"Give justice to the fight" - George Kambosos Jr. wants a sterner ref for Devin Haney rematch

George Kambosos Jr. is hoping for a more assertive referee in his upcoming rematch against Devin Haney on October 16 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

Kambosos Jr. was comprehensively beaten by Haney back in June via unanimous decision. The American showcased phenomenal boxing skills to nullify Kambosos' punching combinations and cruise to victory. With his win, Haney became the Undisputed Lightweight Champion.

Watch the full fight replay of George Kambosos Jr. vs Devin Haney 1:

However, the Australian believes that Haney held excessively in their first encounter and should have been penalized. 'The Emperor' also believes that the referee's lack of involvement led to a less exciting contest.

In an interview with FightHype, Kambosos said the following:

"Look, I'm not going to take away his victory. Fantastic win, he's a champ. He's a champ for a reason. Could the fight have been a little more exciting? Could the referee have been a little more stern with certain things? Could he have created some warnings? Yes, but that's what I hope. A new ref that we have in this fight...Give justice to the fight, give it the momentum that it needs."

Watch the full interview below:

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George Kambosos Jr. vows to come back stronger in the Haney rematch

Kambosos Jr. continued by expressing how his recent loss to Haney has increased his motivation.

The former unified Lightweight Champion is determined to rediscover the form that allowed him to defeat Teofimo Lopez in 2021. He added:

"I'm already in that mindset right now. Outside and out of reach. We'll do our best work on October 16. This would be further than what I was leading up to become champion. But when someone loses something. When lose everything actually, they often become dangerous because they have nothing to lose after that. So everything is on the line for me."

Kambosos caused a major upset when he beat Lopez via split decison at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Watch the fight highlights of Lopez vs Kambosos:

Since that victory, though, 'The Emperor' has displayed signs of complacency. Most notably, failing to make weight on the first and second attempt in the June Haney bout.

It remains to be seen if Kambosos produces a better performance in the Haney rematch. With the bout happening in his homeland once again, the Australian still has a chance of regaining his belts.