haney makes history
June kicked off with Wales hoping for their 13th world champion, and Australia hoping their latest would make unprecedented history down under.
Joe Cordina was centre stage in Britain at the weekend and that felt exactly right. The 2016 Olympian has perhaps made less noise than the majority of his GB counterparts from Rio over his 4 year professional career; but the loudest noise of the lot came on his crowning night in Cardiff.
Kenichi Ogawa came over to Wales with confidence, a knockout ratio and most importantly a jewel that even beyond this night could bring legacy defining opportunities. We spoke to Joe in the week, and he himself was well aware of what he might have to navigate if he was to snatch that IBF crown.
As the boxing public sat and prepared for a box-and-move type 12 rounds, Joe lead by the mantra of ‘timing beats speed and precision beats power’…
Before even the halfway stage of round 2, a right hand laid Ogawa on his back, and laid Joe into the history books. Simply stunning.
As we know boxing never rests. And before Joe even got to thank his Cardiff crowd, a certain Shakur Stevenson was mentioned.
The current WBO, WBC & Ring Magazine Champion’s name had been openly floated around in the build up, but with Ogawa now dispatched, it was time to bang the drum for what would be a serious levels fight.
Zelfa Barrett is another fighter who will be in the frame for a shot at Joe’s strap. A huge congratulations from all at IFL TV to him on becoming European Champion on the anniversary of his mother’s passing. Zelfa, she would be so proud.
So onto Melbourne it was. And what a performance from Devin Haney.
The stadium show was opened up by someone we know well on these shores. Just 15 months ago Lucas Browne was knocked out by a Rugby player; a shock first round win against Junior Fa flew him back in the mix. The Moloney brother’s both showed up, and showed up in some style. Some other Aussie talent was littered across the card and kept a 40,000 strong crowd entertained. However it was the main event that really had us bubbling.
The last minute arrival of Bill Haney added another storyline to a week in which Devin showed the maturity and composure of a man who is ready to carry the weight of 4 belts.
Devin was in the firing line all week from George Kambosos and team, however we should’ve known this wasn’t to faze him. A young buck willing to travel across the biggest of ponds, as a free agent, as the financial ‘b side’, and to his knowledge of the time without his father & mentor - this is a man built different.
The fight itself was always going to pose intriguing questions. One of them being how Devin approaches scoring rounds in George’s back yard. If you let the first 3 pass you by, they’re in the home fighters’ back pocket - even if he does precious little. That’s just how it works.
But Devin was sharp from the first bell, and his game plan needed no real altering throughout the 12. Jab him, tie him up, get out. It sounds so easy, and at times Devin made it look that way. The crowd fell flat alongside George, who was frustrated and in what felt like a flash, time seemed to fly away from the Aussie.
Some might say the Kambosos we saw against Teofimo Lopez was absent on Saturday night, but I like to think he was there… he was just tamed by one of boxing’s current elite crop.
Now rematch pending or not, I hope George Kambosos is well received by the boxing fans in the aftermath. His win over Teofimo Lopez was one of the sports’ most iconic nights in recent years, and having spent a lot of time around him in Vegas for Haney-Diaz fight week, he is one of boxing’s most infectious personalities.
So, now we look to Tank, Loma, Garcia and the likes for Devin. It really is a division littered with mouthwatering options. Whatever it be, this is going to be a journey to seriously enjoy.
What a weekend.