Top Rank Boxing Results: Joshua Franco Beats Andrew Moloney to Win Title

A new champion was crowned on Top Rank's Tuesday night live boxing card from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Joshua Franco won the WBA world super flyweight title, scoring a mild upset over Andrew Moloney in the main event of an entertaining night.

The event was supposed to have five fights, but the match between Joseph Adorno and Alexis del Bosque was canceled because Adorno was showing signs of dehydration, per Top Rank Boxing.

Here's how the card played out.

Joshua Franco def. Andrew Moloney via unanimous decision

Scorecards: 115-112, 114-113, 114-113

There was plenty of leather to go around in the main event, which saw Franco (17-1-2, 8 KOs) snatch the title from Moloney (21-1, 14 KOs). There was hardly a dip in the action as the two fighters traded punches across 12 frenetic rounds. Franco earned the win because he was the more powerful of the two.

Franco sat back and let Moloney take the first round, but he spent that time learning the Australian's rhythms and began to time his advances. A counter left uppercut was a particularly good weapon for Franco. Moloney's feature punch throughout the bout was a left hook to the body that had plenty of torque on it.

The back-and-forth match allowed both boxers to show off their best attributes. Moloney's quick hands paid dividends in close quarters, as he strung together punches to both the head and body. Franco cracked Moloney plenty of times at middle distance, stopping the titleholder in his tracks with his swift, accurate left hand.

While they were nearly dead even in total punches, ESPN's Steve Kim felt the challenger had the better shots heading into the late rounds:

All that body work from Moloney appeared to have no effect on Franco, who was relentless as the match drew to a close. He had a massive 10th round, pouring on the power punches and opening up a big gash on Moloney's face. In the 11th, the 24-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, took over, pummeling Moloney and scoring a knockdown with a big left-handed power shot. Franco needed every bit of his late-round surge, as the fight ended up being very close on the judges' scorecards.

It's a disappointing setback for Moloney, losing for the first time in what was also his U.S. debut. His twin brother, Jason Moloney, can try to win one for the family when he takes on Leonardo Baez in a 10-round bantamweight match Thursday.

Franco, meanwhile could line up a potential bout against Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, who is the WBA "super world" champion at 115 pounds.

Christopher Diaz def. Jason Sanchez via unanimous decision

Scorecards: 98-92, 98-92, 97-93

The co-feature of the night was a sharp 10-round featherweight match between Christopher Diaz (26-2, 16 KOs) and Jason Sanchez (15-2, 8 KOs). The judges were all heavily in favor of Diaz, who dictated the pace and style of the fight.

Diaz, a 25-year-old contender working his way back from a loss to Shakur Stevenson, stayed at the edge of Sanchez's range for much of the bout. His jab was strong and accurate, allowing him to set up lunging right hands. Sanchez struggled to return fire, allowing Diaz to land sharp counterpunches or simply step back out of the pocket and start the routine all over again.

This pattern was present for much of the first six rounds. Diaz looked sharper and the more comfortable of the two fighters. His right hand was incisive and forced Sanchez to spend more time thinking than punching.

Sanchez, who was whiffing with his jab from range, did much better when he was the aggressor. The improvement started in the seventh round, when he let his hands go and got in close to the Puerto Rican. He landed a couple of flurries while standing toe to toe with Diaz in the eighth, including a very clean right hook that Diaz had no answer for.

Diaz remained patient as Sanchez switched up his strategy. He survived the inside fighting, landing his own power shots as Sanchez loaded up. He put a stamp on the end of the fight, landing powerful combinations in the 10th round that were a testament to his skill and preparation.

Miguel Contreras def. Rolando Vargas via unanimous decision

Scorecards: 58-56, 58-56, 58-56

Miguel Contreras (11-0, 6 KOs) showed he could be a fighter to keep an eye on at junior welterweight. The 22-year-old from Bakersfield, California, was quick, accurate and creative with his combinations, handing fellow prospect Rolando Vargas (5-1, 5 KOs) his first career loss.

With only six rounds to get through, the match started at a quick pace and never let up. Contreras wasted little time establishing himself as the more technical fighter. He routinely made Vargas miss his first punch and was in position to connect with a return shot of his own. By the second round, blood was streaming from Vargas' nose. Vargas also suffered a cut over his right eye in the second round, but a replay showed it was the result of a clash of heads.

Contreras spent much of the fight darting in and out of range, using a jab to set up power shots that came in bunches. He changed levels often, looking especially good when he sent a right hook crashing into the body and chased it immediately with a left hand to the head.

Vargas was able to time Contreras' advances on a few occasions, but he never quite got into a rhythm. He did well to land some of his power punches later on. It's a disappointing loss, but the 20-year-old is a skilled up-and-comer and has plenty of time to bounce back.

Helaman Olguin def. Adam Stewart via majority decision

Scorecards: 58-56, 58-56, 57-57

The first fight of the evening saw Helaman Olguin (8-3, 3 KOs) hand Adam Stewart (8-1-1, 5 KOs) his first career loss in a six-round heavyweight bout.

Olguin had plenty of success throughout the fight with a looping left hook. Stewart almost never got out of the way or attempted to block it, so it was simply up to Olguin to load it up and find the target.

Stewart, 31, looked like he spent much of the fight searching for a big power shot. He would let Olguin step inside, sometimes tagging him on the way in with a jab or a quick 1-2, but there was little follow-through after that. Olguin's southpaw stance and willingness to throw early kept Stewart from getting comfortable. It was a well-deserved win for the 36-year-old.