After the brutal theatre worked up by Devin Haney and George Kambosos junior in the ring on Sunday, their fathers took centre stage in a heart-warming moment.
As the Kambosos press conference wrapped up following the Australian’s defeat by unanimous decision, Haney’s father emerged from the back of the room to speak with Kambosos.
“I came to get a picture with you, baby,” Bill Haney said.
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“You got so much fight in you.
“I was following you on Instagram. We watched everything that you did.
“We’ve never studied a fighter as much as we’ve studied you guys.
“We’ve got the utmost respect for you guys.”
Kambosos’ father brushed off the vicious build-up to the rematch and had towering praise for Haney.
“At the end of the day, everything that leads up to a fight — it’s about the emotion and wanting to win,” Jim Kambosos said.
“You’ve got a very talented young boy. He’s going to be one of the greatest. Thing is, he’s got George’s number. We don’t have Devin’s.”
Kambosos withstands Haney barrage
Haney’s victory over the 29-year-old Kambosos at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena saw him retain his WBA, IBF, WBO and The Ring lightweight belts.
The 23-year-old American had taken over from Kambosos as the undisputed lightweight champion in a unanimous-decision win at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium in June.
“Full respect to my man,” Kambosos’ father said to Haney after Sunday’s press conference.
“At the end of the day, mate, I’m just so glad that not only did you take the first fight; you came back to Australia and basically gave that fight the respect it needed to come back for a rematch.”
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