Devin Haney entered boxing training and overcame George Kambosos Jr to become the undisputed lightweight champion in Melbourne.
After a week of emotional, fierce and ‘deceitful’ fighting, Haney pulled a card out of Floyd Mayweather’s book and proved that skill at the cost of a 36-minute performance saw him above a level above the competition.
Haney is too fast, too smart, and too cool to be at Marvel Stadium, where Kambosos needs The Avengers to help him retain his title.
Kambosos never lacked effort but every second he walked on his front foot, Haney was one step ahead. The only concern after such a one-way contest is how Haney will be treated on the scoreboard. Thankfully, the right man received the nod although two 116-112 scorecards from Zoltan Enyedi and Benoit Roussel were another cause for concern. 118-110 by Pawel Kardyni is much more accurate.
After the verdict, Haney’s shoulder quickly turned stiff and while the Kambosos respected the defeat, members of both teams exchanged angry words. Bill Haney, Devin’s father and coach, came to Australia at the age of 11order hours after visa issues and having plenty to get off the chest after missing a week of fighting and witnessing insults fired at his son led by Kambosos himself.
Team Haney’s return to the US has proven a point and should now really be heading for more challenging tests but a contract clause allowing the Kambosos to rematch could see ‘The Dream’ return Down Under and Repeat for all. It was a tough trade because Kambosos chased shadows on a night where Devin Haney chose to be influenced by the Art of Boxing rather than the Art of War.
