When Devin Haney had his hand raised aloft after beating George Kambosos Jr in June to become the undisputed lightweight champion of the world, his life changed forever.
We all saw how Kambosos Jr. changed when he had the belts in the lead-up to the first fight: showing up anywhere and everywhere as he looked to build his brand and sell the bout.
It was a notable difference from how he was in his previous fights as he operated in the shadows before stepping into the light when it was at its brightest.
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Haney believed the belts got to Kambosos Jr.’s head after his famous victory over Teofimo Lopez, but could the same ever happen to the Las Vegas native?
“There’s no way that I can get big-headed when I knew it would happen eventually,” Haney said at the public workouts on Thursday.
‘Won’t work’ – Haney derides fight plan | 01:15
It’s one thing for a fighter to say as much, but according to former IBF lightweight champion Mickey Bey, it’s nothing but the truth.
“No, nothing changed because he already carried himself like this, to be honest,” Bey told foxsports.com.au
“He always felt that one day he would accomplish something as big. He’s real humble, he’s a humble guy. In the ring, he is who he is. But outside the ring, he’s one of the most grounded people.”
Bey has known Haney since he was a boy and works closely with the champion to this day.
Having been there for most of the 23-year-old’s boxing journey, Bey has seen first-hand just how good Haney is.
Not only that, but how good Haney can be.
Which begs the question: what is Haney’s ceiling, if there even is one?
“If it’s up to him (Haney), he’d be up to the Mayweather level, which is a lot of work,” Bey said.
“Floyd went undefeated at the very top until he was 40 years old, so he’s got a lot of work to do. Devin’s only 23 so he knows this isn’t the end of the road for him, he’s got a long way to go.”
Kambosos admits to lack of focus | 01:21
Although Haney isn’t near Mayweather’s level just yet, there’s an eerie similarity in the joy they take in practising the sweet science of the sport of hitting without getting hit themselves.
It is an approach Haney utilised to devastating effect in the first fight, tagging Kambosos Jr. countless times with his jab before vanishing from danger within a flash whenever ‘Ferocious’ looked to reply with punches on his own.
But now that Kambosos Jr. enters the rematch as the challenger with everything to gain, it could present Haney with a new style of fight he must deal with to retain his belts.
Yet Bey feels that the weight of being the undisputed lightweight champion will not rest heavily on Haney’s shoulders.
If anything, it should spell danger for Kambosos Jr.
“I think Devin will try and beat Kambosos even more convincingly,” Bey said.
“Even though he beat him clear in the first fight, this time he might even try to stop him.
“He’s getting a little more mature and I think he’s comfortable since he was just in Australia this time, there was no hassle with his dad. I think this time he feels more at home.”
