George Kambosos Jr made weight at the second time of asking after initially missing by less than half-a-pound for his undisputed lightweight title fight against Devin Haney.
Kambosos was believed to have tipped the scale under the 135lb limit at his hotel, but after stripping off behind a towel at the official weigh-ins, he came in 135.36lb. Haney made the weight on the button with his first step on the scales, while the Australian fighter was forced to cut again within a two-hour time limit.
Over 40,000 fans are expected to pack into the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne tonight to watch the Aussie fighter attempt to make history as the first undisputed lightweight champion of the four-belt era. Standing in his way is the unbeaten Haney, who left Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing in order to make the fight happen with Lou DiBella and Bob Arum.
“Art of war, baby, deception,” Kambosos said after his successful second weigh-in. “Let them believe that this was done. Anything is for a cause, anything is for a process. Trust me tomorrow, just be here... Maybe I did it on purpose - I took a p***, I chilled out. I was about to have a Greek coffee, but I thought I was going to make weight, now I’m doing to have a Greek coffee.”
Haney believes that the weight miss will actually give him an advantage, given that he tipped the scales properly at the first time of asking. This fight will prove the toughest test of his career, having won his WBC title as a result of then-champion Vasily Lomachenko vacating his belt three years ago.
Who do you think wins tonight; Devin Haney or George Kambosos Jr? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
“He ain’t s***," Haney said of his rival. "He ain’t made weight. I knew what I had to do, I made weight, and I’m a true champion - I mean he’s sucked up, he’s dry, I don’t know, it is what it is, we’ve still got to go in there and fight. But I’m a true champion and true champions make weight.”
The fight week has been filled with drama after a number of Haney's teammates were unable to get into Australia due to issues with their visas, including his dad and long-time coach Bill Haney. However, his father was granted a last minute exemption, and now finds himself in a race against time to get across the world and be ringside for Haney's big moment.
The fight is essentially 50-50 in most fans and experts eyes, with bookies giving a slight edge to Haney after the weight miss and his father's late admission to the country. Kambosos will have a major home advantage with tens of thousands of his own fans cheering him on in what will be a record-breaking event for boxing in Victoria.
