Devin Haney feels that there’s no need for George Kambosos Jr to retire after he beats him on Saturday night in their rematch at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
Undisputed lightweight champion Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) says that former unified 135-lb champion Kambosos (20-1, 10 KOs) would still be young and capable of going out and competing with the best fighters after he beats him.
Kambosos has surprisingly talked of hanging up his gloves if he loses to Haney, which gives people the impression that he lacks the confidence to stay in the game.
It also indicates that Kambosos isn’t the fighter that boxing fans thought he was after he pulled off a big upset over former unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez in 2021.
If Kambosos wins on Saturday night, then his retirement would be a moot point. He’ll be the new undisputed 135-lb champion, and he can crow like a rooster about his victory.
If fans thought Kambosos’ constant bragging after his win over Teofimo was bad, just and see what he’ll be like if he defeats Haney. Kambosos could transform himself into an unbearable braggart after unseating Haney.
“We’re making adjustments from the first fight. Obviously, we know he’s going to come in with a different game plan, so the things that worked good in the first fight might not work as good in the second fight. We’re prepared for it all,” said Devin Haney to the media on Wednesday.
“We got to see how the fight plays out. We’re prepared to win by any means necessary. So that’s our main focus of winning. If the knockout comes, it comes. My main focus is winning.
“He’s the one talking retirement. He’s still young and has a long career after this. Two losses doesn’t mean you can’t go out and compete with the best fighters in the world.
“He should have been humble, and a gracious champion, but his head got big. No, of course not,” said Haney when asked if he could get a big head as well, given that he’s the undisputed champion at lightweight.
“This wasn’t a fluke. This wasn’t something that the world didn’t see coming. This is something I’ve always dreamed of and knew it would happen one day, and it happened. There’s no way my heads going to get big.
“I enjoy the process. I enjoy every step of it. I’m excited about the press conference tomorrow and the weigh-ins. It won’t change anything,” said Haney when told that Kambosos was complaining about his holding from last time.
“He’s using every excuse in the book. He said he wasn’t going to but now he’s saying I was holding. It was this, it was that. Whatever he wants to say, it doesn’t matter.
“The talk doesn’t matter. I’m going to go in there and do what I got to do regardless. No matter what referee is in there, no matter where the fight is at, it doesn’t matter,” said Haney.
