Tag Archives: Devin Haney

Tim Bradley Gives Devin Haney The Edge Over George Kambosos Jr.: “He Should Be Able To Whitewash Him”

Posted on 04/12/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Matchroom Boxing

From the moment George Kambosos Jr. defeated Teofimo Lopez and subsequently wrapped his IBF, WBA, WBO, and WBC Franchise lightweight titles around his waist, Devin Haney placed a bullseye on the Australian’s back.

Though Kambosos Jr. originally wanted to defend his 135-pound throne against Vasiliy Lomachenko, with the Ukrainian opting to instead stay in his native land and help defend against Russia’s ongoing invasion, Kambosos Jr. turned his attention toward Haney.

With Lomachenko temporarily out of the picture, Haney has officially signed his name on the dotted line to face Kambosos Jr. on June 5th, in Melbourne Australia. While Haney has opened up as a slight favorite, many have expressed concern. According to the terms of their possible two-fight deal, should Haney defeat Kambosos Jr. come June 5th, he’ll be mandated to face Kambosos Jr. immediately after. Just like their first bout, their second contest would take place in Australia as well.

Despite the apprehension, Tim Bradley is hoping that Haney won’t be rattled by fighting on foreign territory. Having won the first world title of his career against Junior Witter in 2008 in Witter’s backyard in the United Kingdom, Bradley is of the belief that as long as Haney remains focused on the task at hand, he’ll get the job done.

“He can’t worry about that,” said Bradley to a group of reporters. “At the end of the day, you got to go in there and fight your fight. I think that Haney has enough skills and ability to beat a fighter like Kambosos.”

Haney, the current WBC lightweight belt holder, had long been hoping to face one of the division’s best. In 2021, Haney completed the most impressive year of his young career. In May, the 23-year-old dominated former multiple weight world champion, Jorge Linares. Roughly seven months later, Haney would go on to hand Joseph Diaz a fairly one-sided unanimous decision defeat.

While Bradley believes that Kambosos Jr. is a terrific fighter in his own right, he’s also of the belief that as long as Haney doesn’t plant his feet and fight fire with fire, he should have little to no issue leaving Australia with every world title draped safely over his shoulders.

“I just think that Haney gotta box. If he just boxes for 12 rounds, he should be able to whitewash him. Haney has better feet, he’s longer, has a longer jab. It’s when he sits still, that’s the problem that I have. When he goes into that Philly shell, he gets hit with right hands. I worry about that, especially against Kambosos.”

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Devin Haney Expecting An “Easy” Night At The Office Against Kambosos

Posted on 03/31/2022

By: Hans Themistode

From the moment Devin Haney burst onto the scene in 2014, the ambitious former amateur standout clamored to be a part of the biggest fights possible. Although it may have taken Haney a bit longer than he wanted, the 23-year-old has finally gotten his wish granted.

On June 5th, in front of what’s expected to be a mercilessly booing crowd, Haney will attempt to truncate the world title reign of unified lightweight champion, George Kambosos Jr.

For the majority of their virtual presser, Haney and Kambosos Jr. ripped into one another. Despite the back and forth theatrics, the current WBC 135 pound belt holder knows exactly what Kambosos Jr. represents. Having fought several former champions such as Yuriokis Gamboa and Jorge Linares, Haney is well aware that both fighters were well beyond their golden years. In the case of Kambosos Jr., however, the 28-year-old Australian native appears to be smack dab in the middle of his prime.

“I think George is a great fighter,” said Haney. “I been asking for the top fighters for a while now. I finally got one of them that’s in their primes that’s coming off the biggest win of their career. I’m happy about that.”

Kambosos Jr., of course, scored arguably the upset of the year in 2021. This past November, Kambosos Jr. defiantly stormed into the backyard and then, unified champion, Teofimo Lopez. Despite his underdog status, Kambosos Jr. rose to the occasion, scoring an early knockdown on the night before eking out the close split decision win.

During his showdown against Lopez, Kambosos Jr. pumped a consistent jab, showed an impressive chin, and placed his underrated boxing skills on display.

Admittedly, Haney was incredulous with the final results as he believed Lopez would pick up the victory. While he was ultimately proven wrong, Haney is unwilling to view the win of Kambosos Jr. as fluky.

Come June 5th, not only will Kambosos Jr. have Haney’s undivided attention but the 23-year-old is quietly looking forward to nullifying all of the unified champion’s offensive attributes.

“The things that he does best, I will take away from him and make it an easy night.”

