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George Kambosos Jr. and Devin Haney will fight to unify the lightweight division this Saturday in Melbourne, Australia. Kambosos currently holds the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and The Ring titles. Haney holds the WBC belt. The winner will crowned the Undisputed Lightweight Champion.
The undercard will feature: Lucas Browne vs. Junior Fa at heavyweight, Terry Nickolas vs. Lachlan Higgins at middleweight, Yoel Angeloni vs. Ken Aitken at welterweight, and more.
George Kambosos Jr. vs. Devin Haney Preview
Devin Haney's record currently stands at 27-0 with 15 knockouts, while George Kambosos' stands at 20-0 with 10 knockouts.
Kambosos claimed his titles in 2021 when he defeated Teófimo López in an upset. López claimed the titles from Vasiliy Lomachenko in an upset victory of his own the previous year. The fight with Haney will be Kambosos' first title defense.
Haney won his WBC Title in 2019 by stopping Zaur Abdullaev in the fourth round. He has since made four successful title defenses. His first came against Alfredo Santiago less than two months after claiming the title. In 2020, he outboxed Yuriorkis Gamboa, the celebrated Cuban ex-pat. In 2021, Haney fought Jorge Linares and Joseph Diaz, both of whom he beat via unanimous decision.
Kambosos' fight with López was a head-to-head brawl. López entered the ring expecting to end the fight early via knockout. However, the Australian was ready to match the champion's aggression and came prepared to walk away with the title.
Check out the highlights of the fight below:
George Kambosos Jr. vs. Devin Haney: Prediction
Devin Haney is the betting favourite in the upcoming fight. However, as Teddy Atlas recently noted, George Kambosos will be fighting in his hometown and Haney will likely need to put on a decisive display to win on the cards.
Though his skills are recognized by analysts, Haney has not had many major fights. He has stated that this is because the top boxers in the lightweight division have ducked him, including Lomachenko, López, Gervonta Davis, and Ryan Garcia.
Haney is the more technical and precise boxer. However, Kambosos is a great boxer and demonstrated incredible heart and determination in his last bout. The fight will not be easy for either man. Kambosos' best shot is to use his aggressive style and flurrying combinations to take control of the fight from the inside. On the outside, Haney will retain control.
Check out the highlights of Haney vs. Linares here:
Both men have the power and shot placement to end the bout early. If the fight goes to the cards, the politics of promotion may come into play. However, Haney is likely the better boxer and is likely to control the fight if he can avoid being baited into a brawl.
Prediction: Haney via decision.
