Boxing 2022: Devin Haney winning pschological war against George Kambosos ahead of rematch
On the eve of the George Kambosos-Devin Haney rematch, the American is clearly winning the psychological war, as he oozes the calmness of a monk.
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This time, Devin Haney is the smiling assassin, subtly, imperceptibly, living rent free in George Kambosos’ head.
While Kambosos spruiked the art of war before their first bout in June, Haney has returned to Australia deploying a psychological warfare of his own ahead of their rematch at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.
Quietly-spoken and oozing the calmness of a monk, it is easy to be fooled by Haney, but he is clearly nobody’s fool.
In fight one, ‘The Dream’ picked Kambosos apart with a sniping jab inside the ring.
On the eve of Kambosos-Haney II, the American is going to work on the Aussie, cleverly constructing the narrative with his mind outside the ring.
The undisputed lightweight champion has spent the past few days pressure-testing Kambosos, mindful that while ‘Ferocious’ talked the talk before their Marvel Stadium blockbuster four months ago, it was Haney who walked the walk when it mattered.
Now Haney, emboldened by four shimmering world-title belts, three of which he snatched from Kambosos, is poking and goading the Spartan warrior.
Upon his arrival Down Under, Haney began the mental disintegration, suggesting Kambosos was on the nose with many Australian sports fans because of his fast-talking hubris and cocky histrionics in June.
When the pair faced off again on Tuesday, Haney continued the needling, enjoying the better of a tense exchange.
Kambosos chewed gum at rapid-fire speed. Haney had the relaxed air of a man who has been, seen and conquered.
Like a Prime Minister and opposition leader primed for a live TV political debate, Kambosos and Haney started their interview cautiously before the American seized on a moment.
Asked if the hype overwhelmed him in their first fight, Kambosos conceded: “It does come with a lot (of pressure) as a champion ... but I’m in a good position now.”
Haney’s ears pricked. He went for the jugular.
“Just admit it was too much for you?” Haney jabbed.
“What was too much?” Kambosos countered, his pulse rising.
“Everything,” Haney sniped. “It was too much. The build up ... you agreed you had to do too much stuff and all of that.
“I am very proud of that event,” Kambosos hit back.
“Yeah, but it was too much for you,” Haney finished, plunging the psychological dagger, reinforcing the message that all the pressure Kambosos tried to apply at Marvel ultimately became a whirlpool of hot-aired hype that swallowed him up.
Now, without his belts, a humbled Kambosos is left with one option: to let his actions do the talking, but even then, Haney turned up the heat.
At Marvel, Kambosos was criticised for relying too much on his trademark counter-punching and failing to adjust, mid-fight, when Haney was giving him a tactical whipping with his jab and ring IQ.
For the rematch, there is a view Kambosos must get in Haney’s face and come charging out of the blocks, triggering the bloody streetfight that saw him pull off a stunning boilover of Teofimo Lopez last November.
But Haney, staying as cool as his diamond studs as he planted more seeds of doubt, laid bare a sobering scenario for Kambosos at Rod Laver.
“It’s obvious the game plan he (Kambosos) will come with this time,” the 23-year-old said.
“In the first fight, he tried to be more aggressive, but in reality if he did it too much he would have got stopped.
“In this (second) fight, he can try it again and it won’t work.
“The more aggressive he is, the more he will get hit. The more you throw, the more you get hit.
“It depends how aggressive he wants to be.
“If he wants to come out like a boar, it might go really bad, but it depends on how bad he wants to get beat up.”
Just like that, Haney ostensibly dared Kambosos to try his luck, The Dream confident he already has control of the mental battle ... armed with the physical gifts to win another world-title war.
KAMBOSOS GOES BACK TO THE FUTURE FOR WORLD-TITLE REMATCH
George Kambosos has split with his American trainer and gone back to the future in a bid to exact revenge in his world-title rematch against Devin Haney on Sunday.
News Corp can reveal Kambosos has reunited with his original trainer Chris Bakis, who will spearhead an all-Australian team for the return bout with Haney at Melbourne‘s Rod Laver Arena.
American trainer Javiel Centeno was the Miami mastermind who helped Kambosos pull off the stunning upset of Teofimo Lopez last November that made ‘Ferocious’ a world champion.
But Centeno came under fire following Kambosos’ world-title loss to Haney in June, with many fight fans critical of his lack of tactical advice as ’The Dream’ began to dominate their unification bout at Marvel Stadium.
Now Kambosos is going back to a familiar face and voice in Bakis, who was in the Sydneysider’s corner for the first 14 fights of his career that delivered Australian and Oceania lightweight titles.
Bakis is regarded as one of Sydney‘s most respected boxing trainers with old-school methods to match Kambosos’ ruthless intent.