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Jeremia Nakathila: “I Would Like To fight Devin Haney, He’s Very Beatable”

Posted on 03/28/2022

By: Hans Themistode

After watching his world title dreams fade into the shadows following his one-sided unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Shakur Stevenson in 2021, Jeremia Nakathila was in search of a career jumpstart.

In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a top contender and true title threat, Nakathila ditched the super featherweight division and found a new home five pounds north. In his first fight as a full-fledged lightweight, Nakathila took on Miguel Berchelt, a former titleholder at 130 pounds in desperate need of his own career rival, this past weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Heading into their ESPN headliner, Nakathila, while respected, was viewed as a considerable underdog. But while the 32-year-old was given little to no chance at pulling off the victory, he shrugged his naysayers off and went on to hand Berchelt one of the most violent beatings of the calendar year.

At no point did Berchelt seem to be in control as Nakathila pressured his man all night long. With the former 130-pound titlist hitting the deck on two separate occasions, Nakathila refused to take his foot off the gas, finishing him off in the sixth round. With the win now safely in his possession, Nakathila believes his name should be mentioned amongst the best 135 pounders in the world.

“It was a good fight,” said Nakathila during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Berchelt is not a walk in the park but I make it look easy. It’s a signal to the lightweight division that Jeremia Nakathila belongs to the A level in the lightweight division.”

Having loudly stomped his way onto the 135-pound scene, Nakathila is in no mood to stop his momentum now. With his dreams of becoming a world champion still at the forefront of his mind, Nakathila has become enthralled by the endless possibilities that now await him.

In terms of whom he would like to face next, while he admits that the lightweight division is stacked with talent and intriguing matchups, he has his eyes set on one fighter in particular.

“I know there are great champions in the lightweight division but I’m not fearing none of them. I would like to fight Devin Haney, I want him. I use to look at Devin Haney videos, I can see his weakness. He’s very beatable.”

Regardless of whether Haney is “beatable” or not, Nakathila will have to wait his turn before facing him in the ring. Recently, the 23-year-old WBC titlist agreed to terms to take on current unified champion, George Kambosos Jr. on June 5th. Should Haney emerge victoriously, he’ll be forced to face Kambosos Jr. again.

If Haney proves that his victory against Kambosos Jr. was no fluke, he find himself facing off against pound-for-pound star, Vasiliy Lomachenko.

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Devin Haney Officially Agrees To Face George Kambosos Jr. On June 5th In Melbourne, Australia

Posted on 03/27/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Despite his normally joyous attitude, Devin Haney would become enraged whenever either Teofimo Lopez or now, George Kambosos Jr., would scream and shout to the world that they are in fact, an undisputed champion.

With the 23-year-old proudly holding his WBC lightweight title, he’s stated time and time again, that until he’s defeated in the ring, those previously mentioned undisputed claims are null and void.

Now, come June 5th, in Melbourne Australia, the confusion surrounding the 135-pound division will have immediate clarity.

As first reported by BoxingScene.com, Haney has verbally agreed to terms to take on current unified lightweight champion, George Kambosos Jr. The two will officially square off at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

For Kambosos Jr., sharing the ring with Haney was never in his immediate plans. Since scoring the unexpected upset against Teofimo Lopez in November of 2021, the well-rounded Australian fighter became flooded with options for his next ring appearance. Although he carefully sifted through every name presented to him, Kambosos Jr. landed on Vasiliy Lomachenko.

While Lomachenko was flattered by his selection, he ultimately decided against taking Kambosos Jr. up on his offer, opting to instead remain in his native land of Ukraine as he assists his fellow countrymen in the war against Russia.

In the end, while Haney has the lone bout he craved more than anything, he was forced to acquiesce to several of Kambosos Jr.’s demands, including an immediate rematch clause that would force Haney to face him once more in Australia, if Haney, of course, decides to remain in the lightweight division.

If Haney were to defeat Kambosos Jr. in consecutive bouts, the newly crowned undisputed titlist would likely face off against Lomachenko in an ESPN pay-per-view event.

With the perpetual confusion surrounding the lightweight division, Haney will finally be afforded his opportunity to prove that he is, in fact, the best 135 pounder in the world. Although contracts have not officially been inked, sometime this week, an introductory presser to announce their contest is expected to take place.

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Devin Haney Tabs Canelo Alvarez As The Best Fighter In The World

Posted on 03/25/2022

By: Hans Themistode

The skills of Devin Haney have been praised long before he turned professional in 2015. So far, the immensely talented 135-pound belt holder has lived up to the hype.

