By Vince Dwriter: Four months ago, WBC champion Devin Haney traveled to Melbourne, Australia, to face the then WBA, IBF, WBO champion George Kambosos Jr in a winner take all match that resulted in Haney leaving the ring as the undisputed lightweight champion, and Kambosos exiting the ring feeling a sense of disappointment.
Kambosos was an unknown commodity until he ceased his moment in November 2021 when he defeated Teofimo Lopez and became the unified lightweight champion. Kambosos set the tone early when he caught Lopez with a counter overhand right and scored the first knockdown of the fight. For the remaining eleven rounds, Kambosos continued to execute his game plan, and at the conclusion of the fight, the underdog was awarded the split decision victory.
In a blink of an eye, Kambosos made the transition from a little-known underdog to a man all the top lightweight contenders were vying to see inside the squared circle. Kambosos had options such as Ryan Garcia, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and Gervonta Davis. When the selection was made, Devin Haney was awarded the opportunity, and he took advantage of his chance by winning and becoming the reigning king of the lightweight division.
When Kambosos squared off against Haney, he had trouble executing his game plan because Haney was successful at using his jab and fighting from the outside. Kambosos tried to close the distance, but Haney did a masterful job of utilizing his arm reach advantage. The times Kambosos was able to cross the threshold and get inside, Haney would force a clinch.
Since invoking his rematch clause, George Kambosos Jr (20-1, 10 KOs) has been extremely quiet. His visibility decreased drastically as he has kept himself out of public view. Kambosos is focused on his rematch with Haney, and reclaiming the lightweight championship straps is his goal. As we are days away from the fight, Kambosos has finally broken his silence and started talking to the media. Recently he spoke with Fighthype about his training camp.
“Look uhh… out of reach, out of sight, very relaxed, very zoned in physically and mentally. I’m focused on one job, and I’m not distracted by anything else. I’m very excited for October 16; that’s where I’ll do my talking, that’s where I will share myself under them bright lights, but for now, I’m zoned in on one job.”
Undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) was able to cruise to a unanimous decision victory in the first fight, but the rematch may be a bit more difficult due to the adjustments Kambosos has implemented. In preparation for the first fight, Kambosos welcomed the media attention he was receiving, but for the rematch, he’s scaled down on the attention and turned up his tunnel vision in regards to the task at hand.
The former champ altered his living arrangement as he’s been staying at the gym for the past three weeks. Kambosos went back to the basics as he resides in his workspace with the bare necessities of a bed, a refrigerator, a television, and no distractions. When he wakes up and glances at the gym floor, he sees a heavy bag with Devin Haney’s face on it.
The Haney-Kambosos rematch is a fight that wasn’t in public demand due to the way Haney won the first fight, but now after hearing about Kamboso’s level of dedication, this fight may be quite entertaining. The former champ is set in the concentration department, but inside the ring, he must find a way to close the distance so he can utilize his hand speed.
One adjustment that may help is a change of referee. Kambosos wasn’t a fan of the referee for the first fight due to the fact that he allowed Haney to hold approximately fifty-nine times. Kambosos is hoping the new referee will enforce the elimination of the holding and encourage more in-ring action.
With the fight being scheduled to take place on October 15 in the U.S., live on ESPN+, George Kambosos Jr will once again enter the ring as the underdog. The champ, Devin Haney, is a well-polished boxer, and it will be hard to dethrone him, but the challenger is fueled by doubt, and he is determined to prove for a second time that anything is possible.
