Andrew Moloney has knocked back a $250,000 offer to walk away from a world title shot and will instead lock himself into trainer Angelo Hyder's bunker for a month ahead of his career-defining Japanese debut.
The Kingscliff-based super-flyweight finally has a venue and date confirmed for his overdue shot at Willibaldo Garcia's IBF strap, seven years after holding the secondary WBA world title.
Initially set for far-flung Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in April, the pair will instead touch gloves in Aichi, Japan, on June 6.
Mandatory challenger Moloney (28-4) spent a month in Mexico last year preparing for an elimination battle with Argi Cortes which he eventually walked away from after constant venue and time changes.
Awarded mandatory status by the IBF, Moloney then allowed Garcia to fight Kenshiro Teraji in Saudi Arabia late last year, only for the Mexican to pull out after both had made weight.
Moloney was then offered a lucrative step-aside figure by lineal, Ring, WBA, WBC and WBO 115lb champion Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez to allow him to unify.
But the 35-year-old stood his ground and now, with the delayed title fight, could face the American for all the marbles if he beats Garcia and Rodriguez steps back from a mooted move to bantamweight later this year.
All that after Moloney had backtracked on an emotional in-ring retirement call after a controversial loss in 2024.
"They threw around the figure of 250 grand, which is a f***ing lot of money - more than I've been paid before - and to not fight," Moloney told AAP.
Instead he'll collect about a quarter of what was offered as step-aside money in an 85-15 purse split with champion Garcia in his first defence.
"It was a big call. I thought about it for a bit. I know I can win this fight, and my whole life's been towards becoming world champion," Moloney said.
"If I had taken that money, who knows. I'm 35. I didn't want to look back in 10 years and regret it, so I ended up saying, 'My dream's not for sale'."
Moloney said Garcia had been "chasing cash" but had no choice but to face him after his latest no-show in Saudi Arabia contributed to him not fighting in more than a year.
It will be Moloney's Japanese debut, but he is a popular figure there, recalling how he was swamped for autographs and pictures during twin brother Jason's second Tokyo fight last year.
Victory would see him become Australia's only current male boxing world champion after cruiserweight Jai Opetaia, while still The Ring's No.1, was stripped of his IBF belt after a controversial debut under the Zuffa Boxing banner.
Moloney will attempt to simulate an overseas preparation, moving out of his family home to live in trainer Hyder's gym-side bunker for the last few weeks of his training camp.
It comes as Jason (28-4), a former bantamweight world champion, prepares for his next fight in Brisbane against Andre Donovan this month.
Elsewhere, unbeaten rising star Alex Leapai Jnr (7-0-1) fights Veni Mafi in Sydney on Wednesday, and fellow heavyweight Justis Huni faces British veteran Frazer Clarke at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next weekend.
Opetaia's team is challenging the IBF's decision to strip him after signing for Dana White's rebel league and beating Brandon Glanton in his Las Vegas debut.
No longer a world champion with any of the major organisations, Opetaia has dropped back in the rankings and is now the WBA's No.1 contender and No.3 with the WBC.
