MELBOURNE, June 5 (ABC): Unbeaten American Devin Haney comfortably beat Australian George Kambosos on points Sunday to become the first undisputed lightweight world champion in modern boxing history.
Highly-rated WBC title holder Haney, a clear favourite, successfully defended his belt for a fifth time and in the process took the WBA, IBF and WBO straps off Kambosos with a unanimous verdict.
Victory made him the first undisputed lightweight champion since Pernell Whitaker in 1992 and the first in the four-belt era, which began in 2004.
Kambosos was undone by Haney’s sensational speed, instinct and relentless left jab that frustrated the Australian who struggled to land enough big blows.
It was a defensive masterclass by the American, whose slick skills and smart tactical nous won the day in front of a 41,000-strong pro-Kambosos crowd at an electric Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.
All three judges scored the bout in Haney’s favour, 116-112, 116-112 and 118-110.
“This is a dream come true,” said Haney, who got a big boost on the eve of the fight when his father and lead trainer Bill was granted an 11th-hour visa after initially being denied entry to Australia over a three-decades-old drugs conviction.
“I was comfortable,” said Haney. “I was just sticking to the game-plan … I handicapped him of his best things. He wanted to land the overhand right and the left hook.”
Victory in the 135-pound limit fight stretched the 23-year-old’s phenomenal record to 28-0 with 15 KOs while Kambosos, 28, suffered his first professional defeat in 21 bouts since debuting in 2013.
The win elevates Haney to an exclusive club of fighters.
He is only the eighth boxer to hold all four belts from the major sanctioning bodies — WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO — at the same time.
The seven others are Bernard Hopkins (middleweight), Jermain Taylor (middleweight), Terence Crawford (super lightweight), Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight), Josh Taylor (super lightweight), Saul Alvarez (super middleweight) and Jermell Charlo (super welterweight).