Promoter Lou DiBella has heaped praise on WBA, WBO and IBF lightweight champion George ‘Ferocious’ Kambosos Jr 20-0 (10) for his willingness to face the best.
The 28-year-old Sydneysider will face WBC 135-pound titleholder Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney 27-0 (15) in a battle of the unbeatens at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia on June 5.
It will be the first time Kambosos has fought in his homeland in almost five years.
Kambosos defeated pound-for-pound level fighter Teofimo Lopez 16-1 (12) by split decision in Las Vegas, Nevada last November.
Lopez was down in the first, while Kambosos was down in the 10t h. The scores were 115-112 and 115-111 for Kambosos and 114-113 for Lopez.
Kambosos was chasing a fight against former three-weight world champion and pound-for-pound stalwart Vasiliy Lomachenko 16-2 (11) before the Ukrainian southpaw was forced to withdraw after Russia invaded Ukraine.
But instead of looking for a soft title defence, Kambosos looked for the next toughest challenge. Enter Haney.
“There’s no fear in George Kambosos or unwillingness to fight the best. I’ve seen very few fighters in my career that are more insistent than fighting the best,” DiBella said to Planet Sport.
Haney’s father and coach Bill Haney had his visa denied by the Australian government due to a felony drug charge that saw him serve more than 12 months in prison back in 1992, but he is still hopeful the decision will be overturned.
Joel Judah is expected to replace him as lead cornerman if Haney can’t make it down under.
“My understanding is he’ll have a top trainer in his corner but we’re hoping [Bill Haney will] be able to get in,” Di Bella said.
“We’re doing everything in our power to help him get in but if he’s unable to then it’s clear that Devin is going to go ahead with this fight.
“It says a lot about his willingness and desire to be the best so credit to him.
“I expect it to be a great fight – very competitive. They’re both boxers but Devin is more the pure boxer and George has more of an aggressive style and I’m expecting a sensational fight.”
There are plenty of options at lightweight if Kambosos decides to stay at the weight, but DiBella isn’t ruling out a move up to the junior welterweight division.
“I’m going one fight at a time but I can see Lomachenko (next), I mean if George is victorious then there are a lot of possibilities,” said DiBella.
“Right now, we had a deal with Loma but Loma is currently in Ukraine and the Ukrainian people are still at war so I don’t think when he will be available but Loma is obviously one of the best fighters in the world and somebody we were willing to fight him so I would say Loma would be a possibility of course.
“Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Lomachenko, George, Devin – it’s an extremely loaded division but the other interesting part is – so is 140 (division).
“The one weight class up now has Teofimo Lopez, Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor so there’ll be no shortages of big fights but nobody is looking past Devin Haney. That rematch at 140 is always a possibility in the future.”
