The former WBO bantamweight world champion won 97-92 across all three scorecards to pitch a second consecutive win after back-to-back defeats at world level against Yoshiki Takei and Tenshin Nasukawa.

The proud Aussie, ranked in the top-10 across three sanctioning bodies, told The Ring prior that becoming a two-time beltholder was his burning motivation before facing somewhat of an unknown in Andre Donovan (12-3, 8 KOs).

Although he threatened a stoppage on several occasions after first hurting the American late in the fourth, the 35-year-old couldn't get the definitive finish he craved and instead went the full 10 rounds.

Donovan began the brighter of the two, moving well and refusing to let Moloney (33-4, 28 KOs) plant his feet, spoiling and stifling those boxing tendencies with work on the inside. Said to have been preparing for this headline matchup since January, his conditioning was evidence of that through the fight's first-half, which was competitive.

Busier with output and keen to chain together three-punch combinations, the crowd encouraged their home favorite in response before the tide turned late in the fourth. Moloney stung Donovan with a body shot late in the frame, a visible wince and retreating body language said it all.

A venomous three-punch combo midway through round five was Moloney's calling card before again hurting him downstairs. At this stage, he was clearly connecting on the cleaner shots and Donovan couldn't defend them fast enough, cuffing left and rights.

Holding and hanging on to protect his body, they went into a sixth and Moloney couldn't miss as he chopped the proverbial tree to head-and-body. Left hands got the crowd stirring with anticipation in the seventh as Donovan replied by throwing wherever possible, happy to keep battles at close-range which better suited him.

Despite eating a wicked left hook in the penultimate frame, Donovan heard the final bell and Moloney was left unimpressed by his own display given such high standards. He sustained a bad cut above his right eye with little over a minute remaining in the tenth round, though there was no doubt about the victor by this stage.

"I hold myself to a higher standard, I'm disappointed but thanks to Andre for a hard fight, you can come again," Moloney said during his post-fight interview.

"I'm sorry to my team, didn't give the performance I wanted but the best is yet to come. It's another step forward, gives me the opportunity to learn and get better, it's how I pride myself on improving and I'll do it again. I've gotta be better than that [to become a two-time world champion], promise I'll work hard and be better next time."

In the evening's chief support, Conor Wallace (17-1, 12 KOs) ended a 10-month absence with a sixth-round stoppage (2:59) of Argentine veteran Walter Gabriel Sequeira.

The light heavyweight contender, who sits at No. 2 with the IBF, will likely face a final eliminator before targeting world title honors next as Ring and unified champion Dmitry Bivol returns from back surgery to face mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 30.

Junior middleweight: Ben Mahoney UD10 (97-93, 97-93, 96-94) Dan Hill

Super middleweight: Max McIntyre TKO8 (0:55) Tej Pratap Singh

Light heavyweight: Austin Aokuso KO1 (2:21) Wulamu Tulake

Middleweight: Xavier Fletcher and Bongani Sibanda boxed to a six-round split draw (59-55, 57-57, 56-58)

Middle: Chris O'Reilly TKO1 (1:33) Joshua Hatherley

Junior middle: Suliaman Guushaa KO1 (1:30) Scottie Williams