World boxing twist to keep door open for Aussie

2 years ago 95

George Kambosos mightiness person gone down successful a lopsided effect connected the scorecards to Devin Haney but the Australian's marketplace worth has not plummeted arsenic immoderate whitethorn person expected with defeat.

Following his archetypal nonaccomplishment to Haney successful June which talented the American the belts and etched his sanction into the grounds books arsenic the youngest undisputed champ, Kambosos' banal successful the boxing satellite had deed a low.

It was a dizzying autumn for the Sydney combatant who captured the boxing world's attraction with his gritty upset triumph implicit Teofimo Lopez successful New York.

Some accidental Kambosos blew his accidental astatine staying champion longer due to the fact that helium opted to instrumentality the toughest imaginable combat for his archetypal defence, a dense hazard successful the satellite of boxing.

Kambosos withstands Haney barrage

Instead of cherry-picking his archetypal rival arsenic the king of the lightweight part and giving his location fans a triumph thigh with a pushover fight, Kambosos enactment it each connected the enactment against Haney, who came into the bout with the WBC belt.

In astir cases, the fallen champion would beryllium successful a hard presumption to find a way backmost to a presumption of prominence. Losing is ne'er ideal, but successful the athletics of boxing, adjacent decision tin unfastened doors.

If Haney loses the belts successful upcoming titles defences, past Kambosos, who is inactive ranked successful the apical 5 crossed astir sanctioning bodies, could astir surely beryllium fixed a changeable again by a assured caller champion, fixed his proven pulling power, his presumption arsenic a erstwhile champ and the information helium has been beaten.

"What helium did contiguous was a tremendous accumulation of bosom and volition and ne'er quit," promoter Lou DiBella said successful the post-fight property conference.

"People emotion that, that's what radical respond to.

"I deliberation today, I cognize contiguous and I cognize the remainder of this week and going guardant erstwhile you work astir this combat … the antheral present is simply a warrior. He's been a Spartan warrior his full career.

"Tonight, helium was again. There are a batch of fights helium could person retired determination that are going to beryllium wars."

There person besides been whispers that Haney volition determination up to 140 lbs successful the adjacent future, with imaginativeness of the gaunt champion astatine the weigh-in raising eyebrows. Even helium conceded aft the bout that making value has been a challenge.

“135 pounds is not casual for maine to make, Haney said. "It takes a batch of sacrifice and discipline.

“I’m gonna spell backmost and speech to my team, but (there are) a batch of large fights … a batch of large wealth astatine 135. So we’ll spot what is adjacent but it is apt for maine to enactment (in the division).”

Speaking astatine the property league aft Sunday's bout, Kambosos admitted his chances hinge connected whether Haney vacates the belts and moves up.

"I don't cognize however overmuch longer Devin has astatine 135 [pounds]," Kambosos Jr. said.

"I deliberation helium mightiness determination to 140, God consenting that opens up immoderate doors for america and I'm a big, large sanction successful the satellite of boxing still.

"I showed that warrior tone similar the greats, the Arturo Gattis and the [Roberto] Durans, and each these guys, they springiness it their all. You suffer a fight, OK, you bounce back.

"I volition beryllium champion again, this is not the end."

Kambosos, who has vowed to combat connected contempt earlier suggestions helium would discontinue if beaten by Haney again, was near successful nary uncertainty astir the undisputed lightweight champion’s talent.

“This feline is simply a top-five pound-for-pound combatant successful the world, if not adjacent higher,” Kambosos said. “This feline is smart. He knows however to adapt. I landed immoderate large shots successful circular 1 and thought, ‘Here we go. Here is ‘Ferocious’ back’. But helium conscionable knows however to adapt. He knows however to move. He is simply a large fighter. I respect him a lot.”

DiBella compared Haney to boxing fable Floyd Mayweather erstwhile saying the American, who has won 15 of his 29 fights by knockout, has an outstanding array of weapons.

“You utilized to ticker Mayweather and helium would … softly destruct guys and conscionable bushed their tone and triumph astir each circular and radical would accidental that’s boring,” helium said.

“Tonight, George came retired determination knowing helium had to gain his instrumentality basal back, helium had to entertain the radical of Australia. And helium knew astir apt that helium was walking into a tornado and helium did it anyway, which is recognition to him."

All which DiBella said underscored however beardown a boxer Haney is.

“That’s the greatness of a feline similar this and the greatness of Floyd Mayweather," DiBella said. “You announcement I’m utilizing them successful the aforesaid breath. And that’s not accidental.”

- with AP

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