LAS VEGAS – With any luck, the next fight for both George Kambosos Jr. and Devin Haney will come versus one another for the undisputed lightweight championship.
“I think realistically, end of April earliest. But realistically, May is probably the right time for the undisputed fight,” Eddie Hearn, head of Matchroom Boxing told BoxingScene.com and other reporters following Haney’s WBC lightweight title-defending unanimous decision win over Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz Jr. (32-2-1, 15KOs).
Haney-Diaz headlined a December 4 DAZN-streamed card from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The bout came as part of a loaded stretch for the lightweight division, with four fights featuring eight of the division’s top ten fighters appearing over a span of three weekends. The run began with Kambosos’ stunning upset win over previously unbeaten Teofimo Lopez (16-1, 12KOs) to win the lineal/WBA “Super”/IBF/WBO lightweight championship, also on DAZN this past November 27 at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City.
Sydney’s Kambosos (20-0, 10KOs) was on hand at the MGM Grand, both to work the DAZN card and to scout the main event. The newly crowned king did the same one night later in Los Angeles, where WBA “World” lightweight titlist Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (26-0, 24KOs) turned away a stiff challenge from Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz (22-2-1, 15KOs).
One more fight remains on the lightweight schedule, with former three-division titlist Vasiliy Lomachenko (15-2, 11KOs) set to face former IBF titlist Richard Commey (30-3, 27KOs) this Saturday in the main room at Madison Square Garden. While a fight with the winner would make a formidable challenger for Kambosos, fights with Davis and Haney (27-0, 15KOs) are equally as intriguing.
A showdown with Haney would represent a true undisputed title showdown for those who insists the belts still matter (Kambosos is already the true [lineal] lightweight champion). Kambosos has expressed a strong willingness to take the fight, preferring to head home to Australia for his first title defense, regardless of opponent.
Haney and his side are willing to discuss all scenarios that lead to his long-coveted dream of becoming undisputed champion.
“Obviously, both are coming off tough fights, Kambosos tougher. He got marked up pretty bad,” note Hearn. “Realistically, we’re looking at May for Devin. I’d like to see Devin take a nice break, get back in camp maybe early February. The issue we have to resolve is the travel issue with the pandemic. Right now we can enter several parts of Australia without quarantine but that could change.
“We don’t rule out doing the fight in America or the Middle East. It’s the undisputed championship. It’s an important fight all around the world. We’ll explore all of those. It’s not just, we’re packing our bags and going to Australia. That’s where George would like to do it. We have to be represented properly in this situation as well, make sure it’s the right situation for Devin Haney to be in. There might be many offers.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