With Haney on the verge of taking on George Kambosos Jr. for the remaining three lightweight titles, the 23-year-old star believes he’ll receive worldwide recognition. Still, even if Haney takes his place atop the 135-pound landscape, he doesn’t believe he should be considered the best fighter in the world. In his opinion, Canelo Alvarez has rightfully earned that distinction.

“Yes,” said Haney to a group of reporters when if Alvarez is the best fighter on the planet currently. “Yes for sure.”

Like Haney, many in the boxing world share his belief. Over the span of approximately four years, Alvarez has waltzed up and down numerous weight classes, picking up countless world titles along the way.

In 2018, Alvarez scored quality victories against Gennadiy Golovkin and Rocky Fielding. In the process, he added the WBA and WBC middleweight titles and WBA “Regular” super middleweight championship to his collection. In 2019, Alvarez grabbed more middleweight gold, before moving up to the 175-pound division to strip Sergey Kovalev of his WBO title.

From 2020 to 2021, Alvarez planted his flag firmly in the ground of the super middleweight division. The Mexican star would spend approximately the next 12 months truncating the world title reign of every belt holder, en route to becoming an undisputed champion.

For an encore, Alvarez will brazenly challenge WBA light heavyweight champion, Dmitry Bivol on May 7th. Should he walk away successfully, Alvarez is tentatively scheduled to face Golovkin at 168 pounds, before possibly making the move to cruiserweight to close out another strong year.

Considering Alvarez’s penchant for challenging world champions across multiple weight classes, Haney continues to sit back in awe. With the Mexican star willing to fluctuate his weight so consistently, Haney has no choice but to crown him as boxing’s leading man.

“He can go up and down, up and down, and still be dominant, I take my hat off to him.”

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Devin Haney: “Gary Russell Lost To A Bum”

Posted on 01/26/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Devin Haney plopped into a comfortable chair in his palatial estate and eagerly turned on the action.

Last weekend, at the Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, Gary Russell Jr. attempted to defend his WBC featherweight crown against mandatory challenger Mark Magsayo. Heading in, the long-reigning champion was viewed as a sizable favorite. However, prior to stepping foot inside the ring, Russell Jr. warned his fans that he wouldn’t be at his physical best.

Still, despite his confession, Russell Jr. assured all who would listen that his pre-fight injury would not be a determining factor in the outcome of his title defense.

Early on, Russell Jr. appeared to be fine. His blinding speed was still ostensibly there and there weren’t any signs of an injury. However, at the midway point of the fourth round, Russell Jr. grimaced in pain and pointed to his right shoulder.

Although ring physicians were concerned for his well-being, Russell Jr. shrugged them off and proceeded to fight Magsayo with only one hand. From the fifth round on, the Maryland product boxed, moved, and landed numerous left hands throughout the night. Immediately after, he revealed that he suffered the shoulder injury two weeks prior to the fight.

While he believed he did more than enough to win, he was incredulous as it was announced that his reign had officially come to an end via majority decision. The moment the scorecards were read, Haney couldn’t stop himself from laughing. The current WBC lightweight champion piled onto the injury-hit Russell Jr. while simultaneously taking a shot at the newly crowned 126 pound belt holder.

“Gary Russell lost to a bum,” said Haney on his social media account.

For the better part of a year and a half, both Russell Jr. and Haney have thrown warning shots at one another over social media. Although they campaign two weight classes apart, Russell Jr. stated on numerous occasions that he would be more than willing to move up to the 135 pound weight division to challenge Haney for his crown.

In spite of Russell Jr.’s callouts, Haney believes the now former champion was never truly interested in facing him. Although a showdown between the pair could become a reality at some point in the future, Haney is focusing most of his attention on becoming an undisputed champion.

The 23-year-old belt holder has consistently and publicly urged current unified champion George Kambosos Jr. to face him. Haney has also revealed that he would have no issue with stomping into the Australian backyard of Kambosos Jr. and stripping him of his championship status in front of his adoring fans.

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Devin Haney: “I Will Be At The Top Of That Pound For Pound List”

Posted on 01/24/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Devin Haney has always had high expectations for himself.

As an amateur, Haney was lauded for his slick boxing skills which led to national acclaim and a 138-8 record. Haney’s professional career thus far, has continued to go the way he expected. Having won the vacant WBC interim 135 pound title in 2019, before being subsequently elevated to full belt holder shortly after, Haney is convinced that his star will only continue to rise.

Not only does Haney believe that his overall skill set will make him a must-see fighter but with his level of competition currently rising, he suspects that it will only help him in the long run.

