Many people, including George Kambosos Jr., thought the boxing match between Kambosos and Devin Haney on June 4 was uninteresting, yet Haney remains the champion.
The lightweight boxing match between Devin Haney and George Kambosos Jr. on June 4 was dubbed “boring” by spectators, analysts, and even one of the fight’s combatants.
Kambosos told the Sydney Morning Herald (h/t Boxingscene.com), “It wasn’t like I got banged up.” “I’m not hurt in the least.” I feel like I’ve already had half of a fight; it was tedious.
Coming from the newly dethroned champion, that’s an unusual point of view.
Kambosos gave various remarks in the position of the bigger guy, attempting not to detract from the new undisputed lightweight champion, Haney. His comments to the Sydney Morning Herald, as well as his prior statements, send contradictory signals. They could even be described as passive-aggressive.
“After his victory tonight, I’m going to give him full respect,” Kambosos stated after the fight. “Give him his time, and we’ll do it all over again.”
It’s not the most appropriate way to pay homage to Haney to call his victory “boring.” However, Kambosos isn’t the only one who uses the phrase.
Haney vs. Kambosos was dubbed “Haney vs. Kambosos” by many on social media. There were tired-face emojis mixed in with disappointment because there weren’t more conversations. Ryan Garcia, an undefeated lightweight challenger, followed suit.
“Boring!” Garcia tweeted.
CompuBox shows that Devin Haney threw and landed more punches than George Kambosos Jr. to win the lightweight division and become the undisputed champion.
Neither Haney nor Kambosos were hurt in the fight, and there weren’t many fights, but the epithet “boring” detracts from Haney’s accomplishments and boxing flair.
In November 2021, Kambosos challenged then-champion Teofimo Lopez, and the two collided head-on with nothing but destruction on their minds. In round one, Lopen was knocked out, and in round ten, Kambosos was knocked out by a Lopez right hand.
For a chance at glory, Kambosos put his chin on the line, and it paid off. His face was bruised, and his right eye was bulging, but he looked better than Lopez, who had swollen purple tissue burying his left eye and splitting open on the outside brow.
After Haney vs. Kambosos, there were no ugly battle scars, which is a testimonial to Haney’s skill to neutralize Kambosos’ offensive while scoring points with jabs and counterpunches.
Haney used his boxing IQ to set up a boxing match that suited his skills.He never turned around and fled. Haney stayed squared and pivoted back and around the ring with his left hand, keeping Kambosos at bay.
That’s not cowardice; it’s a skill. Don’t get the two mixed up.
For the same reasons that we’re seeing with Haney vs. Kambosos, many people dubbed Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao a dull fight in 2015. Mayweather was able to beat another great boxer without getting any facial injuries because he moved around and counterpunched.
How many boxers who have competed against Pacquiao can say the same?
These two competitors’ CompuBox stats are very similar. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao threw 864 punches combined, compared to 1,005 for Haney vs. Kambosos. Mayweather threw 148 blows, while Haney landed 147.
That’s the result of two skilled boxers striking a measured balance between offense and defense to emerge victorious while avoiding career-ending injury. Most people would think that clever, but call them boring.
The casual boxing fan expects to see violence in the ring, and they do. Boxers, on the other hand, do not receive additional points for being battered. They suffered from a brain injury.
Because he fought smart, Mayweather concluded his career unbeaten and with a lot of money. Even though his style was “boring,” he was the most popular boxer of his time and set pay-per-view records.
Haney, who is 23 years old, follows “Money’s” blueprint and is unquestioned. That achievement was not even done by Mayweather.
Haney’s early career is one of the best on paper you will ever see, with a record of 28-0 and 15 KOs. Unfortunately, while he out-thought and out-fought his opponent, he has been called “boring.” It’s also illogical.
If you look at the CompuBox stats closely, you’ll discover that Haney threw 171 more punches and landed 47 more than Kambosos, but Kambosos has the audacity to label Haney boring. “Better” is the term I’d use.
Haney remarked after the bout that the matchup went as planned.
“I was at ease,” Haney explained. “I was simply following the game plan.” The strategy was to go in there and hit while avoiding being hit, which I did for the bulk of the fight. I didn’t fight the final round because I knew I was comfortably ahead, but I put up a good fight. “
Haney acted out the vision he had in his thoughts. To do so against a fighter of the ‘Ferocious’ Kambosos’ caliber, it needs a world-class boxer.
If you were hoping to see carnage between Haney and Kambosos, you’re out of luck. Instead, you were left with a textbook strategy and exquisite smoothness. But go ahead and be ignorant and glib once more by labeling Haney “boring.” It’s not like it’s going out of style.
