By his own admission, Andre Donovan (12-2, 8 KOs) isn’t a violent person and, for the most part, has no real need to be. The 29-year-old spends his working days in a foundry, breaking aluminum castings out of sand molds. Come clock-off time, he’s spurred on by the three children waiting for him at home. His, it might be said, is the typical blue-collar existence.
The world inside of the squared circle is a far cry from reality, though, and it’s here that the Uhrichsville, Ohio native displays a much meaner streak. Tasked with facing former WBO bantamweight champion Jason Moloney (28-4, 21 KOs) at the Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane on Thursday night, Donovan plans to express this version of himself across 10 grueling rounds.
“I’ve got a great life back home. I’ve got three children and a very great job, people that love me,” he exclusively told FightsATW.com. “I don’t like violence, I don’t like fighting, but I’m really good at hurting people. This is why I’m here.
“Jason wanted a war. He spoke that into existence, and he’s got it. It’s going to be a fun fight.”
Training out of the T County Boxing Academy in New Philadelphia, Donovan, a southpaw, seems a selective choice of opponent for Moloney, who at age 35 appears to be making one last run at regaining world championship status.
With the IBF inter-continental title on the line, one might assume that a path is being forged that ends in the Australian getting a shot at the crown of that sanctioning body’s current belt holder and noted lefty, Jose Salas Reyes (17-0, 11 KOs) of Mexico. Riding the high of a 10-fight win streak, Donovan has no intentions of letting that plan come to fruition.
“If that’s their thought process, they’re going to learn a lot about whether they’re ready or not come Thursday,” he said. “Most of my opponents have been orthodox. It’s not really that big of a change for me.
“He’s going to have to make the adjustments. I’m sure he’s made the adjustments in fight camp, and he’s ready for a southpaw look.
“I’m not like most southpaws that he’s ever fought to date.”
Rather than see himself as a stepping-stone, Donovan instead envisions himself and Moloney standing at the crossroads, both ready to duke it out to see who takes the step towards greener pastures.
In the mind of ‘Sugar Dre,’ a nickname he uses to pay homage to his idol Sugar Ray Robinson, there is no doubt as to how much both fighters want to be the one moving forward despite being at different stages of their careers. It just so happens that he’s the one who has a greater desire to do so.
“What I see is Jason on the tail end of his career, and this being a step for mine to actually begin on the big stage,” Donovan concluded. “This has been a great opportunity for me, and the universe has revealed it right in front of me, and all I’ve got to do is the work.
“That’s what makes this fight exciting. It’s the battle of wills and who wants it more. Fortunately, I think I want it a little bit more than he does, but we’ll see come Thursday.
“I’ve never experienced this level of a fight, so we had to go and experience the next level training camp. I’ve gotten over 120 rounds of sparring and several different sparring partners across multiple different weight classes. So many different looks, so we’re prepared for whatever Jason has to throw at us.
“I see me hurting Jason really, really badly. That’s all I can say.”
Naoya Inoue’s unification of the bantamweight titles and subsequent vacating of all belts at the weight have created a power vacuum and a division waiting for someone to take the reins. If the promise of violence is fulfilled, it might just be a fresh face that grabs that opportunity, thus closing the door on the old guard.
Moloney vs Donovan headlines Tasman Fighters’ Urban Warfare on Thursday, April 23, airing live on Stan Sports in Australia and on UFC Fight Pass for international viewers from 6 pm AEST, 4 am ET, 1 am PT.
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