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Mike CoppingerESPN
“There will be no rematch.”
“Don’t want one.”
The exchange between Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa, whom Creed defeated in the first installment of the classic series, seems fitting. Devin Haney dominates George Kambosos Jr. beat 12 rounds in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday night (Sunday afternoon in Australia) to claim the undisputed lightweight championship.
Really, what else is there to see? It wasn’t like Kambosos possessed the power to crush souls or simply had a good night’s sleep. It’s hard to imagine what else the Kambosos could have done after watching 12 rounds of mostly non-competitive play at home. The two scorecards 116-112 do not accurately depict the fight. Tuesday is 118-110.
But most likely Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) and Kambosos ran it again. In the end, the Kambosos (20-1, 10 KOs) called the shots championship, and Haney accepted for a chance. The deal includes a rematch clause that, if implemented, ensures the Kambosos will return later this year, also in Australia.
“Yes, 100%… we will do it again,” Kambosos said when asked if he would fulfill the rematch clause. “Listen, I gave him an injection. If I hadn’t given him this shot, he wouldn’t have had his moment right now.
“He took and held a lot and did what he had to do to win. That’s it. You do what you have to do to win, and today they gave him the right to decide. , but I’m sure that will change when we get it back. … This will make me hungrier.”
There was no doubt that Kambosos believed those words. It’s hard to doubt the 28-year-old’s strong determination after he did exactly what he vowed to do against Teofimo Lopez in November to collect four lightweight titles.
Kambosos scored the knock-out in the opening round of that game – ESPN’s upset event of the year – to announce his arrival on the world stage.
But after 12 rounds with Haney, a fighter whose style is far from Lopez, there won’t be much public hunger for a rematch. And why should there be?
The fight, to put it politely, was tactical throughout. Haney boxed brilliantly and used his stellar shot to offset Kambosos’ powerful hits. The strategy was executed to perfection. Haney never took any risks, opting instead to box and move, while taking knife hits to her body and head.
Rarely does a punch of power connect from either boxer. According to CompuBox, Haney hit 69 power shots, compared to Kambosos’ 68. There was no drama in the fight, not a single moment where Kambosos could win.
That’s not to say he doesn’t deserve a rematch. As Kambosos pointed out, Haney only got the opportunity because Kambosos gave it to him. Sure, the Kambosos could pick any much easier opponent to defend the title at home.
Instead, he decided to seek out the toughest challenge available. And that means we’ll almost certainly be seeing 12 more matches between Kambosos and Haney.
“I don’t shy away from or avoid anyone,” says Haney, 23.
It doesn’t make all that much sense, but the contract supersedes them all. Haney’s only real way to fight another opponent is to skip the four 135-pound titles he won and move up to 140-pounders.
So, instead of a potential fight with Ryan Garcia or Gervonta Davis, Haney can look forward to another fight with the Kambosos. Another Haney victory will set them on their own separate paths.
Unnecessary rematch is a staple of boxing, a sport in which the champion or side A wields tremendous force. Look no further than the upcoming rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua for the unified heavyweight title. Joshua went into his first bout with three titles but was clearly dominated by Usyk and almost stopped moving.
Of course, Joshua had to withdraw the rematch clause. And true champions always believe they can find a way to get revenge. And that is exactly how Kambosos feels then. After all, the odds were piling up against him when he challenged Lopez last year.
Perhaps cooler heads will prevail and Kambosos will at least agree to allow a temporary title grab before he meets Haney again, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“I have to deploy a few things, but I think the fight is very close,” said Kambosos. “He’s moving. He’s boxing. He doesn’t really want to get into the fight too much, but it’s his game, so I respect him. I’ll change a few things and bring him back at the end of this year.
“I take risks. I fight the best in the business. At the end of the day, I don’t have to fight him. Not many people want to fight him. But I shot him right away, so that’s why. I’m sure we’ll do it again.”
