Bill Haney, Devin’s Dad, Readies His Armada to Conquer Australia

Published

3 years ago

April 19, 2022

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Professional boxers, with few exceptions, begin their careers in humble surroundings. George Kambosos Jr had his first three pro fights and five of his first eight at the Croatian Club in the oddly-named Sydney suburb of Punchbowl. Used primarily to host wedding receptions, the Croatian Club is a classy joint compared to the place where Devin Haney got his start. Haney had his first four pro fights at the seedy Billar El Perro Salado (translation: Salty Dog billiard hall) in seedy Tijuana.

On Sunday, June 5 (Saturday in the U.S.), Kambosos (20-0, 10 KOs) and Haney (27-0, 15 KOs) will do battle at 50,000-seat Marvel Stadium in Melbourne in a lightweight title unification fight that some have likened to the boxing equivalent of a Super Bowl. Kambosos and Haney have come a long way.

George Kambosos hails from Sydney, more than 500 miles from Melbourne, but will have a distinct home field advantage. His ancestry is Greek and Melbourne has the largest Greek population of any city in Australia, an estimated 175,000. Nonetheless, Haney, the U.S. invader from Las Vegas, will go to post a 9/5 favorite if the early betting line holds up.

Kambosos, who de-throned Teofimo Lopez on Nov. 27, 2021 at Madison Square Garden in one of the biggest upsets of recent memory, has been lauded for the sacrifices he made to achieve his current status as the most decorated fighter in the lightweight division. Prior to meeting Teofimo, he was known primarily as Manny Pacquiao’s longtime sparring partner.

Kombosos vs. Teofimo Lopez, originally set for June 5, 2021 in Miami, went through six date changes, three different cities, and two promoters before it came to fruition. During the bumpy run-up, Kombosos held tight to his training regimen in Florida and missed important events in his life. He wasn’t there to attend the funeral of his paternal grandfather, for whom he was named, or be there to witness the birth of his third child.

As Bill Haney, Devin Haney’s 48-year-old father and trainer/manager, would be the first to tell you, Devin’s journey has been no less arduous. “It’s taken us 15 years to reach this point,” he says, noting that Devin, 23, first laced on a pair of gloves at the age of eight.

As an amateur, Haney was so precocious that he was dubbed the best prospect since Floyd Mayweather Jr by no less an authority than Floyd Sr. When Devin’s father felt that he had nothing more to learn in the amateur ranks, he turned him pro. Because of minimum-age requirements in the U.S., Devin’s first pro fights were in Mexico. It was a path trod by several other precocious amateurs before him, notably Arizona light heavyweight David Benavidez.

About those early fights in Tijuana; there were 10 overall. The crowds were small, a few hundred tops, and the spectators were animated. “It was mostly a bunch of drunks,” says Bill, looking back fondly, and “they came to see the gringo kid get beat.” Of course, he never did get beat and Devin would eventually earn such grudging respect from the locals that he graduated into larger spaces such as the ballroom of Tijuana’s 320-room Grand Hotel.

There’s a school of thought that there’s little to be gained by having a fighter launch his pro career on low-budget cards in Mexico. The competition is inferior. But Bill Haney, among others, would argue that there are benefits to fighting in that environment. It prepares one to compete in hostile settings and for Team Haney, the environment will certainly be hostile inside Marvel Stadium.

A reporter who prowls the boxing gyms of Las Vegas can always tell when Team Haney is in the building. There are more than the usual number of cars parked outside and the cars are of the pricey kind. They might not be as flashy as the rogue car that one is likely to see parked outside the Mayweather Boxing Club, but the vehicles, most notably Devin’s elegant, if understated, Maybach, convey money.

They say that too many cooks spoil the broth, but Bill Haney obviously doesn’t concur. Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali were famed for their entourages, but it’s doubtful that any boxer had more people in his inner circle at the tender age of twenty-three than does Devin Haney.

How many will accompany Bill and Devin to Melbourne? When asked this question during a closed-door session for Team Haney at the Top Rank Gym, Bill makes a sweeping gesture with his hand that says everybody you see here. There are, perhaps, a dozen.

Among the role-players, none stands out as conspicuously as the fellow given the title of chief handler. They call him Church, spelled Chuuuch says the man himself, an energetic man with a spring in his step who appears to be in his early fifties.

When Devin Haney spars, Chuuuch keeps up a constant patter. “You are the master, the overseer,” he is wont to bay by way of encouragement. At public gatherings such as weigh-ins, he morphs into the hypeman, referring to the fighter as Lord Devin Haney. When exalting Devin or disparaging his opponent he often speaks in rhymes.

Chuuuch is the reincarnation of the legendary Bundini Brown, Muhammad Ali’s assistant cornerman and colorful sidekick. He should make quite a splash with the Australian media.

