Though he was quite soundly defeated in losing his world lightweight titles to Devin Haney earlier this month, it’s not a great shock that George Kambosos Jr has activated the rematch clause he had in his contract when entering the fight. Kambosos Jr, a real warrior, aims to come up with a superior game plan and beat the slicker-than-slick Haney in the rematch.
“Yes, the rematch is happening, 100 percent,” former unified 135-pound champ Kambosos said to NewsCorp. “I have activated the rematch clause.”
Right off the top of the bat, three obvious questions spring to mind with this news: 1: how on earth can Kambosos improve his game to the extent that he beats Haney? 2: how will they sell the return fight, as largely one-sided as the June 5 fight was? 3: where will the return fight take place?
Haney was, as he had told us all he would be, “levels above” Kambsos, and there really is no reason to think things will be any different in the rematch. It’s not as if Kambosos was carrying an injury in the first fight, that affected his performance. Haney was just too good in all departments, and he made his own box, box, box game plan work. As to where the return will be held, Kambosos has said the return “will be in Australia.”
This was the scene of the first fight, of course, yet having the fight at home did not aid Kambosos any more than it fazed Haney. Haney proved that to the special fighters, a ring really is a ring, no matter where it is located. As to how the promoters will sell the sequel, that might be the toughest question to answer. Why pay good money to see a fight where you pretty much know going in who is going to win and how? Haney via wide decision in fight-one, the same result in fight-two?
Kambosos Jr really does face a massive task to turn things around. Credit to both guys for wanting to do it again, yet at the same time, are there not better fights that can be made in the talent-rich lightweight division?
