George Kambosos Jr.’s last fight had him shocking the world via an upset of Teofimo Lopez in November to become the new unified lightweight champion of the world.
Devin Haney has orchestrated four dominant defenses of his WBC lightweight title since capturing the belt in September 2019.
Now, Kambosos and Haney will clash Saturday night ET — Sunday at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia — with lightweight undisputed glory on the line.
With so much in the balance, DAZN took the time to list and analyze the keys to victory for both fighters.
Devin Haney’s keys to victory
Jab, bring the fight to Kambosos early
In his most significant spot yet, Haney is fighting in his opponent's home country. Saturday night could very well turn into a homecoming fit for a king if Haney doesn’t bring the fight early to Kambosos. He could do just that by asserting his jab in the opening round. Using his three-inch reach advantage and angles, Haney could not only use that jab to keep Kambosos at bay but also to bank round after round and take the air out of what’s bound to be a raucous crowd. Soon enough, that same weapon of choice could pave the way for Haney to start pot-shotting on the outside and piecing together slicing combinations.
Counter Kambosos’s aggression
Kambosos became an unlikely unified lightweight ruler with his grand upset of Teofimo Lopez last November. Do you think he’s going to be charged up to make his first defense of those titles and try to seize the undisputed crown … in front of his home crowd? Without a doubt. This very situation could spell Kambosos trying to make things happen, especially if Haney has him down early. Kambosos has a self-admitted habit of taking measured steps back before launching his hellacious overhand right. That was the shot that put Lopez on his backside during the waning seconds of the first round. If Haney can spot that tendency in real time, he can surely time the punch and counter to make Kambosos pay and use the Australian’s aggression against him.
Manage hostile environment
By now, you might have seen that moving image of Haney’s father, Bill Haney, hugging his son at the airport before they parted ways. Unfortunately, Haney’s dad, along with his trainer, Ben Davison, weren’t able to travel to Australia due to visa issues. So Yoel Judah will be assuming the head trainer position for Haney for this huge fight instead.
All that being said, the deck is seemingly stacked against Haney, and the 23-year-old must manage the hostility he’s likely to experience on Kambosos’s home soil. The capacity crowd won’t need a reason from Kambosos to erupt with him being a countryman and this being an undisputed championship fight, but if he gives them one, “The Dream” can quickly turn into a nightmare for Haney to trudge through. On the other hand, getting out in front and staying in that assertive role can definitely meld toward taking the edge off the fans packed into Marvel Stadium. Doing that can also stamp a storybook victory for Haney.
George Kambosos’s keys to victory
Keep right-hand compact
Haney is an adroit counterpuncher, which can cost an overzealous Kambosos. However, one adjustment the unified lightweight champion can make is turning his overhand right into a more compact shot. After all, a compact right hand to the temple from Jorge Linares put Haney on jelly legs badly late in their May 2021 tilt. If Kambosos can land a similar punch, it could aid toward doing similar damage and leave him less susceptible to Haney’s astute countering.
Take Haney out of rhythm with timing and punch diversity
In less than three minutes, Kambosos was able to time Lopez and drop him with an unforgiving overhand right. He will need to time Haney’s consummate boxing to keep “The Dream” out of rhythm Saturday night.
In addition to the timing, diversity in Kambosos’s punch portfolio will also aid in taking Haney out of rhythm. In general, Kambosos does a solid job of alternating between the body and going upstairs. Making Haney feel his power early with body shots could stifle the jab and pave the way for Kambosos to test the WBC titleholder’s jaw.
Feed off the crowd but stay composed
Best case scenario for Kambosos — he thrives off the energy of the Melbourne crowd on his home soil, and it truly becomes a homecoming fit for a king with the 28-year-old hoisting the undisputed titles at the bout's end. However, the exact opposite can happen if Kambosos feeds off the crowd and gets a bit overzealous in trying to appease them. Kambosos made this fight in Australia happen and would love nothing more to show out at home. He must stay composed, work his game plan and give them spots to lose it along the way instead. Having the underdog tag once again, despite this time owning three of the four major titles, should help. But Kambosos must remain collected and use that timing he has to make Haney uncomfortable. Anything less and Kambosos’s homecoming “Down Under” will end in disappointment.