Following back-to-back wins over former champions Yuriorkis Gamboa and Jorge Linares, Haney snagged the most impressive victory of his career against Joseph Diaz. The two officially clashed at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 4th.

Though Diaz had his moments, Haney used his overall boxing ability to win a fairly wide unanimous decision. At the age of 23, while Haney is proud to be considered one of the best young fighters in the world. Nevertheless, he believes its only a matter of time before the word young is removed altogether.

“I know that I’m a be there one day but we just taking it fight by fight,” said Haney to a group reporters. “We just going to keep adding guys to the resume and before you know it, I will be at the top of that pound for pound list.”

An achievement that will go a long way towards Haney reaching his pound-for-pound goals, would be an undisputed showdown against unified champion George Kambosos Jr.

The Australian native vehemently and defiantly walked into the backyard of former unified champion Teofimo Lopez in New York’s Madison Square Garden and proceeded to outwork and outbox his man. As a result, Kambosos Jr. pulled off arguably the biggest upset of the year.

Since being crowned a world champion this past November, Haney has urged the new titlist to face him next. In an effort to increase the likelihood that he is chosen next, Haney has not only revealed that he would be willing to travel to Australia but he has also recently received his first COVID-19 vaccine shot. He has also promised to take the second dose once their contest becomes official, something that is mandated before entering Australia.

Should their contest become a reality and Haney successfully becomes an undisputed lightweight champion, his pound-for-pound dreams could soon be realized.

More than anything, Haney not only craves worldwide recognition as the best fighter in the world but whenever the pugilistic sport is brought up in conversation, he wants his name to be mentioned first.

“I feel like I will be America’s guy for the face of boxing.”

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Mikey Garcia Willing To Move Back Down To Lightweight To Face Devin Haney

Posted on 12/28/2021

By: Hans Themistode

It was a jaw-dropping moment for both Mikey Garcia and his extremely large fanbase.

As the former four-division titlist began gearing up for a showdown against Regis Prograis, the California native first decided to take on the unheralded Sandor Martin. Although Garcia walked into their showdown as an enormous favorite, he was taken aback at the overall skills of Martin.

Though Garcia had his moments, he was thoroughly outboxed and handed only the second defeat of his pro career. Regardless of the shocking end result, Garcia is still on the hunt to face the best names in the sport of boxing.

Just a few weeks ago, Garcia nodded in approval while he took in the sights as Devin Haney scored a unanimous decision win over Joseph Diaz to defend his WBC lightweight crown. Needless to say, Garcia was impressed with what he witnessed.

“I thought it was a very good fight,” said Garcia during an interview with FightHype.com. “Haney fought a great fight. He used his jab to measure the distance. Keep a certain distance that fitted him. Used the height and reach advantage and fought a very good type of fight.”

In addition to Haney impressing Garcia with his overall performance, the former multiple division star went into details as he gave Haney credit for his complete maturity and expansion of his game.

“He’s developed more. He’s more mature. Few fights back he was still making a few mistakes here and there. Just the way he was fighting, he might be looking for the power a little too much or trying to load up on something too much. Now he’s being more patient and letting that come. He’s working off the jab a lot more, he’s managing the distance very well. He’s improving every fight. I’m pretty impressed with how he’s developing.”

Currently, the biggest obstacle standing in the way of a Haney vs. Garcia showdown is their weight discrepancy. At the moment, Haney campaigns at 135, although he has mentioned a move to the 140-pound division. Garcia, on the other hand, hasn’t fought in the lightweight division since nabbing a one-sided victory against Robert Easter Jr. in 2018.

Since then, Garcia has campaigned as a full-fledged welterweight. However, his last contest against Martin took place at a catchweight of 145 pounds. While Garcia acknowledges that squeezing his 34-year-old frame down to the 135-pound limit will be an arduous task, if he can successfully lure Haney into the ring, he’s willing to make the sacrifice.

“Coming down to 135 would probably be difficult for me,” continued Garcia. “If I was able to secure that fight then yea, I would do it. But I would need plenty of time to prepare and be in fight-ready shape. I would like that fight. That would be an interesting fight for me.”

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Rolando Romero: “Devin Is The Weakest Link”

Posted on 12/14/2021

By: Hans Themistode

For a number of years now, Rolando Romero has expressed an extreme amount of dislike for Devin Haney. The two have gone back and forth over social media but have failed to face off in the ring.

Yet, despite Romero’s deep disdain for the current WBC lightweight champion, in actuality, he pities him.

“Devin is the weakest link,” said Romero during an interview with FightHype.com. “I really do feel bad for him. He’s going to fall and it’s going to hurt worse than anything. It’s not his fault that he was born with f*cked up genetics.”

