Whereas George Kambosos Jr. introduced the followers to the struggle, Devin Haney virtually instantly took them out of it.
On a brisk Sunday afternoon, almost 42,000 followers packed into Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium to observe Kambosos (20-1, 10 KO) make the primary protection of the light-weight titles he lifted from Teofimo Lopez final November. What they, and Kambosos, received was a boxing lesson of the best order. The struggle might have did not dwell as much as the hype of the contentious buildup, however that’s often the case when the gulf of expertise between the 2 combatants is that this large.
Haney (28-0, 15 KO) traveled throughout the globe into enemy territory and located himself at a tactical drawback from the outset. Visa points initially left him with out the providers of his father and head coach Invoice Haney till a last-minute reprieve, which I assume concerned a shadowy authorities agent gruffly mumbling the phrases “Do it” right into a burner telephone after which instantly cracking it in half like Gus Fring and throwing the components into separate trash cans, reunited the 2 throughout struggle week. His minimize man Bob Ware was then detained on the airport simply days earlier than the struggle and any thought this wasn’t a world conspiracy orchestrated by QAnon, Invoice Gates and the Illuminati went straight out the window.
None of it will matter.
In boxing, the phrases “masterclass” and “boring” are sometimes interchangeable and which one you select to make use of relies on what you’re seeking to get out of the game. Your mileage might fluctuate on how a lot pure boxing you’ll be able to take earlier than your eyelids get heavy, but it surely’s unimaginable to disclaim the basic dominance Haney confirmed in opposition to Kambosos followers who merely need violence will at all times decry jab-heavy routs as uninteresting or uninteresting however, at its core, that is the character of boxing. Brutality is solely a byproduct, albeit an at all times welcome one.
The actual fact is, you don’t must please everybody. Hell, you don’t must please anybody. Title belts match the identical no matter how a lot blood is spilled. The zeroes in your checking account seem simply as spherical with out two black eyes. How a fighter chooses to get his W is his enterprise. Whether or not followers need to watch them accomplish that is theirs. That is, in spite of everything, a enterprise and barely in enterprise do all events stroll away completely happy.
As the 2 fighters entered the ring on an ESPN televised card this previous weekend, the query of whether or not or not the tried handicapping of Haney within the weeks prior would spill out into the ring was entrance of thoughts for a lot of viewers. It wouldn’t take lengthy to get a solution.
From the opening bell it was clear that Haney deliberate to make use of a snapping jab as his main weapon. If Kambosos have been to have any success in any respect, he must someway get previous the whip crack proper hand of Haney and I’ll prevent the suspense; he was not profitable. Barreling in along with his head down, Kambosos was periodically capable of strafe Haney with brief proper fingers inside however by the mid-rounds these moments got here much less and fewer.
Haney continued to financial institution rounds by merely popping his jab and transferring out of vary earlier than Kambosos had an opportunity to return hearth. If it looks like I’m being obscure in my description of occasions, it’s almost certainly resulting from the truth that I’m. This was merely a grasp boxer plying his commerce in opposition to a merely good one. Sustained moments of motion have been briefly provide, largely as a result of Kambosos was incapable of forcing Haney to provide any.
For all his bluster and manic D-level Conor McGregor power, Kambosos does possess some heavy fingers. An explosive first spherical knockdown in opposition to Lopez proved as a lot. However bullets are ineffective and not using a gun, and punching energy doesn’t imply shit when you can’t land. Haney’s footspeed and ring IQ ensured that Kambosos’s weapons would stay holstered for a lot of the evening.
In the long run, scores of 118-110 and 116-112 twice, noticed Haney take a unanimous resolution in what ought to’ve been a lot nearer to a shutout. With the win he turns into the undisputed light-weight champion of the world at simply 24 years outdated.
Kambosos has a rematch clause in place which he says he intends to make use of however my guess is {that a} full viewing of this struggle within the chilly gentle of day will persuade him in any other case. Going again into the ring later this yr with a nonetheless bettering Devin Haney is like fucking on a trampoline; it looks like a good suggestion if you’re drunk however finally you’re simply gonna find yourself with a damaged rib and a bruised ego.
There are many entertaining scraps to make for Kambosos with guys who’re barely extra on his stage. He’s an entertaining presence for some and goal of derision for others, however that’s what sells. In opposition to a sure class of fighter he can do huge enterprise and perhaps even declare one other title right here or there. He’s a hometown hero and civic delight equals huge bucks in boxing.
For newly topped champ Haney, the sky is the restrict. His ceiling is someplace up within the stratosphere and we virtually definitely haven’t seen something near it but. Large names and even larger fights await as a loaded light-weight division have all turned their sights on him. Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Shakur Stevenson, and Vasyl Lomachenko, to call a number of. Combine and match these fighters in any method you select and also you’ve received superfight potential.
Nevertheless you slice it although, all roads now result in Devin Haney. Seven years into his skilled profession he appears like each a prospect and veteran. As he takes heart stage in one of many sport’s true glamor divisions, his mettle will now absolutely be examined. Up to now, he’s proven no indicators of cracking.
There are those that will acknowledge and respect the artistry of his craft. There are those that will proceed to name him boring as properly.
That’s tremendous.
So long as you name him what he now undisputedly is: The Light-weight Champion of the World.
