Fast Results from the MGM Grand: Haney Retains His Title in an Entertaining Scrap

LAS VEGAS — In his third title defense, WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney successfully defended his title with a unanimous decision over Joseph “Jojo” Diaz. The judges had it 116-112 and 117-111 twice. This reporter favored Haney by 116-112.

The scores were somewhat misleading as this was an entertaining scrap. Haney was far more effective going to the body, albeit some of those punches strayed a bit south of the border, twice drawing warnings from referee Russell Mora. But Diaz was superbly conditioned and those body punches did not wear him down. In fact, he landed the best punch of the fight in round 11, a straight left that drew a roar from the animated, largely pro-Diaz crowd.

George Kambosos, fresh off his upset of Teofimo Lopez, was in attendance. Promoter Eddie Hearn has it made it known that he wants to pit Haney against Kambosos in a unification fight with all the belts at stake. Both are on board with it. When Haney was asked in his post-fight interview if he would be willing to fight Kambosos on Kambosos’s turf in Australia, he said he would be willing to go all the way to Jupiter to make it happen.

Other Bouts

In the semi-windup, Cleveland’s surging Montana Love, a 140/147 “tweener,” stopped Guadalajara’s Carlos Diaz (29-2) in the third round. The official time was 1:22.

Love (17-0-1, 9 KOs) knocked Diaz down three times in round two with combinations. Diaz wasn’t badly hurt and wasn’t dissuaded from the pressing the action when he got upright, but there was a conspicuous difference in hand speed and he effectively was overwhelmed. Diaz protested when referee Raul Caiz Jr called it off and the crowd booed, but there was really no reason to continue.

The 26-year-old Love, a southpaw whose career has been interrupted by legal problems, scored his second straight impressive triumph. In his previous bout, he stopped Belarusian warhorse Ivan Baranchyk whose corner stopped the fray after seven one-sided rounds. Carlos Diaz was making his U.S. debut.

Their was a long delay after this fight. To the disgruntlement of many tuning in on DAZN, the main go did not start until 11:23 pm Eastern time.

Unified four-belt welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill (11-2, 4 KOs) retained her titles with a seventh-round stoppage of game but out-gunned Kandi Wyatt (10-4). McCaskill came out throwing haymakers in the opening round, but Calgary’s Wyatt, a replacement for former IBF lightweight title-holder Victoria Bustos of Argentina, was a willing mixer. However, as the bout wore on, it became more one-sided.

Referee Celestino Ruiz visited Wyatt’s corner at the end of the sixth round. Early in the next round, he waived it off. The official time was 19 seconds of round seven.

McCaskill, who was working in a Chicago investment bank as she was climbing the ladder, is the only woman to defeat Cecilia Braekhus and she did it twice.

To no great surprise, Croatian heavyweight Filip Hrgovic (14-0, 12 KOs) needed less than three full rounds to dismiss late sub Emir Ahmatovic (10-1). Ahmatovic, a 34-year-old Serbia-born German making his U.S. debut, landed a few good shots in the opening round, but one could sense that he was out of his element against Hrgovic, the most-avoided heavyweight.

Hrgovic knocked him down twice in the second round with chopping right hands, the second of which landed behind the German’s ear. In round three, Hrgovic trapped Ahmatovic in a corner and reigned blows on him as he was sagging to the canvas, forcing the referee to intervene. The official time was 0:35 of round three.

In the opening bout, a late addition to the card, 22-year-old SoCal flyweight Ricardo Sandoval won his 16^th straight, advancing to 20-1 (14) with a seventh-round stoppage of Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago (32-7-1).

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