Team Haney, says Bill, plans to arrive in Australia a month before the fight to get acclimated to the climate and time difference. To mitigate the effect of jet lag, they will spend a few days in Hawaii en route.

The last big prizefight in Australia pit Pacquiao against Jeff Horn in Brisbane. Fighting on his home turf, Horn won a controversial decision. Does Bill Haney worry that his son may get a raw deal from the officials? “We can’t go over there with that mindset,” he says while averring that the brouhaha over the Horn-Pacquiao decision might work to their advantage. “If they do that again,” he says, “fighters will be reluctant to go there for a big fight.” (Note: Neither the referee nor the judges in the Horn-Pacquiao fight were Australian.)

With respect to dictating the terms of engagement, WBA/WBO/IBF belt-holder George Kambosos, by virtue of owning the most hardware, was in the driver’s seat. In addition to the lion’s share of the purse, his management demanded concessions that went beyond what is customary. The rematch clause stipulates that the rematch, if needed, will also be held in Australia.

“We consented,” says Bill Haney, “because to Devin this fight is less about money than about his legacy. We respect George Kambosos, he’s a good fighter, but on June 5 Devin will show that he is something special.”

Kambosos vs. Haney has the earmarks of a very good scrap and, if not, it will still be quite a spectacle.

Arne K. Lang’s latest book, titled “George Dixon, Terry McGovern and the Culture of Boxing in America, 1890-1910,” will shortly roll off the press. The book, published by McFarland, can be pre-ordered directly from the publisher (https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/clashof-the-little-giants) or via Amazon.

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Argentina’s Fernando Martinez Wins His Rematch with Kazuto Ioka

Published

2 hours ago

May 11, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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In an excellent fight climaxed by a furious 12^th round, Argentina’s Fernando Daniel Martinez came off the deck to win his rematch with Kazuto Ioka and retain his piece of the world 115-pound title. The match was staged at Ioka’s familiar stomping grounds, the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

In their first meeting on July 7 of last year in Tokyo, Martinez was returned the winner on scores of 117-111, 116-112, and a bizarre 120-108. The rematch was slated for late December, but Martinez took ill a few hours before the weigh-in and the bout was postponed.

The 33-year-old Martinez, who came in sporting a 17-0 (9) record, was a 7-2 favorite to win the sequel, but there were plenty of reasons to favor Ioka, 36, aside from his home field advantage. The first Japanese male fighter to win world titles in four weight classes, Ioka was 3-0 in rematches and his long-time trainer Ismael Salas was on a nice roll. Salas was 2-0 last weekend in Times Square, having handled upset-maker Rolly Romero and Reito Tsutsumi who was making his pro debut.

But the fourth time was not a charm for Ioka (31-4-1) who seemingly pulled the fight out of the fire in round 10 when he pitched the Argentine to the canvas with a pair of left hooks, but then wasn’t able to capitalize on the momentum swing.

Martinez set a fast pace and had Ioka fighting off his back foot for much of the fight. Beginning in round seven, Martinez looked fatigued, but the Argentine was conserving his energy for the championship rounds. In the end, he won the bout on all three cards: 114-113, 116-112, 117-110.

Up next for Fernando Martinez may be a date with fellow unbeaten Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, the lineal champion at 115. San Antonio’s Rodriguez is a huge favorite to keep his title when he defends against South Africa’s obscure Phumelela Cafu on July 19 in Frisco, Texas.

As for Ioka, had he won today’s rematch, that may have gotten him over the hump in so far as making it into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. True, winning titles in four weight classes is no great shakes when the bookends are only 10 pounds apart, but Ioka is still a worthy candidate.

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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

Published

4 hours ago

May 11, 2025

David A. Avila

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In a torrid battle Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and his staccato attack staved off the herky-jerky non-stop assaults of Philippine’s Charly Suarez to win by technical decision and retain the WBO super feather world title on Saturday.

What do they feed these guys?

Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) and his elongated arms managed to connect enough to compensate against the surprising Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) who wowed the crowd at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the side of Navarrete’s left eye and forced a stoppage midway through the fight.

From the opening round Navarrete used his windmill style of attack with punches from different angles that caught Suarez multiple times early. It did not matter. Suarez fired back with impunity and was just as hungry to punch it out with the Mexican fighter.

It was savage.

Every time Navarrete connected solidly, he seemed to pause and check out the damage. Bad idea. Suarez would immediately counter with bombs of his own and surprise the champion with his resilience and tenacity.

Wherever they found Suarez they should look for more, because the Filipino fighter from Manila was ferocious and never out of his depth.

