By Brian Webber: Roy Jones Jr. says Devin Haney needs to wear George Kambosos Jr down and stop him with a body shot in the later rounds because he may not get the decision this Sunday in Australia.
Although Jones isn’t saying that WBC lightweight champion Haney (27-0, 15 KOs) will be robbed by the judges in his fight against Aussie native Kambosos Jr. (20-0, 10 KOs) in Melbourne, it’s difficult not to interpret that way.
It’s not going to be easy for Haney to get a decision because Kambosos will have the 50,000+ fans that attend the fight at the Marvel Stadium virtually eating out of the palm of his hand on Sunday night, cheering for everything he does, even his misses.
Kambosos, 28, appears to have played the villain role during the promotion of the fight, appearing at times like a well-trained method-actor in the Marlon Brando mold.
To his credit, Haney is unphased by the games Kambosos is playing, looking confident and mature well beyond his 23 years. Haney is a mature adult, and Kambosos is more child-like, spoiled from the four belts he won against Teofimo Lopez last November.
Haney has prepared well and isn’t getting sucked into the mind tricks Kambosos played on Teofimo last year.
“Showing a lot of heart and a lot of character being willing to go to Australia and get it,” said Roy Jones Jr. to Fight Hub TV. “That shows how bad he wants it, and I like that.
“Going to Australia, you got to figure out how to stop the pressure. You got to wear him down and stop him with a body shot. If you don’t stop him, it’s going to be hard to get a decision,” said Jones Jr.
Haney isn’t a big puncher, so it’s unlikely he will stop Kambosos in this fight. Hopefully, the judges don’t wreck the outcome by giving it to the wrong fighter.
Kambosos will fight like he always does, attacking in waves, landing shots, and moving away quickly. He tries to land two or three shots and then gets on his bike to avoid getting hit. He’ll move a lot if chased and then tie up. It’s ugly to watch, but it’s an effective style.
“I’m not focusing on what I can’t control and go in there and do me,” said Haney to iFL TV on his fight with Kambosos. “This has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I’ve been having dreams of this for a while.
If Haney wins by a knockout or a one-sided 12-round decision, Kambosos will have a big decision about whether to use the rematch clause. Ultimately, Kambosos will because the money will be too good for him not to.
Kambosos won’t be able to lure popular fighters like Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis or Ryan Garcia to fight him, so he’ll take the rematch with Haney, even if he loses in a one-sided manner.
