Devin Haney is set to make his first title defense against George Kambosos in a captivating rematch at 135lbs
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Haney will make his first title defense against the Aussie
Devin Haney and George Kambosos have finally come to terms with how they want to initiate their rematch clause for the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO lightweight titles. This is the rematch of their earlier fight that took place at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
In that fight, Haney comfortably cruised to a decision against Kambosos in what was the first title defense of his lightweight belts. What was supposed to be a huge homecoming for the Australian turned out to be the crowning moment in the life of the young American.
Kambosos himself won the belt from Teofimo Lopez, who like George was making his title defense against him after winning the title off a decision victory over the longtime champ, Vasyl Lomachenko. Many argue that he was the true deserving contender since he never got a rematch for the titles he lost.
Devin Haney to rematch George Kambosos
Instead due to the rematch clause in their contract, Haney will have to defend his title against Kambosos himself. The last fight was an absolute masterclass in boxing by the 23-year-old who is now considered to be arguably the best active lightweight.
Even putting the fight aside, his behavior prior to entering the squared circle didn’t exude the confidence of a champion. Notably, he missed weight on his first attempt, weighing in. 36 lbs over the 135 lbs limit. Kambosos ultimately made the weight within the stipulated additional two hours, but would famously say that the first weight kiss was all a part of his elaborate mind games on Haney.
Not that they seemed to have any effect on the American as was evident in his performance. Now he faces an upwards battle against a young champion who has decisively beaten the veteran with 0 title defenses.
Many have argued in light of the announcement that rematch clauses are a big reason that division may sometimes feel very stagnant in boxing. To this, the UFC and MMA provide a good example in that a champion without defenses is not eligible for immediate rematches.
Another famous and recent rematch clause putting the division in a stagnant position was the trilogy between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder. While their first fight ended in a draw, Fury was arguably the better boxer that night. All questions should have been answered when he finished Wilder in the seventh round of their rematch. However, a rematch clause cost the heavyweight division the highly anticipated Joshua X Fury fight with the division having to settle for a trilogy fight between the Brit and Wilder.
Also Read: Ryan Garcia sends a message to Devin Haney after spectacular win over Javier Fortuna
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Jerin Mathew
(713 Articles Published)