Romero, 26, is referring to the one flaw he believes Haney has shown throughout the course of his career, the inability to take a flush shot. During a showdown against Jorge Linares earlier this year, Haney appeared to be in complete control. Yet, with the 23-year-old cruising along, Linares rocked him in the tenth round. While Haney would ultimately go on to win a wide decision, the WBC belt holder appeared visibly shaken.

In addition to what Romero believes is a suspect chin, the former WBA interim titlist went into details as chastised Haney repeatedly on the flaws in his overall game.

“Lack of power, fragile body frame, his weak legs, he’s ugly as f*ck. Like I just feel bad for him. He can’t do anything to change that cause he was born like that.”

Regardless of Romero’s scathing criticism, Haney continues to flourish. Most recently, the slick-hitting boxer cruised to a fairly one-sided victory against Joseph Diaz in his last ring appearance. Furthermore, Haney doesn’t seem to be taking the words of Romero to heart.

Following his victory over Diaz, Haney was spotted buying several pieces of expensive jewelry. But while the young and flamboyant belt holder has flaunted his wealth, Romero simply shrugs his shoulders as he views Haney’s spending habits as inconsequential to his overall fighting ability.

“Just cause you say ‘I have more money than you’, it doesn’t change. He’s weak as f*ck with no power.”

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Vasiliy Lomachenko, Devin Haney, And Gervonta Davis – Who Earned A Shot At George Kambosos Jr.?

Posted on 12/13/2021

By: Hans Themistode

George Kambosos Jr. toured around the United States following his monumental victory over Teofimo Lopez. The Australian native graciously posed for pictures with his new adoring fans, signed autographs, and patiently completed what felt like a perpetual amount of interviews. More importantly, he scouted the competition.

Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, and Vasiliy Lomachenko have always been judged by fans and media pundits throughout their careers but with all three lightweights fighting in close proximity to one another, there was an added pressure placed on their shoulders.

The need to impress Kambosos Jr. came as a direct result of the Australian pulling off what appeared to be an improbable and unlikely upset.

Kambosos Jr. confidently stomped into the backyard of Lopez as a gargantuan underdog, looked into the booing crowd at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, and broke into a full-blown grin. Pre-fight predictions informing him of an embarrassing stoppage defeat weren’t unnerving. Then, as the opening bell tipped off, the 28-year-old ruthlessly stripped Lopez of his championship status and sullied his previously undefeated record.

With the Australian now in possession of the IBF, WBA, and WBC franchise lightweight titles, he made it clear that his next opponent would be chosen from a small pool of names, all of which were given their moment in the spotlight to present their case.

First up on the tryout board was Devin Haney. The WBC lightweight titlist, who finds himself routinely chastised for the manner in which he was given his title, raised Kambosos Jr.’s eyebrows slightly. While Joseph Diaz, his recent opponent, proved to be a durable and game, Haney thoroughly outboxed his man before cruising to a unanimous decision victory.

As the Aussie removed his blood-stained war helmet and threw on his analytical cap, he was mostly impressed by what he saw.

“It was a good performance,” said Kambosos Jr. during an interview with Sporting News. “It was exactly what I expected. He moved, boxed, and was sharp from the outside.”

Still, even with Haney ostensibly making a good impression on the man who currently holds a seat at the top of the 135-pound food chain, Gervonta Davis was expected to one-up him.

Kambosos Jr. made the short trek from Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and sat comfortably in his ringside seat as he took in the main event. While Haney vs. Diaz allowed Kambosos Jr. to fully dissect 12 rounds of action, in the case of Davis vs. Isaac Cruz, it felt as though the Australian wouldn’t be afforded that same courtesy.

Yet, even with most of the boxing world predicting a short and explosive win for Davis, Cruz proved to be far more durable, lasting the full 12 rounds and giving Davis the most difficult contest of his career. He was, however, aided by a severely injured left hand of Davis.

As the Baltimore native turned in his report and awaited his grade from Kambosos Jr., the newly crowned unified titlist appeared a bit indifferent. In fact, when asked to juxtapose both performances, Kambosos Jr. gave the clear edge to Haney

“Nothing too exciting,” continued Kambosos Jr. in reference to Davis during an interview with FightHype.com. “It is what it is. He got the win. I had it very, very close, it could’ve been a draw but he edged it. I think Haney had the better performance.”

With Haney turning in the better showing, the 23-year-old appeared to have the clear path to a showdown against Kambosos Jr. But just as Haney began confidently making his way to the front of the line, Vasiliy Lomachenko has grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.

