By: Hans Themistode
From the moment Devin Haney burst onto the scene in 2014, the ambitious former amateur standout clamored to be a part of the biggest fights possible. Although it may have taken Haney a bit longer than he wanted, the 23-year-old has finally gotten his wish granted.
On June 5th, in front of what’s expected to be a mercilessly booing crowd, Haney will attempt to truncate the world title reign of unified lightweight champion, George Kambosos Jr.
For the majority of their virtual presser, Haney and Kambosos Jr. ripped into one another. Despite the back and forth theatrics, the current WBC 135 pound belt holder knows exactly what Kambosos Jr. represents. Having fought several former champions such as Yuriokis Gamboa and Jorge Linares, Haney is well aware that both fighters were well beyond their golden years. In the case of Kambosos Jr., however, the 28-year-old Australian native appears to be smack dab in the middle of his prime.
“I think George is a great fighter,” said Haney. “I been asking for the top fighters for a while now. I finally got one of them that’s in their primes that’s coming off the biggest win of their career. I’m happy about that.”
Kambosos Jr., of course, scored arguably the upset of the year in 2021. This past November, Kambosos Jr. defiantly stormed into the backyard and then, unified champion, Teofimo Lopez. Despite his underdog status, Kambosos Jr. rose to the occasion, scoring an early knockdown on the night before eking out the close split decision win.
During his showdown against Lopez, Kambosos Jr. pumped a consistent jab, showed an impressive chin, and placed his underrated boxing skills on display.
Admittedly, Haney was incredulous with the final results as he believed Lopez would pick up the victory. While he was ultimately proven wrong, Haney is unwilling to view the win of Kambosos Jr. as fluky.
Come June 5th, not only will Kambosos Jr. have Haney’s undivided attention but the 23-year-old is quietly looking forward to nullifying all of the unified champion’s offensive attributes.
“The things that he does best, I will take away from him and make it an easy night.”