7:48 AM ET
Mike CoppingerESPN
LAS VEGAS -- Devin Haney pressed guardant and threw shots with atrocious intentions, pinning his sparring spouse on the ropes.
Weeks earlier Haney traveled to Australia for his 2nd consecutive combat against George Kambosos Jr., helium was putting the finishing touches connected his American grooming camp, his archetypal arsenic undisputed lightweight champion. Haney outboxed Kambosos with easiness backmost successful June, but up of the rematch, helium seemed to beryllium placing his punches successful an effort to marque a connection and beryllium that his powerfulness is amended than advertised.
Haney (28-0,15 KOs), ESPN's apical boxer nether the property of 25, captured the title successful ascendant manner with a unanimous determination implicit Kambosos. The 23-year-old boxed brilliantly. He stood successful beforehand of Kambosos (20-1, 10 KOs) and carved up the champion with his precise, table-setting jab and an awesome assortment of punches from antithetic angles.
The lopsided quality of the matchup didn't warrant a rematch -- fto unsocial an contiguous 1 -- but Haney is backmost successful Melbourne, Australia, for a instrumentality bout connected Saturday (ESPN/ESPN+, 10:30 p.m. ET). The reason: Kambosos' broadside negotiated a rematch clause up of the archetypal gathering -- which Kambosos exercised aft the nonaccomplishment -- a regular woody constituent for champions making voluntary defenses.
These clauses warrant the champion extortion successful the lawsuit helium loses, and they've agelong been a staple successful boxing. Oftentimes, a rematch is anticipated by fans, but successful this lawsuit -- and galore others -- it seems to beryllium unnecessary.
The situation for Haney: Guarding against a letdown and maintaining momentum up of a imaginable marquee matchup with Vasiliy Lomachenko adjacent year. That's a cardinal crushed Haney, who is known for defence but not power, was sitting down connected his shots successful sparring.
"A batch of radical aren't excited astir it, but astatine the extremity of the day, it's history. It's different measurement towards being 1 of the greats successful the sport," Haney told ESPN aft his sparring league astatine the Top Rank Gym. "He decidedly gave maine the changeable erstwhile helium didn't truly person to.
"Obviously, [there were] benefits successful it for him and I took immoderate things that immoderate different fighters wouldn't person took, but helium inactive could person fought idiosyncratic other and helium picked me. I took my chapeau disconnected to him for that. I knew that I was gonna person to bash it twice. Obviously, I believed successful myself. I knew that I was gonna win. So, present we are. We're doing it again. I grant everything that I said I would do."
ANTHONY JOSHUA AND Deontay Wilder are nary strangers to the powerfulness of the rematch clause. The Englishman doubly utilized that contractual extortion successful caller years to warrant himself a changeable astatine redemption (and his 3 heavyweight titles).
First, AJ regained his unified title with a determination triumph implicit Andy Ruiz Jr. successful December 2019, six months aft the colossal upset loss. This past August, Joshua dropped a 2nd consecutive determination to Oleksandr Usyk.
And past year, an autarkic arbitrator ruled that Tyson Fury owed Wilder a 3rd combat aft "The Gypsy King" claimed the rematch clause had expired.
On each 3 occasions, the trusty rematch clause led to instrumentality bouts for matchups that weren't competitive.
Now, Kambosos volition look to capitalize -- arsenic Joshua did vs. Ruiz successful Saudi Arabia -- and crook the tables connected Haney. The 29-year-old volition not lone vie for each 4 135-pound titles a 2nd time, he'll bash truthful from the comfortableness of location again, portion Haney indispensable marque the agelong trek from Las Vegas.
"[Kambosos] wouldn't marque 25 percent of what he's getting" without the rematch clause, Kambosos' promoter, Lou DiBella, told ESPN. "And helium surely wouldn't person got the rematch."
Kambosos is guaranteed to gain $2 million, sources told ESPN.
Negotiations are notoriously tricky successful boxing, with each lawsuit treated arsenic a one-off. Talks tin resistance for months arsenic each broadside attempts to summation the precocious hand, haggling implicit everything from the fig of level tickets for their team, edifice rooms and adjacent repast per diem.
The astir important negotiating constituent of all, naturally, is the guaranteed purse, but the 2nd large point, erstwhile applicable, is the rematch clause terms.
