WBC Special Preview: #Haney Kambosos II
Finesse or Thunder? Repeat or Revenge?
By James Blears
The WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO Lightweight champion, Devin Haney, gives George Kambosos Jr a chance to rectify his only defeat, in a rematch, this time at the Rod Laver Arena, in Melbourne, Australia hovering between Saturday October 15th and the next day, depending upon if you're Down Under, or way yonder on the other side of the World.
In their first encounter at the Marvel Stadium, Melbourne on June 5th, Devin lived up to his nickname “The Dream”, by boxing with finesse and aplomb to win via convincing UD. In doing so, he took away George's perfect record, adding all the other titles to his Green and Gold laurels.
It's remarkable to consider that Devin is still only 23 years young. His record is 28-0, 15KOs. While George, who is six years older, is now 20-1, 10 KOs. Devin was so confident in his ability to decipher any potential puzzles or teasers, that he strolled straight into the lion's den, thousands of miles from his Las Vegas home, and agreed to saunter back there all over again for the hitherto stipulated rematch.
Devin's superbly accurate left jab paved the way to his success, keeping George at distance and off-balance, preventing him from closing any gap. It stymied George from launching a two fisted onslaught, frustrating him. George wasn't able to live up to his nickname of 'Ferocious', because a master class of boxing excellence neutralised him.
Watching and assessing the fight, it's evident how exceptional Devin's timing, footwork and handiwork is. He is a master craftsman. George often held his left hand low and Devin ruthlessly exploited this time and again with single and double jabs. George landed a big right in the second, which Devin walked straight into and then a left hook. But Devin weathered both well. In round three Devin landed a sharp left right combination and George replied with a solid counter right, but was only having fleeting spasmodic single punch success with an elusive opponent. Devin's concentration and ring generalship were spiking George's firepower, dampening his keg of gunpowder.
It wasn't until round eight that the defending champion briefly managed to close the distance, but it quickly reverted to Devin dominance again with George being outsmarted further still. Going into the final round, Devin held a 74-34 jab connect advantage and an overall connect sway of 136-104 punches. He had imposed his sharp, successful style on the Aussie, outfoxing and out-boxing him by a country mile.
Prior to the opening bell, George had been taut and wound up tighter than a coiled spring. Natural adrenaline and testosterone seemed to be oozing out of his pores, but this didn't flow to his fists and infuse them. Pale, purposeful and utterly determined to do his home fans proud, he was altogether too pent up and overwrought.
A very different fight he'd fought against Teofimo Lopez to win his titles. Teo vowed to blast him out in round one, but it was George who dropped Teo to the canvass in that torrid opening stanza. Then a fearsome two and fro, give and take slugfest tear up, testing George`s resolve to the limit and far beyond it, when he was decked in the tenth, but got up and fought on to the end, which brought him a well- deserved split decision victory. Captain Fantastic!
In a very different fight against Devin, he just couldn`t get past that jarring left jab, which reddened his face, and markedly altered his pace. It possessed and contained the ticking regularity of the Greenwich Time signal. It didn't clock face George, but kept him in check and at bay, so he was unable to land the big hand and reach high noon. Checkmate!
Devin who now believes he has George`s measure and can perfectly time his tempo, has generously said that even if George loses to him again, he still has a bright future in boxing. But for a man as proud and as ambitious as George, nothing short of outright victory in this rematch, leading to redemption will be sufficient.
Devin appears to be holding all the aces in his hands and close to his chest, so George must pull out a wild card, to bust the flush. The key to this lies in Devin's fight against sturdy veteran Jorge Linares. At the time of that fight Devin was twenty two and Jorge was thirty five, but far from his dotage! Devin started like a train on fire. Forty one jabs in round one. He then unleashed uppercuts, went to the body and exploited his full and diverse gamut of punches.
Jorge who is lean and tough, took a lot of punishment to cut the distance and exchange albeit numerically unevenly. Yet, Jorge started to find success with the right hook and the right- cross. This irked, nettled and unsettled Devin, rather than really hurt him, and several times he appeared irritated as well as a touch flustered…momentarily. Not unnatural for a wunderkind who`s used to getting all his own way.
It took patient Jorge until the ninth round to land a really solid left right combination and a left hook. Then, a couple of seconds before the end of the tenth, a sweetly placed right hook, wobbled Devin, the bell rang and Jorge ushered the unsteady, lurching young man to the corner with a matador like gesture in the flamboyant style of flourishing a cape. Devin was badly hurt for the first time in his career. It says a lot about his conditioning, character and intelligence that he didn`t get caught like that again. He`d been on the horns of a dilemma and passed the test. A convincing UD for Devin, but there had been some uncomfortable moments and that one mighty momentary scare.
For this second fight with Devin, George must apply constant pressure, transforming a boxing match into a pitched battle worthy of his ancestors the Spartans. He`ll never outbox Devin. His chance is in outfighting him by transforming this into a short range, long haul brawl. To achieve it he must take huge risks and wade through a torrent of poignant left jabs, to land his very own cascade of leather. That dangling left hand must be corrected, rectified and defensively brought up to protect his chin. He must go to the body to sap plus drain reservoir reserves of energy, cut off the ring, drive Devin back from its center and on to the ropes, removing Devin from his comfort zone.
Devin is all too aware of what is at stake and that George is even more focused and ravenous this time around. Another win for Devin will cement his legacy in this rivalry and relegate George within it. Rod Laver was a master technician and tactician on the court. But…this isn`t tennis. George has to push the boundaries within the ropes. Hard but fair, as I`m sure it will be. After all…anything which deviated from that, simply wouldn't be cricket!
