(Reuters) – Undisputed lightweight world champion Devin Haney will face Australian George Kambosos in a rematch at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Oct. 16, promoters announced on Tuesday.
Haney beat Kambosos via unanimous decision in June to add the WBA, IBF, WBO and The Ring belts to the WBC strap he already held and become the first undisputed champion at the weight since the start of the four-belt era.
The 23-year-old American eased to a one-sided victory in the first bout, but said he was expecting Kambosos to put up a tougher fight in the rematch.
“I know George is going to come to fight, he’s going to give his all, even more than he did the first time,” Haney, who boasts a 28-0 record, told a news conference.
“It’ll make for me to be able to showcase my skills even more, and it’ll be better this time around.”
Kambosos, whose defeat to Haney was his first in 21 fights, suggested that he would hang up his gloves if he failed to win the rematch.
“I’m 29, this is do or die for me now,” Kambosos said. “You will not see me — if I don’t overcome this fight — back in Australia fighting, you know, domestic guys. That’s not me.
“Everything I have, I’ll be putting into that ring and into my training, and God willing, I will be victorious.”
The pair’s first encounter took place in front of 41,129 fans at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium, but the rematch will be contested at the much smaller Rod Laver Arena, which has a capacity of 14,820.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
