Devin Haney believes he deserves more respect and a place in the pound-for-pound rankings after his rematch win over George Kambosos Jr.
Haney and Kambosos Jr touched gloves for the second time last night just four months on from their undisputed 135lb meeting back in June. The American star put his belts on the line in a maiden defence in Australia on Saturday night and the fight followed a similar route with Haney once again showing his dominance on unfamiliar soil.
There are several big fights on the horizon for Haney who is currently recognised as the leader of the 135lb division ahead of the likes of Gervonta Davis, Vasyl Lomachenko and Ryan Garcia. And the 23-year-old believes he commands more respect after accepting another tough challenge against a top fighter.
“I should definitely be on the pound-for-pound rankings," Haney said after the fight when assessing his latest win over Kambosos Jr. "In the first fight, they said that all I had was my jab. Today I came in and showed them my right hand. I showed how versatile I am. I came to Australia not once, but twice.
"I honoured it, and beat the man twice in his hometown. I definitely deserve to be in the pound-for-pound rankings. We take on all comers. No matter who it is, we want to fight the best fighters in the world. I believe I’m the best fighter in the world. Whoever is next, bring him on.”
The judges scorecards represented Haney's commanding performance from the opening bell with all three scoring the contest at 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110 in favour of the champion. Kambosos Jr had grabbed the belts with a shock victory over Teofimo Lopez and came into the original fight with an edge having been staged in Australia.
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But on both occasions the pair have now met, Haney has just simply outclassed his rival after a fiery build-up between the pair. And the champion believes that the fight was different to the first but he was once again able to fight through adversity and take control of the showdown.
“I knew that he was looking for the jab," he continued after the final bell. "So my team wanted me to show other tools in my arsenal. My dad wanted me to throw the hook more. But I feel that the right hand was what won me the fight. When he first came out, I didn’t expect him to be switching. But I caught on to his timing and his angles, and I started to pick my shots more.
“Against a southpaw, the right hand is always on the money. That’s what happened. He’s a warrior. I take my hat off to George Kambosos and all the Australian fans that came out. Thank you guys for giving me so much hospitality here.”
