George Kambosos Jr. is on the verge of the ultimate glory of boxing.
Just seven months after impressing Teofimo Lopez, the Australian is set to “impact the world again”, this time facing Devin Haney to try to become the undisputed lightweight champion.
And although it won’t be such a big shock if Kambosos Jr. had his hand raised on Sunday, the Australian is still not receiving much esteem from boxing experts.
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Outstanding boxing writer Dan Rafael described Sunday’s fight as a “great opportunity” for both Kambosos Jr. as for Haney, but he said there’s a key reason he leans toward the American.
“This is Devin Haney’s decision-making,” Rafael said on the podcast ‘The Big Fight Weekend’.
“It’s not easy, not necessarily wide. he has more skills, more speed, George is not a great puncher.
“This is the opportunity for Devin Haney to achieve his dreams, get on track and make a decision. If you have an American wrestler who goes to Australia to challenge the titles and he is the favorite, the bookmakers know what they are doing “.
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Everything is at stake on Sunday. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) Source: AFP
Yahoo Sports columnist Kevin Iole agreed, predicting a Haney victory by decision after pointing to American boxing “as the big difference” in Sunday’s box office fight.
“The fight will be reduced to how Haney handles Cambosos’ pressure,” Iole wrote.
“Haney is a great boxer, but he doesn’t have the kind of power to keep Kambosos out. And so Kambosos, who overwhelmed the very favored Lopez with his pressure, appears to try to do the same in front of Haney.
“In the early stages of the fight, Haney may have to stand firm and fight to earn Kambosos respect and curb his charge. If Haney can’t stop Kambosos’ attack, he’ll have to rely heavily on his legs.
“I see Haney’s boxing as the big difference here and I think he’ll fight in a smart fight to neutralize Cambosos’ strengths. I’ll take the money and play with him to win by decision.”
Check out one of the biggest boxing fights ever made in Australia: George Kambosos Jr. against Devin Haney on Sunday, June 5 with the main event at Kayo Sports. You do not need to subscribe to Kayo to place an order. ORDER NOW>
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Kambosos Jr. received the support of former English boxer Tony Bellew, who was genuinely broken up with whom to stand on his last column for DAZN.
“This is a real coin toss for me,” he wrote.
“If the fight was in America and Haney had his team on his side, I would support him, but it’s a totally different proposition to move to Australia. This is a 50-50 right for me and I can’t decide.”
Bellow considers Haney to be “more skilled” than Kambosos Jr.’s last opponent, Lopez, and presents a completely different challenge that could pose problems for the early Australian.
“The Kambosos will have to gain the respect of their opponent soon, as they did when they defeated Lopez in the first round,” Bellew wrote.
“If Haney is allowed to get into any kind of rhythm, then it could be a tough night for the Kambosos.”
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George Kambosos Jr. he is ready to surprise the world again. (Photo by Al Bello / Getty Images) Source: Getty Images
Former champion of two divisions and current ESPN Boxing analyst Timothy Bradley Jr. he leans toward a split decision victory for Haney.
But he does admit that it is “crazy” that the American is the favorite and believes that there is a way Kambosos Jr. it could become Haney’s “worst nightmare.”
“Fans are underestimating Kambosos,” Bradley Jr. wrote.
“I think he’s like a snake charmer, in and out of the ring. He has a unique way of controlling his opponents, verbally abusing them and getting under his skin outside the ring while possessing the center of the ring once inside. .
“The whole game of Kambosos is based on manipulation and deception. Kambosos doesn’t have the fastest hands, like an Amir Khan or a Floyd Mayweather, but he is fast and uses his opponent’s attack to his advantage.
“If you let Kambosos gain momentum and gain confidence, it can become your worst nightmare. The fact that he is at home means that the pressure is on him to make it work. “
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Breaking down the fight, Bradley Jr. he wrote that the punch is one of the great strengths of the Australian and that he has a stealthy way to get his opponents to play his game.
“He’s a puncher, and his bait, believe it or not, is his low guard,” Bradley wrote.
“If you look at his fights, you notice that he has his hands a little low. His right hand is a little below his chin, his left hand is low, and what people don’t notice is that he’s bait. holes and he wants you to punch him so he can counter. “
It means Haney will have to dictate the fight using his jab, with Bradley Jr. calling the jab “one of the most frustrating things for a puncher” like Kambosos Jr.
“I see Haney has a chance to get his jab because if you look at Kambosos’ way of fighting, much of his weight is on his front foot, ”Bradley Jr. wrote.
“He leans forward a lot and is always ready to push forward to explode, so much of his weight is transferred to his front leg. When he leans forward, he brings his face a little closer to the jab.
“And although everything is ready for deception, to make you lose and make you pay, he will bring his chin close to Haney’s jab, which is very precise with his polite jab. He should be able to land with effectiveness against Cambosos.
“Whoever dominates the jab, not just throwing it, but in percentages, will win the fight.”
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Kambosos Jr. surprised Lopez … now working the jab will be key against Haney. Al Bello / Getty Images / AFPSfont: AFP
Although Kambosos Jr. may not necessarily be the best puncher in the division, Bradley Jr. he believes there could also be room for the Australian to expose one of Haney’s weaknesses.
“I’m a little worried about Haney’s chin,” she wrote.
“I saw Diaz hugging him and I saw him very badly in Linares’ fight. They are two fights back to back. It was noticeable, so I only care about his ability to make a great shot.
“And while Kambosos isn’t the biggest hit, he’s hitting hard enough.”
Despite this, Bradley Jr. he also predicts a victory for Haney on the scorecards, stating that the American is “cut from a different fabric.”
“A judge will give the fight to Cambosos although Haney will likely win the other cards by three or four rounds,” he wrote.
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If there’s one unknown factor that could work in favor of Kambosos Jr., it’s how Haney handles the “dolan” label that involves fighting in front of an Australian parish crowd.
CBS Sports columnist Brian Campbell believes this is the “real question” about Sunday’s fight.
“The real question comes down to whether the big stage and the pressures of traveling halfway around the world to be the hated visitor inside a massive stadium will have any negative effect on someone as young as Haney,” Campbell wrote.
He also believes that Kambosos Jr.’s “aggressive style of close-knit combination”. could be the “perfect kryptonite” to break Haney.
With that said, Campbell also predicts a victory for Haney by unanimous decision, praising the struggle to cover the distance.
Kambosos Jr. can you get another discomfort? Al Bello / Getty Images / AFPSfont: AFP
“As long as Haney can avoid being cut short with something big, Kambosos has a fighting style that could be perfect for what Haney does best,” he wrote.
Haney may be the favorite and experts may be supporting the American to do the work abroad, but Kambosos Jr. he is adopting the mentality of the underprivileged, as if he were against Lopez.
“I love disadvantaged status, it’s okay,” Kambosos Jr. said. at the beginning of the week.
“They’ve been against me all my career, they’ve been saying my whole career, so I’m still the best dog and after Sunday I’ll still be the best dog.
“It’s been a long and hard journey, everyone knows that, but I’m ready for Sunday.