The world champion in two categories in the past, and now the boxing analyst of the ESPN television channel is American Timothy Bradley gave
interview for a local news portal.
In a conversation, Timothy commented on the victory of American WBC champion Devin Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) over IBF/WBO/WBA Super Australian George Kambosos (20-1, 10 KOs) on June 5 in Melbourne (Australia). Bradley believes Haney became an instant star, but believes he can be defeated with strength and speed.
— Master class from Haney. I didn’t think it would be so easy. I was sure that if Devin used the jab, it would be a nightmare for Kambosos. There were some tactical things that Kambosos did wrong. He kept his hands low, opened up, he leaned a little on his front leg, which brought his head closer to the jab. Haney had reach, Haney had height advantage, boxing ability, athleticism. He had everything, but I thought Kambosos would give free rein to his hands a little more.
He stood at a distance he shouldn’t have. I thought, “What’s your fucking plan for the fight? You’re going to have to get close eventually.” But when he got close, he got too close, and Haney could knit him. When he reacted, there were one or two blows. In general, there was no variability of combinations. Attack the damn hull. You know you’re up against a dodgy guy who’s on the move. You need to attack the body, this is the biggest target you have, since it’s so hard for you to hit the head. You saw it was hard for him to get his head off.
Were you surprised that George didn’t change lanes?
“I was surprised, but at the same time, I said on the podcast that every time you miss a jab, you need to drop your footwork. You need to start over again. You need to think about counterattacks first. Missed the jab – you need to track him down, calibrate the distance again and then try to enter the close one. But there is a time to move forward. You will miss anyway. But when you attack, you need to throw a couple of phantom strikes, move to the side and then attack. Just try in different ways. There are also countless options. You can fight on the back foot, you can go forward, you can change rhythms, you can do a lot. Even if you have simple combinations, but if you do them from different angles, these are different blows. That’s what he needed to do.
Do you think George has something that will make the rematch more competitive?
– I do not think so. Styles make fights. George is a good fighter. He is an excellent fighter. I don’t want anyone to take anything away from this guy’s accomplishments. It takes guts, it takes eggs to fly across the ocean and do what he did, and then go back to his own land, and then choose a guy like Haney, a guy he knew he could potentially beat him. But that’s the risk we take as fighters when we want to be the best. I have great respect for George. The rematch will be difficult. It always is, because styles make fights. That jab Haney – if he doesn’t find a way to get rid of this, he’s going to have a terrible night like tonight.
What does this achievement mean for Devin Haney’s future, legacy and career?
“He instantly became a star. Earned instant respect. Everyone had questions about Devin, I had questions for him … He showed that he was light years ahead in today’s fight. He beat a great quality champion Kambosos. People shouldn’t take anything from him. And it wasn’t a happy coincidence. No, Kambosos fought as best he could. He was just shot down. Haney was the best today. Haney gave the perfect match. He didn’t make mistakes. As a result, Haney is king of the hill. A new star is born. We are looking forward to the best fights. This is a full division. Let’s see. Let’s see where he ends up.
– Can anyone beat him?
“There will always be someone. Styles make fights. The 61 kg division was packed to capacity. With strength and speed, yes. Anyone can win. Also his.