When Devin Haney faced George Kambosos Jr. for the undisputed lightweight title on Saturday, the odds were stacked against him.
He was on his way to Australia, the homeland of Kambosos. He wouldn’t be able to occupy the entire space.
Despite Bill’s efforts, he was only able to get a visa in time to see his son attempt his dream of competing in the Olympics. When it came time for the fight, the Kambosos trash-talked Haney nonstop.
At Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, in front of 41,129 spectators, Haney remained psychologically strong and smiled and hopped to the ring while being booed.
“The Natural” got in there and showed why he’s one of the world’s greatest by outboxing Kambosos and crushing him to win by unanimous decision (118-110, 116-112, 116112) to claim the title of undisputed lightweight champion.
For Haney, DAZN had the score as 119-109. As a result of his victory, Haney is now the undisputed welterweight champion for the first time in the four-belt era.
Pernell Whittaker, in 1990, was the last man to hold the title of undisputed lightweight champion.
Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) fired the first of 333 jabs, according to CompuBox, to silence the crowd and Kambosos. He continued to pound Kambosos with the jab until his face was bloodied and bruised.
Nothing could be done about Kamboso’s 20-1 record and his ten knockouts. As a previous three-belt lightweight, he stayed too far outside of the reach of Haney.
Haney had an easy night at work thanks to this strategy. The right hand was Haney’s weapon of choice whenever Kambosos deviated from the center of the ring.
As a result, Haney was able to bind Kambosos up, release, and immediately return to the jab.
Haney had a 2.8-inch reach advantage over his 5’9″ opponent. Both boxers are orthodox, so expect to see a lot of powerful right hands delivered.
The 28-year-old Kambosos Jr. made his professional boxing debut in 2013, defeating Jayson Mac Gura via technical knockout in the second round.
After Kamboso Jr.’s debut in 2014, Haney debuted in 2015. The American stopped Gonzalo Lopez Rodriguez in the first round and then beat Jose Iniguez in a first-round stoppage just six days after the first.
The first four fights of the American’s career took place in Mexico, whilst the first eleven matches of Kambosos Jr. took place in his native Brazil.
George Kambosos Jr. vs Devin Haney Stats
| Boxer | George Kambosos Jr | Devin Haney | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Ferocious | The Dream | |
| Hometown | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | San Francisco, California, US | |
| Pre-fight record | 20–0 (10 KO) | 27–0 (15 KO) | |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | |
| Weight | 134.49 lb (61 kg) | 134.92 lb (61 kg) | |
| Style | Orthodox | Orthodox | |
| Recognition | WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight champion |
