and keeping themselves ready for whenever they receive a call to fight, no matter where the venue is and what environment they have to be in.
“It’s a difficult one. We’re fighters and we want to fight and we’re training hard right now. As soon as we get the green light that we can fight, we’re going to jump at it. I was really looking forward to fighting at the Mandalay Bay. I had a huge crew of Australians coming in for that fight. That atmosphere of the crowd can elevate you to another level and I love performing in front of big crowds. At the end of the day, it’s just you and your opponent in the ring and if that’s in a small, little studio with no crowd and if that’s what [going to] happen, then so be it. With these crazy times, you have to think outside the box a little bit. If that’s the only way fights and sporting events can be done behind closed doors, then so be it. I’m all for it… If that’s to happen, even at the WWE venue in Florida, then yeah. Fly me over straight away,” Jason, who was supposed to fight Joshua Greer Jr. in the main event of a Top Rank on ESPN+ card on April 25, said.
“Sign me up… I’m ready to go right and we’re at exciting points in our careers and we just want to keep the ball rolling and get back in there. Like Jason said, we’re training hard and we’re ready to go. So yeah, sign me up [to fight at the Performance Center if need be],” Andrew, who was set to defend his title against Israel Gonzalez in the main event of a Top Rank card set to air on an ESPN platform on April 17, said.
Speaking of WWE, both Andrew and Jason are also wrestling fans, to the point that they once dressed up as former WCW World Heavyweight champions Kevin Nash and Lex Luger for a party when they were just pre-teens.
Needless to say, given how current WBC Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, another fighter promoted by Top Rank, got a pay-per-view match with WWE last year, both Andrew and Jason are ready to be involved with WWE as well. Whether it’s being in a tag team or facing each other in a wrestling match, the brothers are willing to do anything in WWE.
“I think they get paid pretty well, so whatever they want us to do, we’ll do it,” Andrew said. “Vince McMahon, if you’re listening, we’re ready.”
You can check out the full podcast in the video at the top of the page.
