George Kambosos Optimistic with New Referee in Haney Rematch
In the lead-up to his last fight, then unified champion “Ferocious” George Kambosos (20-1, 10 KO’s) talked more trash than Oscar the Grouch at a yard sale. Once in the ring with now undisputed lightweight champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (28-0, 15 KO’s) however, Kambosos, 29, was outclassed in just about every way possible.
Unsurprisingly, Ferocious has been church-mouse quiet during the build up to their October 16 rematch. Yet, in a recent Q&A with Fight Hype, the Australian proved that he hadn’t completely lost his power of speech
“Out of reach, out of sight, very relaxed. Very zoned in physically, mentally focused on one job; I’m not distracted by anything else and very excited about October 16. That is where I will do all my talking, where I will show myself under them bright lights. But for now, zoned in on one job.”
NEW REF, NEW RESULTS??
To his credit, Kambosos, who is ranked #5 (WBO), #5 (IBF) and #6 (WBA), has not tried to discredit Haney’s win over him or downplay The Dream’s skillset. At the same time however, Ferocious has been extremely vocal about how much holding he felt that Haney was allowed to get away with in the first fight.
So it should come as no surprise that Team Kambosos was urgently concerned with who would be officiating the second duel. While he did not reveal who the third man in the ring would be, Ferocious was very upfront about being pleased with the selection.
“Yeah, that’s the way the first fight went, tough for the fans, tough for myself and not a very fan-friendly fight. But we are very excited about the breaking news that we have a great referee in place. He loves to let the fight flow. He loves the inside work.”
TIME TO PUT OR SHUT UP!
On the outside looking in, this rematch for most people is just a formality. The common expectation is for Haney to return to Australia and trounce Kambosos for a second time. Yet, if that’s the case, Ferocious is all out of rematch “get out of jail free” cards. Therefore, he would just have to claw his way back into position to challenge for a title all over again. So, now that he does have a rematch, a favorable referee and home court advantage, he better make the most of it!
By: Bakari Simpson