Despite losing those same world titles that occupy the waist of Kambosos Jr. at the hands of Teofimo Lopez late last year, Lomachenko is now back on the radar of every top 135 pounder. After undergoing shoulder surgery subsequently after his defeat, the Ukrainian star looks better than ever. He effortlessly dealt with Masayoshi Nakatani earlier this year, stopping him in the ninth round. He would then follow that up with a one-sided beating over former titlist Richard Commey this past weekend at Madison Square Garden.

Now, after reestablishing himself, even Kambosos Jr. had no choice but to acknowledge the Ukrainian’s performance.

“Great boxing display by Loma which puts him in the equation with Haney, Tank & Ryan (Garcia), even after his loss against Teofimo,” said Kambosos Jr. after watching Lomachenko dismantle Commey. “Looking forward to fighting one of these fellow warriors in 2022 downunder.”

Even with the unified titlist admitting that Ryan Garcia is still firmly entrenched in the Kambosos Jr. sweepstakes, he appears to be in the back of the class. Having fought just once for the entirety of 2021, Garcia will likely have to sit and wait as Kambosos Jr. chooses who he deems as the best fighter amongst that group.

With Davis eking out a close decision over Cruz, Kambosos Jr. has seemingly placed him above Garcia but behind both Haney and Lomachenko. As for who exactly impressed/earned their shot at Kambosos Jr., the most, Lomachenko appears to have the edge. While a matchup against Davis could provide the Australian with the most financial incentive, team Davis has always appeared more interested in facing fighters that could bring more to the table in terms of selling out arenas as opposed to chasing world titles.

Could Haney ultimately usurp Lomachenko and make his way to a jam-packed Australian-filled arena to fight for undisputed glory? Of course, he could. But, considering that Lomachenko has regained his lofty pound-for-pound status and the manner in which he dealt with a normally pernicious puncher in Commey, the former two-time gold medalist and multiple division star could have a leg up on the competition.

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George Kambosos Jr. Compares Recent Ring Appearances Of Devin Haney And Gervonta Davis: “Haney Had The Better Performance”

Posted on 12/08/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Since stomping into the backyard of Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater and mercilessly ripping away Lopez’s IBF, WBO, WBA, and WBC franchise titles, George Kambosos Jr. has continued to scout the competition in search of his next opponent.

With several names near the top of the lightweight division entering the ring over the past few weeks, the 28-year-old has been spotted sitting front row in numerous arenas. On back-to-back nights, both WBC 135 pound titlist Devin Haney, and WBA “Regular” champion Gervonta Davis, defended their crowns. However, while both were ultimately victorious, Kambosos Jr. was impressed by only one of his possible future opponents.

“I think Haney had the better performance,” said Kambosos Jr. recently to a group of reporters.

Haney, 23, fought whom many considered to be his toughest opponent to date in Joseph Diaz on December 4th, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although Diaz had his moments, Haney would go on to systemically break him down before cruising to a unanimous decision victory.

One day later, Kambosos Jr. was spotted in attendance at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Aussie product nestled comfortably into his chair as he took in the sights of the main event.

On the night, Davis, while successful in his defense of his secondary title, was given all he could handle against Isaac Cruz. Known for his ability to end contests in the blink of an eye and overwhelm his opponents, Kambosos Jr. was left disappointed by the Baltimore native’s performance. In fact, the newly minted 135-pound titlist gave Cruz a standing ovation for his tenacity and doggedness.

“Nothing too exciting,” continued Kambosos Jr. in reference to Davis. “It is what it is. He got the win. I had it very, very close, it could’ve been a draw but he edged it. Big respect to Isaac Cruz. He excited me, he’s a warrior.”

Cruz, 23, left a pro-Davis crowd speechless with his relentless pressure and unwillingness to fold underneath the power of his man. While he fought Davis on mostly even terms, the multiple division titlist revealed that Cruz’s ability to last 12 full rounds, was in part due to a severely injured left hand.

At the moment, Kambosos Jr. has yet to disclose whom he’ll defend his lightweight titles against next. And while Haney is presumably in the driver’s seat, Kambosos Jr. isn’t ruling out a possible showdown against Davis.

“That fight might be there, we’ll see.”

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Eddie Hearn: “George Kambosos Is Not Undisputed, The Only Way To Settle It Is To Make This Fight”

Posted on 12/05/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Eddie Hearn is becoming more and more agitated with the current confusion surrounding the lightweight division.

At Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City last weekend, road warrior George Kambosos Jr. pulled off one of the upsets of the year. The Australian native stomped into the backyard of Teofimo Lopez as a considerable underdog and went on to violently strip him of his WBA, WBO, IBF, and WBC franchise titles.

Following his improbable win, Mauricio Sulaiman, President of the WBC sanctioning body, would go on to declare Kambosos Jr. as the division’s new undisputed world champion, a distinction he bestowed upon Lopez as well.

However, with Devin Haney in possession of the full WBC title, Hearn is attempting to debunk any confusion surrounding the undisputed status of Kambosos Jr.

“Mauricio will say George Kambosos is undisputed,” said Hearn to a group of reporters. “The other governing bodies, you cannot unify with a franchise belt. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to be undisputed with a belt that you cannot unify with. We just want to be undisputed. George Kambosos is not undisputed. The only way to settle it is to make this fight.”

Just over two years ago, the perplexing status of who is the undisputed lightweight champion began rearing its ugly head.

During an August 31st, showdown against Luke Campbell, Vasiliy Lomachenko, who was already in possession of the WBA and WBO 135 pound titles, took care of business against Luke Campbell. In doing so, Lomachenko nabbed the vacant WBC title. Before Lomachenko would go on to lose his belts to Teofimo Lopez in his next ring appearance, the Ukrainian star was elevated to WBC franchise champion, a confusing new title that was created by the WBC sanctioning body. That, in turn, saw Haney elevated from interim WBC titlist to full titleholder.

Originally, Sulaiman revealed that the franchise championship cannot be won in the ring. However, as of late, the franchise tag has exchanged hands on numerous occasions.

While Haney is proud of his current title reign, the 23-year-old never wanted to win his first championship in that way. In fact, not only does Hearn reveal the steps in which both Haney and himself took in order to lure Lomachenko into the ring, but the long-time promoter also divulged that Top Rank, the promotional company in which Lomachenko currently fights under, wanted no part in fighting the young star.

“I said to Devin Haney, who do you want to fight?” said Hearn of the conversation he had with Haney several years ago. “He said Vasiliy Lomachenko. We carved out a route to go after Vasiliy Lomachenko for the WBC title. He became his mandatory, Top Rank wanted to avoid Devin Haney and they requested him to be made franchise champion, Lomachenko didn’t.”

With Haney successfully defending his WBC crown for the fourth time in his young career against former 130 pound titlist Joseph Diaz late last night at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, he’s now turned his attention towards Kambosos Jr.

While Hearn has revealed that Kambosos Jr. is their number one target, if for some reason a deal cannot come to fruition, the long-time promoter believes Haney won’t be short on options.

“We have options. A fight with Ryan Garcia, Tank Davis is a fight he would take. In time, who knows – Teo, Lomachenko is fighting in a couple of weeks. We have options.”

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Devin Haney Wins Wide Decision Against Joseph Diaz

Posted on 12/05/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Both Joseph Diaz Jr. and Devin Haney claimed that they would take command of their contest in the center of the ring. As the opening bell rang to signal the start of their showdown at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, neither refused to take a step back.

Haney, 23, gladly pumped out a strong jab while attempting to walk his man down. Seemingly attempting to find his timing and navigate his way around the seven-inch reach advantage of Haney, Diaz Jr. fought cautiously.

With the first round safely in his back pocket, Haney continued to outbox his man in the second. Diaz Jr., a former world champion at 130 pounds, ate a steady diet of straight rights and jabs throughout the duration of the round.

Having spent the majority of the first two rounds playing defense, Diaz Jr. picked up the pace in the third. He relentlessly attacked the midsection of Haney and followed it up several overhand rights.

As the rounds ticked by, both fighters worked up a lather and began exchanging in the middle of the ring. While it was the sort of dog fight Diaz Jr. was hoping for, it was Haney who took full advantage. He effortlessly boxed and moved while tagging his man with numerous hard shots.

A confident Diaz Jr. was undeterred in his attack, however. And in the seventh, things began turning around. The 29-year-old highly ranked contender landed a huge right-hand square on the chin of Haney. He then followed up his best shot of the night with numerous rights and lefts to the body.

With Diaz Jr. gaining momentum, he got it going again in the eighth. A much more complacent and reserved Haney spent most of the period attempting to avoid the hard shots of his foe.

In the championship rounds, Haney regained his composure and began boxing well. He connected with his own big punches to the body in an attempt to slow Diaz Jr. down.

