George Kambosos Jr vs Devin Haney Looks to be on Track
At the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Devin Haney (27-0, 15 KOs) successfully defended the WBC world lightweight title for the fourth time with a unanimous decision win over WBC world interim lightweight champ Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz (32-2-1, 15 KOs). It was a complete performance from Haney. He gained control early and was able to outbox and outfight Diaz throughout.
Immediately following his win, Haney said he would love to face newly crowned unified lightweight titleholder George Kambosos Jr (20-0, 10 KOs) on Jupiter if he has to.
RELATED: Devin Haney: “I’m Open To Facing Kambosos In Australia!”
LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN
“Come on Kambosos, let’s do it. For all the belts, the real undisputed, let’s do it next. I think it’s a great fight. It’s for all the belts. I think he went in there and put on a great performance against Teofimo Lopez and the fans would love to see it. It would be no more dispute whose the WBC champion. So, let’s do it next.”
Devin Haney – WBC Lightweight Champion
Since his upset win over Teofimo Lopez to win the lightweight titles on November 27, Kambosos has been making the rounds with the boxing media. He was at ringside doing commentary on DAZN for Haney v Diaz and had this to say about the WBC champ.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
“I saw the holes there already. That’s me as a fighter, I see things straight away. It was a good fight. I give him his props, and we’ll see what happens next now.”
George Kambosos Jr. – Unified Lightweight Champion
Post-fight, the two world champs were interviewed together and asked about facing each other. Kambosos said they can now talk, go to the negotiating table, and work towards making the fight. Haney said the match should not be hard to make. The mutual respect between both men was evident during the post-fight interview. But the ultimate question becomes, how soon would it happen?
NOT IF, BUT WHEN?
Kambosos insists a Haney fight must take place in his native Australia. Given that he has three of the world belts in the division, he has the power to call the shots. Haney is willing to go wherever to make it a reality.
Fans would want to see them fight ASAP in 2022. However, in a contest that would be for undisputed honors at 135, promoters will want to make it as big of an event as possible. In boxing, that means taking time to build such a match. So, it’s unlikely that Kambosos and Haney will fight one another next time out.
Instead, look for both men to defend their titles in separate bouts in the interim. Kambosos has not fought on home soil since 2017. His handlers would love a voluntary defense on home soil in what amounts to a hero’s welcome. In kind, look for Haney to make another defense of the WBC title in early 2022. From there, the serious negotiations will likely begin, and the drumbeat truly rolls for a Kambosos v Haney showdown for all the belts at 135.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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