Devin Haney vs. George Kambosos Jnr 2: Rematch locked in for undisputed lightweight title
George Kambosos will meet Devin Haney for the second time this year in Melbourne as the two battle for the undisputed world lightweight title.
The rematch is scheduled to take place at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday October 16th (Oct. 15 in the US), was confirmed on Tuesday.
Haney earned a dominant unanimous decision victory in the first fight at Marvel Stadium on June 5, and relieved the Aussie of his IBF, WBO, WBA, WBC (franchise) and The ring £135 title in process.
The American will go into the sequel as a huge favorite but as always, Kambosos will be on his own regardless of the odds.
Haney vs. Kambosos 2 tickets
Get exclusive access to pre-sale tickets on Thursday 25th August here.
General sale tickets are scheduled to go on sale here on Friday 26th August.
Corporate packages can be purchased through VIP Now here.
What happened in the first fight?
Both men went into their June meeting full of confidence, neither having suffered defeat as pros.
Despite struggling far from home and grappling with the challenges of his father and head coach Bill, Haney walked away with a decisive victory.
The 23-year-old boxed beautifully, controlling the fight with his jab and dodging most of Kambosos’ attacks.
In the end, the judges scored 116-112 x2, 118-10 for Haney and saw him be crowned the first undisputed lightweight champion of the four-belt era.
The win took Haney’s record with 15 knockouts to 28-0 while Kambosos slipped to 20-1 with 10 stoppage wins.
Why is there a rematch?
Given the determination of Haney’s win in the first fight, many have suggested that he’d be better off facing a different opponent in his next fight.
Luckily for Aussie fight fans, a condition of the pre-fight contract in June said that if Kambosos lost, Haney would inevitably face him in Australia.
Because Kambosos had the IBF, WBO, WBA, WBC (franchise) and The ring Title after beating Teofimo Lopez, he had all the power in the negotiations.
After Haney clinched the win in June, it wasn’t long before Kambosos activated the rematch clause, paving the way for a second fight.
Haney vs Kambosos 2: What Are the Rematch Betting Odds?
In the first bout, Haney was a slight favorite with the bookies ($1.65), but many gave Kambosos ($2.40) a good shot at the win.
In the second round, bettors can place much more value on Kambosos if they believe he can make the necessary adjustments and raise his hand.
Odds on Palmerbet on 08/23.
| Devin Haney $1.15 | George Kambosos $5 |
Get a knockout value while boxing with Palmerbet.
The current status of the lightweight construction division
The lightweight division remains one of boxing’s most intriguing, with a host of big names and a range of styles at the helm.
Haney is currently the IBF, WBC, WBA, and WBO The ring Defending champion who is cementing himself as top dog at 135 pounds and arguably the best young boxer in the world.
A win for Kambosos in October will see him collect all of Haney’s belts and turn the division on its head.
Elsewhere we have former Unified champion Vasyl Lomachenko set to face Jamaine Ortiz in late October – his first fight since Russia invaded Ukraine has put his career on hold.
Another star of the division and holder of the WBA (Regular) title is the tenacious Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
The 27-year-old doesn’t have a fight coming up but there are rumors of a meeting with undefeated American Ryan Garcia – a fight that would draw a lot of attention given the huge following and fan-friendly style from both men and women.
Regardless of the October 16 result, there will still be plenty of great matchups in the lightweight ranks.