When Lomachenko mislaid his 3 lightweight titles to Teofimo Lopez Jr. successful a conflict for the undisputed title successful October 2020, helium amazingly did truthful without the extortion of a rematch clause. Lomachenko, who fought with a torn rotator cuff successful the upset defeat, pushed for the rematch afterward, but Lopez refused.
"When you don't get a rematch clause, the combatant and everyone other progressive second-guesses you," DiBella said. "When Loma didn't get the rematch clause, radical went nuts."
Rather than a rematch with Lomachenko, Lopez fulfilled his IBF mandatory work and faced Kambosos, the No. 1 contender, past November. Mandated rubric fights seldom incorporate rematch clauses since there's nary leverage connected the portion of the champion. Kambosos pulled disconnected ESPN's upset of the year, and Lopez, similar Lomachenko earlier him, had nary way to a instrumentality bout.
It's not conscionable the combatant who receives reassurance from the rematch clause. The boxer's promoter and web besides defender against devaluing their investment.
"If you privation a big, large fight, sometimes the way to a large combat is the rematch clause," said DiBella, who formerly oversaw boxing programming astatine HBO Sports. "So you truly can't person it some ways. When you person a beardown A-side oregon an undisputed champion oregon a nonmandated combat of significance, it's an inducement to the champion who's not forced to marque the large fight.
"It's besides economical extortion for the radical doing concern with that champion. In nary different athletics tin an jock suffer specified a percent of their worth successful 1 night. Where would Kambosos beryllium if helium didn't person a rematch clause?"
BOTH HANEY AND Kambosos volition beryllium warring successful a rematch for the archetypal clip arsenic pros, an accidental to trial their quality to set aft 12 rounds against 1 another.
Haney is known for his intelligent crippled plans, defence and fantabulous footwork, a benignant that presented a tricky puzzle for Kambosos. The Australian is simply a flat-footed combatant who excels erstwhile he's capable to premix it up connected the inside.
That's precisely what helium did successful his triumph implicit Lopez. He consistently bushed Lopez to the punch and acceptable the tempo with a first-round knockdown. Against Haney, Kambosos was ne'er genuinely successful the fight. He sat astatine the extremity of Haney's agelong jab and ate punches each night. He ne'er was capable to adjacent region and failed to thrive successful beforehand of his hometown fans.
"He did not merchantability retired successful the archetypal fight. He did not instrumentality risks oregon chances," DiBella said of Kambosos. "He did not get successful done Haney's defence and it was a beauteous s---ty fight, not lone due to the fact that George didn't execute but due to the fact that helium ne'er went balls to the wall. I cognize him good capable to cognize helium ain't gonna suffer the aforesaid mode if helium loses.
"I deliberation he's going to effort to instrumentality Haney retired of his comfortableness portion and equine an discourtesy by immoderate means that helium can. I expect him to spell retired connected his shield, if helium goes out. I deliberation helium convinced himself that it would beryllium an casual fight. He underestimated Haney's precocious ringing IQ and his velocity and however bully helium was. He thought due to the fact that Haney wasn't a puncher, it would beryllium an highly winnable fight.
"I deliberation he's going to combat a precise antithetic benignant of fight. I deliberation he's going to instrumentality much chances. I deliberation it volition beryllium a much, overmuch amended fight."
Surely, Kambosos can't execute overmuch worse, adjacent if Haney does people the stoppage. Undersized and facing a steep accomplishment disparity, Kambosos' lone way to victory, seemingly, is nonstop unit successful a carnal fight.
"Rematch clauses are conscionable a portion of boxing, you can't beryllium huffy astatine it. In basketball, they play 7 games to beryllium that you're the amended team. I gotta clasp it 'cause I could easy beryllium connected the different side: request a rematch clause arsenic a champion." Devin HaneyIf helium wants to debar the embarrassment of a 2nd consecutive rout successful Australia, he'll request to instrumentality much chances, arsenic DiBella said, but that should unfastened up adjacent much counterpunching opportunities for Haney.
"I'm excited to spot however overmuch amended I've gotten since the past combat and however I tin bushed him a antithetic benignant of way," Haney said. "I've shared a ringing with him for 12 rounds, I cognize his weaknesses. I cognize what he's bully at.... I deliberation I volition beryllium adjacent amended successful this rematch.... Whenever I spar a feline once, the adjacent clip I'm ever better."
Former satellite champion Timothy Bradley Jr. knows each astir rematches. He faced the legendary Manny Pacquiao 3 times.
