Kambosos surrenders belts in unanimous decision loss to Haney

Kambosos came into the bout holding the WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring lightweight titles won in a huge upset victory over Teofimo Lopez in the US in November last year.

Haney brought the WBC belt and left just the eighth undisputed champion of the four-belt era, and the youngest at just 23.

He will have to defeat Kambosos in Australia once again given a rematch clause in the Aussie's favour, but will start an even firmer favourite following Sunday's display.

Haney came into the bout a genuine favourite on the back of slicker pure boxing skills and it showed, the American finding a home for the jab early and making it the determining factor of the bout.

In the end, two judges gave it to Haney 116-112, with the third seeing it for the American 118-110 in a unanimous decision victory.

Haney crucially had father and coach Bill Haney in his corner after he was initially denied a visa to enter Australia over a previous criminal conviction.

He was ultimately granted a visa at the 11^th hour and arrived less than 24 hours before the opening bell, his presence a huge boost for the new champion.

"This is a dream come true, it's a big moment for both of us, we both dreamed of this," Haney said.

"We started out and said we wanted to be the best and it would have hurt me to accomplish this without it so I'm so thankful.

"I just stuck to the game plan, hit and don't get hit, and I did that for the majority of the fight. I took the last round off because I was comfortably ahead, but I fight a good smart fight.

"I handicapped him of his best things. He wanted to land the overhand right and he wanted to land the big left hook.

"I was fighting both ways. When I went to the left I would fight his right hand, when I'd go to the right I'd fight his left hook. He couldn't land either one of them."

While their respective camps continued their verbal sparring after the reading of the scorecards, the fighters themselves showed class in the aftermath.

"I take my hat off to [Kambosos] because he's a tru warrior," Haney said.

"It was nothing but respect through the whole build-up. Even though he got disrespectful, I stayed a gentleman and I stayed professional.

"I want to take George for giving me the shot because a lot of these so-called champions wouldn't give me my shot, but George was a true champion and gave me my shot."

Kambosos showed a grace in defeat Lopez utterly lacked when undone by the Aussie last year.

"At the end of the day I want the hardest tests so I'm going to give him full respect for his victory today," Kambosos said.

"I thought the fight was very close but I'm not going to wreck his moment. I had my moment last November and my moment was wrecked so I'll let him have his moment and see him again real soon.

"He boxed his game, he moved, he boxed, he didn't want to come to fight too much but that's his game so respect.

"I'm going to change a few things and get him back at the end of the year. I'll get my shot and [I'll be] two-time [champion]."

In earlier bouts, Jason Moloney extended his record to 24-2 with an emphatic third-round knockout win over tough Filipino Aston Palicte, while Lucas Browne kept his final push at a world title return alive with a sensational first-round KO of highly touted Kiwi champion Junior Fa.

Windang's Freestyle MMA coach Joe Lopez was in the corner of City Kickboxing's Hemi Ahio, with the Auckland-based slugger moving to 19-0 after Christian Tsoye retired on his stool with an elbow injury after the opening round.

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