Devin Haney: The Undisputed Champion of the Lightweight Division
Devin Haney is the NEW undisputed lightweight champion after he beat George Kambosos Jr in Australia last night. This victory makes him the youngest American to hold all four major boxing titles in the same weight class. In addition, it highlights his status as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
The 23-year-old Haney is only the second Undisputed Lightweight Champion in boxing history, and he seems poised to rule the division for years to come. While there are sure to be challenges ahead, there is no doubt that Devin Haney is a special talent.
His combination of speed, power, and athleticism is rare, and his desire to be the best is evident in everything he does. With this recent victory, Devin Haney has cemented his place among the greats of boxing.
Devin “The Dream” Haney traveled to Melbourne to unify the division against all odds and was rewarded with a unanimous decision in a 12-round bout with over 41,000 in attendance at Marvel Stadium.
Upon entering the stadium, Devin was met with boos and disapproval from the Australian fanbase; however, as the fight continued, he silenced the crowd in remarkable fashion when the decision was announced, and the new champion raised his arms in triumph.
It was a triumphant moment for the American, who cemented his place as one of the best lightweight boxers in the world.
Devin Haney Stuns George Kambosos with a Boxing Masterclass
In what can only be described as a boxing masterclass, the Las Vegas champion outboxed the 28-year-old Australian to retain the WBC belt and take the lineal/WBA/IBF/WBO crown, becoming the undisputed champion of the world.
It was a dominant performance from start to finish, with Devin Haney using his superior footwork and boxing skills to control the ring and keep George Kambosos Jr neutralized the entire fight.
The Australian did his best to pick up his offensive game plan in the later rounds; however, he had no response to Haney’s astonishing display of boxing skills.
The Last Undisputed Lightweight Champion was Pernell Whitaker in 1990
On February 25, 1990, Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker became the first undisputed lightweight champion of the world after Roberto Durán. In a highly anticipated fight, Whitaker defeated Greg Haugen in a unanimous decision similar to Devin Haney, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
The victory was especially sweet for Whitaker, who had lost his previous fight to Julio Cesar Chavez just six months earlier in a controversial decision. However, there was no denying Whitaker’s talent, and he proved once again that he was the best in the business.
Thanks to his impressive boxing skills and top-tier work ethic, Pernell Whitaker is viewed as one of the best lightweight boxers in history.
It was Devin’s dream to become undisputed like “Sweet Pea” and on June 5th, Haney took his record to 28-0 (15 KOs) with his win over George Kambosos Jr becoming the first undisputed lightweight champion since the late Pernell Whitaker in 1990.
In doing so, Haney also became the first fighter to unify all four major titles in the division (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO). It was a dominant performance from start to finish for Haney, who controlled the action with his jab and agility.
He stunned George all throughout the night forcing him to have to reset his game plan with every single jab and there was no doubt who the better fighter was tonight
The Key To Devin Haney’s Victory Over George Kambosos
Leading up to the fight, Devin Haney says he planned on taking away George Kambosos Jr’s key attributes in the following video with Marcos from Fight Hub TV.
“I will exploit all his weaknesses. Everything that he did wrong, all those mistakes that he made in the Teo fight…I will exploit. After this fight, I will make him look average no matter what type of style he brings to the fight. I will make him look mediocre.” ~ Devin Haney
Haney says he was able to take away Kambosos Jr’s plan of attack and gain an advantage in the fight. He took away George Kambosos’s right hand and left hook, which was George’s potential threat against Haney.
The game plan was to go in and use the sweet science of boxing, better known as the art of hitting and not getting hit and Haney did that masterfully.
George Kambosos Jr Wants To Use Rematch Clause for November Fight
Leading up to the fight, George Kambosos Jr stated that he did not want the rematch clause to be put into the contract; however, after getting beat and losing his beats he is now saying that since he gave Devin Haney the shot to become undisputed, it is only right that Devin fights him again in a rematch this year in November.
Haney accepted all of George’s demands and he is willing to fight again; however, everyone in the boxing world does not believe Kambosos deserves a rematch since he lost in a unanimous decision.
While it remains to be seen whether or not Haney will give Kambosos the rematch he wants, one thing is certain: George will lose again if they decide to have a rematch.
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George Kambosos Did Not Have an Answer for Devin Haney
In the eighth round, Kambosos became very frustrated and he pushed Devin Haney to the canvas. After this sign of frustration, George Kambosos Jr tried to up his tempo in the later round, but Haney was too elusive.
Haney continued to show his superior boxing skills in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh rounds and the Australian remained frustrated and defeated for the rest of the fight.
George was able to land a few punches, but they were not having any effect on Haney as he continued to jab Kambosos’s face off.
Devin Haney Pitched a Shutout Against George Kambosos Jr
The judges called this fight the way that everyone else saw the fight and awarded Haney a unanimous decision with two judges scoring the bout 116-112 and the last judge scoring the fight 118-110 win for the Las Vegas champion.
*Photos courtesy of Boxing Scene