Around the sixth round the Mexican fighter seemed a little drained and puzzled at the tireless attacks coming from Suarez. During an exchange of blows a cut opened up on Navarrete and it was ruled an accidental clash of heads by the referee. Blood streamed down the side of Navarrete’s face and it was cleared by the ringside physician.

But at the opening of the eighth round, the fight was stopped and the ringside physician ruled the cut was too bad to continue. The California State Athletic Commission looked at tape of the round when the cut opened to decipher if it was an accidental butt or a punch that caused the cut. It was unclear so the referee’s call of accidental clash of heads stood as the final ruling.

Score cards from the judges saw Navarrete the winner by scores of 78-75, 77-76 twice. He retains the WBO title.

Interim IBF Lightweight Title

The sharp-shooting Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) maneuvered past Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the interim IBF lightweight title after 12 rounds.

Both fighters were strategic in their approach with Muratalla switching from orthodox to southpaw at various times of the fight. Neither fighter was ever able to dominant any round.

Defense proved the difference between the two lightweights. Muratalla was able to slip more blows than Abdullaev and that proved the difference. The fighter from Fontana, California was able to pierce Abdullaev’s guard more often than not, especially with counter punches.

Abdullaev was never out of the fight. The Russian fighter was able to change tactics and counter the counters midway through the fight. It proved effective especially to the body. But it was not enough to offset Muratalla’s accuracy.

There were no knockdowns and after 12 rounds the judges scored it 118-110, 119-109 twice for Muratalla who now becomes the mandatory for the IBF lightweight title should Vasyl Lomachenko return to defend it.

Muratalla was brief.

“He was a tough fighter,” said Muratalla. “My defense is something I work on a lot.”

Perla Wins

Super flyweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0) eased past Mona Ward (0-2) with a polished display of fighting at length and inside.

Combination punching and defense allowed Bazaldua to punch in-between Ward’s attacks and force the St. Louis fighter to clinch repeatedly. But Ward hung in there despite taking a lot of blows. After four rounds the Los Angeles-based Bazaldua was scored the winner 40-36 on all three cards. Bazaldua signed a long term contract with Top Rank in March.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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Late Bloomer Anthony Cacace TKOs Hometown Favorite Leigh Wood in Nottingham

Published

18 hours ago

May 10, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions was at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England, tonight with a card featuring hometown favorite Leigh Wood against Ireland’s Anthony “Apache” Cacace.

Wood, a former two-time WBA featherweight champion, known for dramatic comebacks in bouts he was losing, may have reached the end of the road at age 36. He had his moments tonight, rocking Cacace on several occasions and winning the eighth round, but he paid the price, returning to his corner after round eight with swelling around both of his eyes.

In the ninth, Cacace, an 11/5 favorite, hurt Wood twice with left hands, the second of which knocked Wood into the ropes, dictating a standing 8-count by referee John Latham. When the bout resumed, Cacace went for the kill and battered Wood around the ring, forcing Wood’s trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel. The official time was 2:15 of round nine.

Akin to Wood, Northern Ireland’s Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) is also 36 years old and known as a late bloomer. This was his ninth straight win going back to 2017 (he missed all of 2018 and 2020). He formerly held the IBF 130-pound world title, a diadem he won with a stoppage of then-undefeated and heavily favored Joe Cordina, but that belt wasn’t at stake tonight as Cacace abandoned it rather than fulfill his less-lucrative mandatory. Wood falls to 28-4.

Semi-Wind-Up

Nottingham light heavyweight Ezra Taylor, fighting in his hometown for the first time since pro debut, delighted his fan base with a comprehensive 10-round decision over previously undefeated Troy Jones. Taylor, who improved to 12-0 (9) won by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.

This was Taylor’s first fight with new trainer Malik Scott, best known for his work with Deontay Wilder. The victory may have earned him a match with Commonwealth title-holder Lewis Edmondson. Jones was 12-0 heading in.

Other Bouts of Note

In his first fight as a featherweight, Liam Davies rebounded from his first defeat with a 12-round unanimous decision over Northern Ireland’s previously undefeated Kurt Walker. Davies, who improved to 17-1 (8), staved off a late rally to prevail on scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. It was the first pro loss for the 30-year-old Walker (12-1), a Tokyo Olympian.

In a mild upset, Owen Cooper, a saucy Worcestershire man, won a 10-round decision over former Josh Taylor stablemate Chris Kongo. The referee’s scorecard read 96-94.

Cooper improved to 11-1 (4). It was the third loss in 20 starts for Kongo.

A non-televised 8-rounder featured junior welterweight Sam Noakes in a stay-busy fight. A roofer by trade and the brother of British welterweight title-holder Sean Noakes, Sam improved to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of overmatched Czech import Patrik Balez (13-5-1).

Photo credit: Leigh Dawney / Queensberry

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