Andrew Moloney has revealed he's deep in talks for a Japanese unification bout that could see him join an exclusive Australian boxing club headlined by Lionel Rose and Kostya Tsyzu.
The IBF super flyweight champion and South Africa's WBC title-holder Ricardo Malajika are both in discussions with Teiken Promotions to put their belts on the line, likely in Tokyo, before year's end.
The division's other two champions are also fighting separately in Japan next month and, with former undisputed champion Jesse Rodriguez moving up in weight, there is an appetite to crown a new super flyweight king.
Moloney beat Willibaldo Garcia on his Japanese debut earlier this year to win his first full world title and justify a 12-year professional career littered by setbacks, financial hardship, controversy and heartbreak.
But he's now on the cusp of joining Australian boxing greats Rose, Tszyu, Daniel Geale and George Kambosos Jnr as a unified world champion.
Moloney will join twin brother Jason - eyeing a bout in Saudia Arabia in November - at his Thailand fight camp later this month if talks with Teiken president Mr Honda progress as expected.
"To unify, I know how difficult it is to happen, so much can get in the way," Moloney said.
"Having the IBF belt on one shoulder and WBC on the other would be an unreal feeling.
"There's not too many in the history of Australian boxing to do it ... it puts you into the very top of the top."
Moloney is also considering a lucrative left-field offer to defend his belt in Ghana, but is prioritising the shot at another belt, confident he has Malajika covered.
"I didn't think he'd won that fight," the Kingscliff father said of the South African's tight title win over Tomoya Tsuboi.
"But watching that fight I was so confident I'd beat either one.
"He wasn't too happy I said what I said after the fight and has fired back at me."
Moloney, who lost the secondary WBA title in 2020, had knocked back almost $350,000 to step aside and instead fight Garcia, collecting instead around $50,000 for the chance to claim the belt.
Claiming corruption, he had sensationally quit the sport in a rage two years earlier after a controversial loss to Pedro Guevara in Perth in which he also tore his bicep off the bone.
Moloney estimates he collected no more than $8000 in prizemoney in the year before this victory and wasted more than $20,000 while based in Mexico last year preparing for a farcical world title eliminator that never went ahead.
Now he's a man in demand and a popular figure in Japan, where he spent almost two hours greeting fans after claiming his title.
Jason has fought twice in Japan, losing his bantamweight world title in front of 55,000 at the Tokyo Dome at an event that pulled $45 million on the gate and attracted 650,000 pay-per-views.
"For the lighter divisions, Japan's the place to be," Andrew said.
"Three or four titles on one night, massive crowds, big stadiums, the best of the best and the way they go about it, the respect for the fighters.
"It's no bullshit, no WWE-type circus, just pure boxing and that's what I'm all about."