Prediction
Tim Rickson, BBN Editor: "Devin Haney is a cerebral fighter and after 12 rounds together already, he should come out for round one like it's round 13, and just a continuation of the first fight.
"George Kambosos Jr. has more room to improve than Haney, so he needs to get into a rhythm early and he has to try to get his shots off in numbers before Haney can start to dominate the match with his jab. George will be the underdog and challenger like he was against Teofimo Lopez, so I hope he comes back for revenge with the same mindset and dogged determination that he had for that fight.
"Although I do expect Kambosos to be better, I also think Haney will be too, and can him dominating the contest again to win via unanimous decision."
Tale of the Tape
DEVIN “The Dream” HANEY
(USA)
WBC Lightweight World Champion
Age: 23
Date of birth: November 17, 1998
Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
Record: 28-0, 15 KOs
Total rounds: 174
World championship fights: 5-0, 0KOs
Height: 5’9″ – 175cm
Reach: 72″ – 183cm
Stance: Orthodox
Advisor-trainer: Bill Haney
GEORGE “Ferocious” KAMBOSOS JR.
(Australia)
WBC No.3
Age: 29
Date of birth: June 14, 1993
Residence, birthplace: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Record: 20-1, 10KOs
Total rounds: 142
World championship fights: 1-1, 0KOs
Height: 5’9.5 – 176cm
Reach: 68 ” – 173cm
Stance: Right-handed
Managers: Jim Kambosos, Peter Kahn
WBC World Lightweight Champions
1. Carlos Ortiz (P. Rico) 1963 – 1965
2. Ismael Laguna (Pan) 1965
3. Carlos Ortiz (P. Rico) * 1965 – 1968
4. Carlos Teo Cruz (Dom .R.) 1968 – 1969
5. Mando Ramos (US) 1969 – 1970
6. Ismael Laguna (Pan)* 1970
7. Pedro Carrasco (Spain) 1971 – 1972
8. Mando Ramos (US) * 1972
9. Erubey Carmona (Mex) 1972
10. Rodolfo Gonzalez (Mex) 1972 – 1974
11. Ishimatsu Suzuki (Japan) 1974 – 1976
12. Esteban De Jesus (P. Rico) 1976 – 1978
13. Roberto Duran (Pan) 1978
14. Jim Watt (GB) 1979 – 1981
15. Alexis Arguello (Nic) 1981 – 1983
16. Edwin Rosario (P. Rico) 1983 – 1984
17. Jose Luis Ramirez (Méx) 1984 – 1985
18. Hector Camacho (P. Rico) 1985 – 1987
19. Jose Luis Ramírez (Méx) * 1987 – 1988
20. Julio Cesar Chavez (Méx) 1988
21. Pernell Whitaker (US) 1989 – 1991
22. Miguel Angel Gonzalez (Mex) 1992 – 1995
23. Jean Baptiste Mendy (Fra) 1996 – 1997
24. Stevie Johnston (US) 1997 – 1998
25. Cesar Bazan (Mex) 1998 – 1999
26. Steve Johnston (US) * 1999 – 2000
27. Jose Luis Castillo (Mex) 2000 – 2002
28. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (US) 2002 – 2003
29. Jose Luis Castillo (Mex) * 2004 – 2005
30. Diego Corrales (US) 2005
31. Jose A. Santa Cruz (US) Interim 2006
32. David Diaz (US) Interim 2006 – 2008
33. Joel Casamayor (Cuba) 2007
34. Manny Pacquiao (Phil) 2008
35. Edwin Valero (Venezuela) 2009 – 2010
36. Antonio De Marco (Mex) Interim 2009 – 2010
37. Humberto Soto (Mexico) 2010 – 2011
38. Antonio De Marco (Mexico) * 2011 – 2012
39. Adrien Broner (US) 2012 – 2013
40. Omar Figueroa (Mex/US) 2014
41. Jorge Linares (Venezuela) 2014 – 2016
42. Dejan Zlaticanin (Montenegro) 2016 – 2017
43. Mikey Garcia (US) 2018 – 2019
44. Vasiliy Lomachenko (Ukraine) Franchise Champion 2019 – 2020
45. Devin Haney (US) 2019 – current
46. Teofimo Lopez (Honduras/US) Franchise Champion 2020 – 2021
47. Ryan Garcia (US) Interim 2021
48. George Kambosos Jr. (Aust) Franchise Champion 2021 – 2022
* Regained
WBC Top 10 Lightweight Champions
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (US)
2. Julio Cesar Chavez (Mexico)
3. Roberto Duran (Panama)
4. Carlos Ortiz (Puerto Rico)
5. Pernell Whitaker (US)
6. Alexis Arguello (Nicaragua)
7. Hector Camacho (Puerto Rico)
8. Ismael Laguna (Panama)
9. Esteban De Jesus (Puerto Rico)
10. Edwin Rosario (Puerto Rico)
WBC Lightweight History
40 world champions have been recognised by the WBC, seven of whom have regained the title: Carlos Ortiz (Puerto Rico), Ismael Laguna (Panama), Mando Ramos (US), Jose Luis Ramirez (Mexico), Stevie Johnston (US), Jose Luis Castillo (Mexico), Antonio DeMarco (Mexico).
128 lightweight world championship fights have been held in WBC history.