The archetypal combat was won by Bradley successful arguable fashion. Pacquiao near nary uncertainty successful the rematch and did adjacent amended successful the 3rd fight. Bradley said helium prepared for Pacquiao to beryllium much assertive successful the 3rd combat and was amazed erstwhile Pacquiao alternatively sat backmost and countered. The result: Pacquiao scored 2 knockdowns aft neither combatant tasted the canvas done 24 rounds.
"It's a batch harder connected a combatant mentally, the 2nd clip around," said Bradley, an ESPN boxing analyst. "This isn't Round 1; this is Round 13. This isn't a cleanable slate. That's not however it works. ... Us fighters, we speech to ourselves, we cognize what we're susceptible of doing. We cognize our DNA and however we operate. You cognize precisely however astute [the opponents] are, however accelerated they are, however overmuch punching powerfulness and you cognize if you tin bash thing oregon not."
Haney knows what helium tin bash against Kambosos and indispensable "have the aforesaid mentality and predominate him adjacent more," according to Bradley. "Especially warring overseas," helium said, "you can't support these fights close."
Kambosos, meanwhile, is facing agelong likelihood for the 2nd clip successful 3 fights. He defied accepted contented erstwhile already erstwhile helium bushed Lopez arsenic a 6-1 underdog, but the task is acold harder this clip astir aft helium won possibly 2 oregon 3 rounds vs. Haney (Kambosos is +550 to regain his titles, per Caesars Sportsbook).
"Kambosos is not gonna triumph this fight," Bradley said. "There's thing that helium tin bash to alteration anything. He doesn't recognize however to adjacent the distance, that's the large contented for him. He doesn't cognize however to woody with the jab. He doesn't cognize however to chopped disconnected the ring.
"Haney's footwork and hand-eye coordination is conscionable excessively damn bully for him. ... Haney is going to prime up wherever helium near off. If Kambosos wants to person success, helium needs to measurement connected the state and measurement connected the state quick."
ANOTHER DEFEAT FOR Kambosos successful specified lopsided manner would surely erase overmuch of the lasting helium built with the triumph implicit Lopez and permission him connected the extracurricular looking successful astatine 135 pounds.
But if helium loses successful an entertaining, adjacent fight, helium tin acceptable himself up for immoderate all-action scraps against contenders similar Diaz, William Zepeda oregon Isaac Cruz. A triumph would propulsion him successful the driver's spot for much mega paydays against stars similar Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia oregon Lomachenko.
But this rematch is astir Haney, 1 of the brightest stars successful each of boxing. A triumph volition nonstop him connected a collision people with Lomachenko, a bout Haney has pursued for a agelong time.
Haney has 1 much combat with Top Rank and DiBella Entertainment aft the rematch, and Lomachenko is besides promoted by Bob Arum. Negotiations for fights of that magnitude are ne'er easy, but there's a wide way for a woody with some Haney and Lomachenko aligned with the aforesaid promoter and web (ESPN).
Haney isn't agelong for the 135-pound division, truthful if a combat with Lomachenko isn't finalized for the archetypal fractional of 2023, it mightiness ne'er happen. Haney is 5-feet-9 and indispensable endure a pugnacious value chopped astatine lightweight. He could person avoided the Kambosos rematch clause by vacating the belts and moving up to 140 pounds, but it was important to him to astatine slightest marque 1 defence of his 4 titles. More vital, of course, is simply a star-making accidental against Lomachenko.
"I deliberation it is the biggest fight, it's the champion of the lightweight division," Haney said. "The champion warring the best. But it each starts with Oct. 15."
Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic golden medalist and ESPN's erstwhile No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer, fights for the archetypal clip this twelvemonth connected Oct. 29 against Jamaine Ortiz. That day puts him connected virtually the aforesaid docket arsenic Haney.
It was really Lomachenko who was successful presumption to combat Kambosos. He agreed to presumption for the combat earlier he decided to stay successful war-torn Ukraine with his family. And erstwhile talks yet begin, Haney volition surely beryllium looking for a small other extortion against his astir formidable foe yet.
"Rematch clauses are conscionable a portion of boxing, you can't beryllium huffy astatine it," Haney said. "In basketball, they play 7 games to beryllium that you're the amended team. I gotta clasp it 'cause I could easy beryllium connected the different side: request a rematch clause arsenic a champion."
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