'It didn't need to happen': Aussie legend 'in tears' as 'sickening ...

Australian boxing great Jeff Fenech said he was in “tears” after Andrew Moloney was brutally knocked out in the 12th round of his junior bantamweight world title fight against Junto Nakatani.

The undefeated Japanese knockout artist left Moloney flattened on the canvas with a thundering left hand, with Fenech telling foxsports.com.au he felt “sick” watching it.

While Moloney put up a brave fight to take it to Nakatani until the very end, his rival had racked up a sizable lead on the scorecards to leave the Australian needing a knockout in the final round to steal an unlikely victory.

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Having not shown any sign of doing just that though, Fenech said Moloney’s corner — led by Angelo Hyder — should have called off the fight before the 12th and final round.

Microphones in Moloney’s corner captured Hyder considering just that, telling Moloney he had not been listening to them and was taking too much damage.

Moloney though, like many other fighters would, insisted he was fine and almost lasted the entire round before being knocked out by the Japanese southpaw with 18 seconds left.

Speaking to foxsports.com.au in the wake of Moloney’s defeat, Fenech said the corner should have stopped the fight long before the 12th round.

Andrew Moloney was knocked out. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

“Look the kid wasn’t going to win,” Fenech said.

“What you need to do is preserve the kid for the next couple of fights because he fought a very good champion. You don’t need to be hit another 100 times.

“This is on my father’s grave and I was sitting here with my wife and son saying, ‘I wish he would’ve stopped it, it can take just one punch’. I didn’t think it was going to happen until he got knocked out but you can take one punch too many... it was sickening, this kid will never be the same from it, you know.

“The corner was so terrible. All you should be doing is looking after the kid... you just say to the fighter, ‘I know you’re going to hate me for this but we’re going to look after you so we can win another world title when we get another chance’.

“You don’t need to get punished anymore. You don’t need to take the chance to get hit.”

Junto Nakatani won the WBO junior bantamweight title. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

Fenech was full of praise for Andrew and brother Jason, who realised his world title dream the week prior after defeating Vincent Astrolabio for the bantamweight belt in California.

“The two Moloney boys, over the last fortnight, showed what Australian boxing is,” he said.

“One wins the world title. One fights an amazing champion.”

But Fenech, inspired by what has happened to good friend and longtime sparring partner Mario, said he hopes Moloney’s brutal knockout on Sunday is a “wake-up call” for the sport.

Mario Fenech has been battling early onset dementia and the effects of brain damage as a result of his football career.

“A time comes where you’ve got to honestly think about the health and evaluation of what you’re doing these days and my whole outlook on boxing and life and sport has changed because I’ve seen [it with] my best friend Mario Fenech ... it doesn’t need to happen to anybody else if we can help it,” Fenech said.

“Even after Round 11 when he said he was going to stop it, why couldn’t he stop it? It’s Round 12, you can’t win the fight. He’s not going to knock the guy out. He hasn’t hurt the guy.

Andrew Moloney is seen in his corner. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

“Be smart, evaluate things. I saw the referee look many, many times. I wish the referee stopped it because I saw him look, he wanted to stop it but he didn’t get hit with that one big punch but still, he got hit with 50 other punches which can be worse than one big one.

“It was just really sad. I was watching with my wife and we were both in bloody tears. We love the Moloney boys.

“... I was sick. I was sick. I had tears, I was emotional. It didn’t need to happen. I’m not saying Moloney wasn’t trying but the fight wasn’t close. He wasn’t going to win the fight. What does he get out of showing how tough he was for another round in 20 years’ time? What does he have to show from that?”

Junto Nakatani with Andrew Moloney after the fight. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

There were initially serious fears for Moloney, with the commentary team declaring the Australian would need “immediate medical attention” as he lay motionless on the canvas after the knockout.

Thankfully Moloney was still conscious and later was helped to his feet before being later taken to hospital before later being discharged.

Ben Damon of Main Event reported that Moloney had perforated both eardrums during the fight.

It could have been far worse for Moloney though and that is the broader point Fenech wanted to make when expressing his disappointment with Hyder and the Australian’s corner.

“I’ve seen what happens to people today,” Fenech said.

“I’ve seen the after-effects. If it was Mario Fenech or Jeff Fenech everybody is going to jump on board and help us, what if it is someone that nobody knows? It’s terrible.”

Foxsports.com.au contacted Hyder on Sunday for comment but as of publication he had not yet responded.