By Sean Jones: Devin Haney claims that former IBF/WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa is being given a “shot of a lifetime” in challenging him for his WBC lightweight title next month, November 7th on Sky Sports and DAZN.
The 21-year-old Haney’s comment about Gamboa being given a “shot of a lifetime” shows how little he knows about the Cuban fighter. That’s the type of a comment that you would make about a fighter that has never won a world title and is some ham-n-egger type. Gamboa has won more world titles than Haney, and he’s been around.
Yuriorkis has already won world titles in the past, captured a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics, and faced arguably talented fighters than Haney in the past. Gamboa has fought Terence Crawford, Gervonta Davis, and Orlando Salido.
Devin has a big size advantage over Gamboa
Heading into the Gamboa fight, the best thing that Haney has going for him is his size. Haney looks huge in his training videos, and it’s clear that he’s going to need to make a move up to 140 soon. It’s understandable why Haney is staying put at 135 for now.
Devin would likely get cleaned out by the 140-pound champions Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor. Those guys are too big, too strong, and much too experienced for the light-hitting Haney to beat them. Regis Prograis would also give Haney all kinds of problems with his power.
Haney’s size will be a big advantage for him against the smaller 5’5″ Gamboa on November 7th. However, Haney still isn’t as fast or as powerful as Gamboa. He’s just a lot bigger, taller, and with a longer reach than the talented Cuban fighter.
Gamboa coming off a knockout loss
The Haney vs. Gamboa fight occurs at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida. Gamboa, 38, gets a title shot after being knocked out in his last fight to Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis last December in a failed shot at the vacant WBC lightweight title.
“People will say this fight is easy, but it is not, Gamboa is a former world champion, who has nothing to lose and the shot of a lifetime,” said Haney.
Given that Gamboa is coming off of a knockout loss, it sort of makes sense what Haney says in calling it a “shot of a lifetime,” but that still sounds arrogant and more than a little ignorant. For it to be a huge deal, Gamboa would need to be fighting someone a lot more accomplished and popular than Haney.
You could make the “shot of a lifetime” comment if Gamboa were given a title shot against Manny Pacquiao because that would be a big deal.
You couldn’t use that line if Gamboa fought Vasily Lomachenko because he’s not done enough to put himself in the position to where he’s a legendary fighter. But for Haney, a fighter that was given his WBC title through the email, to be talking like that, it suggests that his ego is starting to get out of hand early.
It’s likely that Matchroom Boxing, the promoters for Haney, selected Gamboa because it gives them a guy for the casual boxing fans to compare Devin’s performance with that of Tank.
Why did Haney pick Yuriorkis?
You’d like to think that Gamboa was picked out based on him being one of the best fighters in the lightweight division, even at 38. That’s probably not the reason why he was selected by Matchroom and Haney.
This is more about letting the fans see how Haney does against a fighter Tank Davis just beat last December. If Haney is able o defeat Gamboa in a more impressive fashion, then fans will see that and conclude that Kevin is better than Tank Davis.
That’s probably how Team Haney is hoping the fans see the outcome of the Gamboa fight, but you can’t say anything. Gamboa took a beating against Davis in losing by a 12th round knockout, and he also suffered an Achilles injury.
Although the injury has since healed, there are many question marks about how strong Gamboa’s ankle is.
There’s a very good chance that Gamboa was picked out solely because Haney is hoping that he can defeat him easier than Tank Davis did.
That move could blow up in Haney’s face if Gamboa is 100% healthy for this fight, and is able to move around the ring like he normally does.
Devin says he’s going to be in “vintage” form
“I have to be in the best shape of my life and put on a vintage Devin Haney performance to let my fans know that I never left. I’m on a quest to be the best fighter in boxing,” said Haney.
How can Haney, a five-year pro, be talking about putting on a “vintage” performance of himself against Gamboa. That comment from Haney doesn’t make sense either.
When you’re just starting out and only 21-years-old, how can you already be talking about putting on a “vintage’ performance? It might be a good idea for Haney to have someone do his talking for him because that would make more sense that way.
As far as the “vintage” comment goes, if Haney had a professional for 15+ years rather than just 5, then it would make sense for him to be talking like that. Other than that, he sounds as if he’s repeating stuff that he’s heard older fighters say in the past.
In other words, just mindlessly parroting stuff that he’s heard in the same way that a lot of fighters throw in the line “at the end of the day.” That is so annoying.
With the way that Haney is talking, he’s going to look silly if he loses to Gamboa or struggles to win. All that bragging about himself is going to an embarrassment for Devin.
Haney is starting to sound like an old pro even though the’s only been around for five years, and he hasn’t fought anyone good yet. Some boxing fans are already picking Gamboa to win this fight in an upset because they don’t see Haney as having the speed, power, or the talent to beat him.