Haney beats Kambosos in rematch to retain belts

Devin Haney picked up successful the rematch wherever helium had near off, with different unanimous-decision triumph implicit George Kambosos to clasp the undisputed lightweight title connected Sunday day astatine Rod Laver Arena successful Melbourne, Australia.

Haney, who besides routed Kambosos successful June successful Australia, won via scores of 118-110, 119-109 and 118-110.

"I knew helium was looking for the jab, truthful I wanted to amusement different tools successful the arsenal," said Haney, who owns each 4 135-pound titles. "The close manus won maine the combat tonight."

Haney's jab, 1 of boxing's best, was a large cardinal to his victory, but helium did occurrence much powerfulness shots successful the rematch, including a right-hand pb that met its mark. The 23-year-old from Las Vegas connected connected 114 powerfulness shots, 45 much than successful the archetypal meeting. Haney landed 10 much jabs, too, successful different ascendant performance.

"I should decidedly beryllium connected the pound-for-pound rankings," said Haney, who was named ESPN's apical boxer nether 25 years aged but didn't ace the pound-for-pound database entering the rematch. "I showed however versatile I am.

"I came to Australia not erstwhile but twice, I honored [the rematch clause] and bushed the antheral successful his hometown twice. ... He made each excuse successful the publication for the archetypal fight."

There tin beryllium nary uncertainty present aft Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) picked Kambosos isolated from Round 2 onward. The archetypal bout didn't warrant a rematch, but Kambosos had each the leverage during the outpouring erstwhile the bout was being negotiated.

To onshore the changeable astatine Kambosos' 4 titles, Haney agreed to a rematch clause that, if exercised, would warrant the Australian an contiguous instrumentality bout successful his location country.

And portion Kambosos (20-2, 10 KOs) was much assertive the 2nd clip around, helium didn't execute discernibly better. The 29-year-old followed Haney astir the ringing and was incapable to enactment his mode connected the wrong against the acold rangier fighter.

Whenever Kambosos did adjacent the distance, Haney clinched and past made Kambosos wage with antagonistic shots.

By the extremity of Round 9, Kambosos was bleeding profusely from a heavy chopped implicit his near oculus and swelling. He was besides chopped implicit the close oculus from a clash of heads that near Haney with a gash implicit his close eye.

Haney followed up with his champion circular of the night, arsenic helium attempted to enactment Kambosos distant with a fight-high 34 connects successful Round 10.

"I gave everything I had successful this fight. I'm precise arrogant of myself, " said Kambosos, who changed his vocation with a November triumph implicit Teofimo Lopez to assertion the lightweight title successful ESPN's 2021 Upset of the Year.

"This guy's a helluva combatant ... a pound-for-pound top-5 combatant successful the world. His skills, his movement. He tin determination up to 140 [pounds] and ascendant arsenic well. This guy's going to beryllium astir for a agelong time. I'm precise humble to beryllium successful determination for 24 rounds."

Kambosos entered the bout rated No. 8 by ESPN astatine lightweight, and helium could onshore different rubric changeable erstwhile Haney inevitably moves up to 140.

"I person immoderate big, large fights to travel successful boxing," Kambosos said.

But first, Haney could support his 4 135-pound titles against Vasiliy Lomachenko successful a marquee combat adjacent year. Lomachenko returns connected Oct. 29 against fringe contender Jamaine Ortiz, and a triumph for the erstwhile three-division champion should acceptable him connected a collision people with Haney.

"That's decidedly a combat that I'll entertain," Haney said. "We instrumentality connected each comers. No substance who it is, we privation to combat the champion fighters successful the world. I judge I'm the champion combatant successful the world. Whoever is next, bring him on."

Lomachenko was successful enactment to combat Kambosos successful June earlier helium decided to stay successful war-torn Ukraine with his family. That prime opened the doorway for Haney to vie for the undisputed lightweight title pursuing a breakthrough 2021 run with determination victories implicit erstwhile champions Jorge Linares and Joseph Diaz Jr.

With Kambosos retired of the mode for good, Haney volition present question caller challengers successful 2023 and beyond arsenic helium continues to marque his pound-for-pound case.