Haney decsions Gamboa to retain

Devin Haney retained his WBC Lightweight Title Saturday night in the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida, defeating Yuriorkis Gamboa by unanimous decision to remain undefeated.

The DAZN streamed the main event closed out with scores of  118-109,120-107 all in favor of Haney in what was a pretty uninteresting contest.

Before the opening bell, Gamboa looked to be limping into the ring, which would make sense as he was coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon in his last fight against Gervonta Davis last December. DAZN broadcast even mentioned before they got in the ring that the injury Gamboa suffered that fighters usually take easier fights and aren’t thrown back in against reigning lightweight champions.

Once the bell rang, It was apparently the size difference, and reach was huge in favor of Haney as he was able to use his reach in the opening rounds to keep the smaller Gamboa nowhere close to get inside. These were also the words explicitly heard throughout the fight by Haney’s father and trainer, Bill Haney.

"Beat him up!" Bully the f*** out of him!" ?

Bill Haney had some strong words for Devin Haney heading into Round 12. pic.twitter.com/kbFNVMSHYh

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) November 8, 2020

The feeling out rounds stopped in the third when Haney picked up the pace and landing the overhand right to kick off the round. The fight heading into the fourth round has been all Haney even though nothing was really going on. It was a methodical process for Haney as he was landing whenever he felt like, but Gamboa, much like his fight against Davis, took all of it.

It was very apparent in this fight the longer it went on that this was more of a 38-year old fighter in Gamboa than the former unified world champion of a decade ago.

Despite that, the contest went into the championship rounds, whether Gamboa’s chin to absorb shots or Haney not applying enough gas to get Gamboa out in the ring. By the championship rounds, it was more of the same was Haney, while sharp in this contest, wasn’t able to put Gamoba down in the fight, which was the majority of the talk leading up to this contest.

The broadcast made note that Haney would turn 22 soon, and this contest was a valuable learning experience, but a little underwhelming considering Gamboa looked to be a man on the way out but like his last fight hung in for twelve rounds.