By Jim Calfa: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum believes WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney will win on Sunday night against George Kambosos Jr. as long as he’s not distracted about everything that’s happened recently.
With Haney fighting on foreign soil without his father/trainer Bill and dealing with the mind games that Kambosos (20-0, 10 KOs) is playing, it could be difficult.
Arum thinks Haney (27-0, 15 KOs) should be able to outbox Kambosos, but he might have problems with everything he’s up against being in Australia the crafty Kambosos.
According to Arum, only if Haney wins, there will be a rematch. If Kambosos wins, he could then potentially fight #1 WBC Vasyl Lomachenko next.
Top Rank will still have Haney for another three fights as part of their promotional deal to get this fight.
Arum isn’t worried about the judge robbing Haney because they’ve been well vetted by Carl Moretti of Top Rank. Still, Haney will need to win the rounds conclusively for him to get the decision.
“Devin has to put the concentrations and distractions behind him and think about the fight as if it was taking place back in the states,” said Bob Arum to Fight Hub TV.
“Devin is a superb boxer, and if he concentrates on the fight and isn’t distracted, he should win and bring all the belts back to the United States,” Arum continued.
“I’m very confident of the show he’s going to put on,” said Arum about Haney. “The judges that have been selected have the highest qualifications. Carl Moretti of Top Rank has vetted all the judges. Whoever wins the fight, I’m confident they’ll get the decision.
“I think Devin should box the pants off Kambosos, but again, that’s why they do the fights, so we’ll have to see. Kambosos surprised me with that victory over Teofimo Lopez.
“These are young people, and I don’t think Lopez was up to it physically in that fight, but Kambosos is a good fighter. He knows how to fight, and he’s not going to be easy to fight.
“I think Devin has a skillset that is superior. I believe that, but we’ll have to see. Going in without his father, a lot of fighters wouldn’t be able to do that, but we’ll have to see on Sunday if he’s able to perform without his father in his corner,” said Arum.
Kambosos will need to try and get past Haney’s jab for him to win the fight because he’s going to be getting picked apart from the outside if he get in close. The Australian Kambosos’ arms are too short for him to stay on the outside ll night.
