Report- George Kambosos Promoter DiBella Gives Haney Deadline

The ongoing saga of whether or not Undisputed Lightweight champ George Kambosos’ first title defense in a June homecoming to Australia will be against American Devin Haney has taken another predictable turn. This, as a report Saturday afternoon says Kambosos’ promoter Lou DiBella has given the Haney camp a deadline to accept their terms and TV outlet or the will move on to another opponent.

Boxingscene.com Sr. Writer Keith Idec wrote Saturday that DiBella and Kambosos are tired of waiting on Haney to agree to the bout and that DAZN, who’s streamed all of Haney’s Lightweight title fights, is now out of the negotiations,

DiBella, DAZN Talks Cease For Kambosos-Haney; Haney Almost Out Of Time To Accept ESPN Deal https://t.co/huaiKgc964 pic.twitter.com/98WWcCPlxS

— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) March 26, 2022

From Idec’s report,

BoxingScene.com has learned that if the unbeaten WBC world lightweight champion wants an opportunity to become boxing’s fully unified lightweight champion June 5, he’ll have to accept a deal as soon as possible from George Kambosos Jr.’s promoter, Lou DiBella. Executives for DAZN and DiBella have been unable to reach a deal for that streaming service to carry a Kambosos-Haney fight in two months from Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

Now that talks between DAZN, which has streamed Haney’s past six fights, and DiBella have ceased, it is likely that ESPN would air a Kambosos-Haney bout the night of June 4 in the United States if Haney accepts DiBella’s offer. Haney does not have an exclusive contract with DAZN, which would afford him the flexibility to battle Sydney’s Kambosos on ESPN.

Whether it’s Haney or what would be Kambosos’ Plan C, DiBella told BoxingScene.com that the announcement of Kambosos’ next opponent is forthcoming. DiBella declined comment otherwise. 

That last part is the current key to the ongoing discussions. The fact that Kambosos and his management are ready to move on to another opponent for June 4th at Melbourne’s 50,000 seat Marvel Stadium.

As we wrote earlier this week, that opponent will not be former Undisputed Lightweight champ Vasiliy Lomachenko. Lomachenko’s This after the representatives for Loma relayed that he will not leave his native Ukraine, while it is still currently under attack from neighboring Russia. Lomachenko is fulfilling the requirement of all adult males being ready to be part of the civilian militia to defend against the Russian aggression and attacks on their cites.

Lomachenko lost his titles in Las Vegas to American Teofimo Lopez on a close decision in October of 2020. And, then it was Kambosos’ upset of Lopez last November in New York City that has put him in the position of leverage.

Kambosos, 20-0, 10 KOs, has been playing out his options on whom to defend his title against a prominent opponent. And, the talks for that opponent have included WBC secondary Lightweight world champ Haney. Haney is  27-0, 15 KOs was last in the ring in December when he beat American JoJo Diaz by decision putting him on the radar for Kambosos.

Again, Kambosos has the date and the stadium locale’ secured. And, he’s the Undisputed champ.

So, now, will Haney agree to the bout being on ESPN, etc. or will Dibella move to another, as of yet, unnamed opponent option for June 4th.