Bakis will be joined by assistant Ronny Sinclair and cutman Brian Wilmot, giving Kambosos the Aussie Big Three to help him bury his Marvel demons and engineer a Haney boilover at Rod Laver.
“I have a new team for this fight,” Kambosos said.
“Javiel won’t be part of things this time.
“I wanted to go with an all-Australian team with the fight here locally.
“I appreciate what Javiel did and it was a mutual decision to part ways.
“Chris Bakis is my head coach for this fight. He was with me for a long time early in my career and with Ronny Sinclair and my cutman Brian Wilmot, I believe I have the best in Australia to help me get my belts back off Devin Haney.”
It is understood Centeno wanted Kambosos to spend time training in his gym in America, but the former world champion preferred to remain on Australian soil, prompting him to reach out to Bakis.
While Centeno was hammered for not being more vocal during the first bout at Marvel, Kambosos refused to be critical of the mentor who helped him conquer Lopez.
“There’s no issue with Javiel,” he said.
“There is no bad blood or disrespect towards him for the last fight. This is the way I wanted it.
“I am very comfortable with Chris. We jell so well. We have the same mindset, we are both Spartan warriors, we are on the same warpath and are putting together the game plan I believe can beat Haney.
“After losing to Haney, I had to rebuild and get a fresh focus and my small team, led by Chris, has given me that.
“We are going back to the beginning and what it took for me to become a champion.
“Chris knows me as well as anyone. We have the same vision and this is the decision I have taken to pull off a great victory on Sunday.”
HANEY’S BRUTAL SLEDGE AHEAD OF KAMBOSOS REMATCH
Devin Haney has given George Kambosos a verbal uppercut, saying the Australian’s trash talk blew up in his face as the American sensation prepares to inflict more pain in their world-title rematch on Sunday.
Haney has arrived down under and the defending champion took aim at Kambosos when the pair faced off in Melbourne on Tuesday ahead of the second instalment of their rivalry at Rod Laver Arena.
‘The Dream’ turned Ferocious’ maiden world-title defence into a nightmare in June, producing a 12-round masterclass before 40,000 fans at Marvel Stadium to make history as the first man to unify the lightweight division in the four-belt era.
Kambosos has adopted a decidedly low-key approach for the rematch and Haney isn’t surprised, suggesting the Sydneysider has been forced to shut his mouth after failing to back up his many words in their first bout.
And the unbeaten American (28-0, 15KO) continued his attack on Kambosos (20-1, 10KO), claiming he has been embraced by Australian fans who are sick of their countryman‘s lippy diatribes.
“I think his trash talk played against him,” said Haney, who won a unanimous points decision to break Kambosos’ heart at Marvel.
“Everything he said he was going to do, he couldn’t do, he didn’t do and it worked against him.
“I feel like Australia has taken me in as one of my own.
“George has made it easier for Australia to latch onto me.
“He is a bit quiet this time. I don‘t know if it’s something strategic or what, but at the end of the day, I will do what I do, whether he is talking loud or he’s not.
“Everything I said I would do in the first fight I did.”
Now Haney says he is ready to shift gears and subject Kambosos to a second consecutive defeat that would leave Ferocious‘ career at the crossroads.
In their first bout in June, two judges gave Haney eight of the 12 rounds. A third judge believed Kambosos won just two rounds.
The one certainty is Haney systematically broke down Kambosos with a sniping jab that kept his rival at bay as he stormed to a victory that saw the 23-year-old claim the IBF, WBC, WBO and WBA Super lightweight titles.
There is a view Kambosos has no hope of avenging his loss to Haney and The Dream warned the 29-year-old is in for another torrid night.
“I have been polishing my tools since the first fight,” Haney said.
“I am ready for whatever George brings to the table.
“I will be a better version this time around. I will beat him because it’s part of the game, George wants what I’ve got and that’s the belts.
“Kambosos has a solid team but on the night I was the better fighter and it won’t be any different on October 16.
“He will come in a lot more desperate than he did in the first fight, but it will leave more openings and make for a better Devin Haney.
“I want to put myself closer and closer to the history books and closer to being a legend of the sport, a great, and this is what it takes.
“It’s important I defend the belts. The greats defended their belts and I want to put my name closer and closer to the greats by doing that.”
Kambosos dismissed suggestions Haney has embarrassed him into shutting his mouth.
“People are saying I am humbled and quiet. That’s not the case,” he said.
“Yes, I did get a bit loud at times, but it was my confidence and I did try and sell that fight to give Australia the best event possible.
“A lot of the promotion for the first fight was on my shoulders, but this time the rematch has sold itself and I just have to do my business in the ring.
“Devin is a great champion, no doubt he is a great boxer, but I know where I went wrong in that first fight, what I felt from him, and what I need to do better to get those belts back.”
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