Promoter Lou DiBella admits he’s “frustrated as hell” by George Kambosos’ decision to fly under the radar, but the promoter says he won’t care if the Australian can cause a boilover by defeating Devin Haney.
Kambosos went off the grid following the official October 16 announcement of the rematch at Rod Laver Arena, opting to head overseas, turn off his phone and get back to the daily grind in the shadows.
For Kambosos, working away from the headlines was something he became accustomed to on his way to the top.
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PODCAST: BOB ARUM, LOU DIBELLA & THE MOLONEYS – Haney v Kambosos 2 preview
But all that changed following his upset victory over Teofimo Lopez in late 2021, as the Australian became an overnight star.
Kambosos talked a big game ahead of his unification bout against Haney at Marvel Stadium in June, but the 29-year-old was no match for his younger rival.
The Australian was out-boxed and hardly laid a glove on Haney, whose jab didn’t allow his rival into the bout.
Appearing on the Main Event podcast, DiBella told host Ben Damon he believed Haney would benefit from having a quieter build-up.
“Let’s be honest here, we expected a great fight last time based on all the fights George had previously had and based on who Haney was and the significance of the fight,” DiBella said.
“We didn’t get what we bargained for and what we got was a boxing exhibition, largely by Haney, where he pretty much imposed his will on George, and I think, honestly, the success, all the belts, and all the attention, had got to George.
“I think being at home, at a stadium event, where people are talking about tickets and you’re all in the papers and they want you to show up at every social function, I think George was distracted.
“I think he got out of his mind-set and game-plan and he looked lost the night of the fight and Haney’s just too good not to take advantage of that kind of situation.
“But you can’t write off a fighter on one bad night. He’s back in Melbourne, he’s at Rod Laver Arena, there will be a pro-Kambosos fanbase there, and he’s on home soil.
“This time he was hard to find, hard to reach, he might not have been available enough for his promotional period because he knew he had to get back to the basics.”
Prickly Haney dismisses question | 01:15
DiBella said it made his job harder but he accepted Kambosos’ position.
“No, it’s frustrating as hell for me,” DiBella said. “And I am frustrated, but, I’m a promoter, and you know what, the fighter’s got to do what the fighter’s got to do.”
DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos from the beginning, admitted the Australian had to drastically change his approach to stand a chance but said he was impressed by the boxer’s physique heading into the rematch.
“I’ll tell you this, he looks differently physically this time,” DiBella said.
“He looks like a statue of a Greek God and the last time he looked like a content happy champion. I see a physical difference.
“But he’s going to have to execute a different game-plan, and frankly he’s going to have to make Devin Haney uncomfortable.”
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Kambosos admits to lack of focus | 01:21
Despite Haney’s unanimous points decision win, Bob Arum was not prepared to rule out Kambosos from pulling off an upset.
But the respected promoter said Kambosos had to change his tactics.
“It depends on how Kambosos fights,” Arum said on the Main Event podcast.
“If he’s going to try and box Haney you’ve got no chance, but if he takes the fight to Haney and tries to make it a brawl anything can happen, he’s got a real good chance.
“He’s got to fight Haney the same way he fought Lopez, you just can’t mess about and make it a boxing match.”
Arum said the fact Haney had yet to be pushed and taken to an uncomfortable place meant there remained questions over the star boxer.
“Technically he’s very, very good,” Arum said.
“He’s a great boxer and it’d be very hard to beat him if you boxed with him, now the question with Haney is he hasn’t really faced anybody who has put pressure on him and made it into a brawl, and how he reacts to something like that we don’t know.
“Again, it may be that Devin can handle it all and handle a brawler but then again he might not, but unless you test him Kambosos is going to lose the fight again.”
Watch Haney v Kambosos Jr 2 LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo, Sunday October 16 from 11am AEST. ORDER NOW >