In the 12th and final round, Diaz Jr. fought like a man who knew that he needed a knockout to win. He started the period in a frenzy. He rushed Haney from the start of the bell and pushed the pace. To his credit, Diaz Jr. found a ton of success. At times, he appeared to buzz Haney. Still, the current WBC lightweight belt holder never seemed to be in any true trouble.

While Diaz Jr. did his best to close the show, Haney showed his resolve as he fought back in the waning seconds of the period.

In the end, though Diaz Jr. had his moments, he agreed with the judge’s scorecards. Both Dave Moretti and Max DeLuca scored it 117-111, while Tim Cheatham had it 116-112 in favor of Haney who retained his 135-pound title.

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Bill Haney: “Teo Done F*cked The Money Up”

Posted on 11/30/2021

By: Hans Themistode

It was an inevitable collision course. One that Bill Haney, father of WBC lightweight titlist Devin Haney, was looking forward to.

With both his son and former unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez engaging in nonstop trash talk for the past few years, the pair appeared entangled in an upcoming showdown. Yet, before both stars would go on to share the ring with one another, each fighter had business to attend to.

For Haney, the 23-year-old Las Vegas resident is set to defend his crown against whom he describes as the most dangerous fighter of his career in Joseph Diaz. The two will officially square off on December 4th, this upcoming weekend at MGM Grand Garden Arena. But while Haney continues to put the finishing touches on an arduous training camp, both he and his father tuned in with the hopes that Lopez would hold up his end of the bargain first.

At Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City this past Saturday night, Lopez took on sizable underdog, George Kambosos Jr. Although Lopez predicted an emphatic knockout victory, he was in for the shock of a lifetime. On the night, the Aussie dropped Lopez in the opening round before eking out a close split decision victory.

As Kambosos Jr. now begins life as a unified lightweight champion, Bill Haney can’t help but become irate as mountains upon mountains of money have effectively been flushed down the drain.

“I think Teo done f*cked the money up,” said Haney during an interview with ChampSide. “It’s definitely gut-wrenching because everybody wanted to see that fight with Devin and Teo.”

Though Haney is apoplectic over the lost funds, he’s now turned his direction towards his son and his ambitions of becoming an undisputed world champion. To the delight of the WBC belt holder, Kambosos Jr., immediately following the biggest win of his career, readily admitted that a showdown against Haney is one he craves more than any other.

Those words, unsurprisingly, are music to the ears of both Devin and his father. However, with Diaz standing firmly in his way, Bill doesn’t want his son to focus on anything other than the former world champion.

“Kambosos did great. We look forward to the opportunity but we have to handle our business of course with Jojo Diaz. We can’t look past him.”

With Lopez vs. Haney now appearing to be a thing of the past, Bill is still baffled by what took place this past weekend. As Lopez’s time at the top of the 135-pound mountain top has now come to an end, Bill Haney offers an explanation as to why the now fallen star was knocked off his high horse.

“He looked overconfident and out of shape.”

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Devin Haney To “Jo Jo” Diaz: “There’s Nothing He Can Do To Win”

Posted on 11/11/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Devin Haney was beginning to lose hope.

With the 22-year-old WBC lightweight champion calling for showdowns against the top names in his division, it seemed more and more likely that his next ring appearance would be against an unworthy foe. However, with Ryan Garcia forced to withdraw from his showdown against Joseph Diaz due to surgery on his right wrist, Haney saw it as an opportunity.

After huddling up with promoter Eddie Hearn, the pair reached an agreement with Diaz to face Haney instead. The pair will now square off on December 4th, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Though on paper, Diaz appears to be the most arduous task of Haney’s title reign, the Las Vegas, resident believes he couldn’t have asked for a more favorable matchup.

“At the end of the day, skills pay the bills,” said Haney during their joint press conference. “I feel like his style will be tailor-made for me.”

Haney’s overwhelming confidence with how his showdown against Diaz will shake out mostly stems from how the early portion of his career has gone thus far. Though Haney is barely of drinking age, he’s gone on to dominate the competition. Most recently, Haney picked up the most impressive win of his career, a 12 round unanimous decision over former multiple division champion, Jorge Linares.

Diaz, on the other hand, isn’t unnerved by what he’s up against. With wins over Tevin Farmer and Javier Fortuna, the 28-year-old is convinced that he’s in the prime of his career. In the mind of Haney, however, Diaz being in his prime is extraneous.

As the WBC belt holder takes a long, strong look at the skillset of his upcoming opponent, he simply doesn’t see where Diaz holds an edge in any department.

“There’s nothing he can do to win. He can’t outbox me, I will show him that he can’t out bang me. I have all the tools to win.”

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