Devin Haney is again in Australia this week, as he’s set to rematch George Kambosos Jr for the undisputed light-weight championship in Melbourne this Saturday night U.S. time, Sunday afternoon Aussie time.
Will Haney repeat, leisurely dominating to a call? Will he flip up the warmth and go after a stoppage win? Can Kambosos get one other stunner end result and make it 1-1 in opposition to the American?
Scott Christ (69-31)
I made a calculated gamble choosing Kambosos again in June. Didn’t repay. Received’t be choosing him a second time. I simply don’t suppose he has the depth of talent to beat Devin Haney, however he did not less than combat him, and can once more. That’s greater than may be mentioned for Vasiliy Lomachenko or Ryan Garcia, each of whom averted ordered (or would-have-been-ordered) fights with Devin.
Haney is rarely going to totally wow individuals the way in which, say, a younger, pre-welterweight Floyd Mayweather did. He doesn’t have that type of flash and pizzazz to his recreation. However he’s a sensible, well-rounded boxer who is aware of his talent set and has labored to maximise it. In an period the place we regularly speak about a decline in primary fundamentals amongst even world-level fighters and too many fighters making an attempt to work in opposition to what may/ought to be their apparent strengths, Devin Haney is a jab machine who isn’t afraid to make a combat boring.
That mentioned, whereas I don’t really consider within the bluster of Kambosos and the acquainted tales of going again to fundamentals, no distractions in camp this time, native media doing their greatest to fawn over the coaching camp tales, I additionally know Devin Haney-level fighters have misplaced fights the place they weren’t, for one motive or one other, all that motivated to be there within the first place and got here in as if the end result was a foregone conclusion. We watched Zab Judah lose to Carlos Baldomir. Rather more not too long ago, we watched Teofimo Lopez lose to George Kambosos Jr. There are dozens of different examples.
Possibly Haney and his dad are simply returning the bluster favor from the spring press conferences and build-up, however they’re indisputably not on their acquainted wavelength. I feel it’s seemingly nothing, and that even when Devin has an off-night, his fashion is one the place he’ll claw and survive and win — and deserve it — anyway. However it’s the little itch. Boxing is a sport that delivers plenty of bizarre tales in relation to upsets. Haney UD-12
Wil Esco (81-19)
Actually, it’s actually arduous for me to see what John sees in George Kambosos in addition to the spartan tattoos. Possibly if he may peel Leonidas off his again to lend him a hand within the ring right here he might need higher odds, however poor ol’ Georgie is gonna need to go it alone. And in a one-on-one situation with Devin Haney I don’t see any actual clear path to victory.
Sure, I nonetheless suppose Haney’s popularity is essentially overblown by his undisputed standing as a result of whenever you actually seems to be at it, he’s had the best path to undisputed, by far, when in comparison with different latest undisputed champions like Oleksandr Usyk, Terence Crawford, and Josh Taylor. Haney was promoted into one belt, after which gained all the remaining off a man nobody regarded very extremely till he managed to upset a compromised, near-death, Teofimo Lopez. To me, that’s about as spectacular as Thanos profitable all six infinity stones off Spider Man’s fats sidekick buddy.
And now that I’ve completely riled up Hansen, he’s simply gonna need to stew in it for a pair extra days till he, too, witnesses the inevitable Haney factors domination. Kambosos couldn’t cope with the jab-and-grab earlier than, and he’s not going to dramatically reinvent himself on this rematch. Haney UD-12
John Hansen (77-23)
Again in June, I suffered the ache and disgrace that just about everybody else within the boxing group already felt fairly keenly not less than as soon as earlier than: Being fallacious in regards to the end result of a George Kambosos combat.
Haney jabbed and clinched his option to victory final time, and Kambosos couldn’t get any sustained exercise going for himself. Credit score to Haney, who made it troublesome and unsightly due to that sharp, unyielding lead punch, however blame additionally falls on Kambosos, who fought too cautiously, as fighters with one thing to lose generally do.
This time round, Kambosos has nothing to lose however consciousness. And boxing has already seen what the person can do in opposition to a much bigger, youthful, extra naturally gifted opponent when he’s hungry, with a coronary heart full of fireside and the liberty that comes from the world underestimating him.
I don’t consider within the knock that Haney has a weak chin, however it isn’t fabricated from metal, and it could and has been cracked. We noticed it occur in opposition to Jorge Linares, who obtained into an trade and caught Haney with a counter proper hand that left Haney wobbling like Jell-O on a subwoofer. Had that punch come even 15 seconds earlier, it might need ended the combat.
Nicely, anybody that’s watched Kambosos vs Lopez prefer it’s boxing’s Zapruder movie is aware of that Kambosos knocked down Lopez with a counter proper hand of his personal within the first spherical of their combat. We’ve seen Haney rocked by the identical factor Kambosos labored to perfection in opposition to Teofimo Lopez. If Kambosos can will himself via the incessant jabs and in some way wrestle his method free from Haney’s non-consensual cuddling, the trail to victory is there.
11 months in the past, I inspired you all to affix me in “pulling an emotional oar for a righteous trigger.” Now, it’s Halloween season, and I nonetheless consider wholeheartedly within the Nice Pumpkin. Be part of me, for those who’re courageous sufficient, for a celebration within the pumpkin patch on Saturday night time. Kambosos KO-9
Patrick Stumberg (82-18)
This combat is a poster baby for why boxing must step again and re-examine its overuse of rematch clauses. There was nothing within the first combat to counsel that Kambosos was a tweak or two away from success; his fashion is constructed round capitalizing when his opponents overextend, however Haney’s size and craft meant he by no means needed to. I can’t fathom this going higher for Kambosos when Haney, who by no means wanted to go previous second gear to outclass him, now has 36 minutes of knowledge to work with.
Their first assembly was the very best probability Kambosos will ever need to topple Haney and he couldn’t even discover sufficient success to sway hometown judges. Haney outclasses him once more. Haney UD-12
