George Kambosos Jr. is on a collision course with Vasiliy Lomachenko and Devin Haney
The lightweight division is one of the best in boxing, and George Kambosos Jr., Vasiliy Lomachenko, and Devin Haney on a lightweight undisputed champion collision course in 2022.
The lightweight division in boxing is considered one of the best and deepest in all of professional boxing. Devin Haney (WBC Lightweight Champion), Vasiliy Lomachenko (WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight Champion), and George Kambosos Jr. (WBA [Super], IBF, WBO, and The Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion) all appear to be on a collision course in 2022 to fight for the Undisputed Lightweight Championship. There have only been 6 undisputed champions in boxing history.
When George Kambosos Jr. defeated Teófimo López at Madison Square Gardens on November 27, 2021, it may have inadvertently set the stage for boxing to crown its 7th undisputed champion in history. In the afterman of the defeat, the former lightweight champion, Teófimo López opted to not exercise a rematch clause. Lopez’s decision to not seek a rematch opened the door for the other champions of the lightweight division to meet inside of the ring with their titles on the line in 2022.
Boxing is a professional sports that is maligned by squabbles amongst boxing promoters, and television networks that often result in the best possible fights never happening. This time the alignment of the proverbial stars appear to be manifesting the opportunity for the best in the lightweight division of boxing to have to compete against each other inside of the squared circle.
George Kambosos Jr. has his eye on fighting his next opponent for his bounty of world championship belts in his native country of Australia. For most of the Covid-19 global pandemic that has not been a feasible option until now. In December 2021, the international news agency Reuters reported Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stating, “Australia must move past ‘the heavy hand of government’ and authorities must stop shutting down people’s lives with COVID-19 lockdowns.”
Boxing fans may be best served with Devin Haney fighting George Kambosos Jr. first in Australia in this expected unofficial lightweight tournament for the undisputed championship. Vasiliy Lomachenko vacated the WBC lightweight title in October 2019, rather than fight his then mandatory Devin Haney. Haney was subsequently awarded the vacant WBC Lightweight Title, as Lomachenko was granted the WBC Franchise Title, despite not fighting his mandatory Devin Haney.
Further adding to the confusion that is professional boxing, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has fraudulently proclaimed that George Kambosos Jr. is already the undisputed champion of the world in the lightweight division. No credible boxing organizations or boxing media outlets backup Sulaiman’s claim. The WBC’s official website, currently recognizes Devin Haney as the official WBC Ligthweight Champion.
Hopefully in 2022 we will see more of the best of the best in boxing fight each other in every division. It would be a scenario that is healthy for the long term vitality of the sport. It would be a tough blow for boxing fans not to be able to see the fight that they crave to see due to the shady business practices and corruption that permeates professional boxing.
