Haney/Kambosos II

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Haney-Kambosos undercard lineup

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
The undercard is shaping up for the rematch between undisputed lightweight world champion Devin “The Dream” Haney and former champion “Ferocious” George Kambosos Jr. on Saturday, October 15 (Sunday afternoon, October 16 local time) at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
In the co-feature, two-time world title challenger Jason “Mayhem” Moloney (24-2, 19 KOs) takes on Nawaphon Kaikanha (56-1-1, 46 KOs) in a 12-round final eliminator for the WBC bantamweight world title.
Former world champion Andrew Moloney (24-2, 16 KOs), Jason’s twin brother, battles two-time world title challenger Norbelto Jimenez (31-9-6, 16 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the vacant WBO International junior bantamweight title.
In other action, cruiserweight Olympic bronze medalist David Nyika (4-0, 3 KOs), heavyweight Hemi Ahio (19-0, 14 KOs), and junior middleweight Amari Jones (7-0, 7 KOs) will take on opponents to be named.

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The Kiwi boxer hoping for fairytale finish on world stage
Patrick McKendry

Solo dad and Kiwi middleweight boxer Marcus Heywood is familiar with challenges, and he has one on his hands on Sunday - a bout against undefeated American Lorenzo Simpson at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena which will be viewed around the world.

Heywood is confident he can pull off what will be a huge upset against Simpson on the undercard of a main event which will see Devin Haney of the United States fight Australian George Kambosos Jr for the undisputed world lightweight title.

Several New Zealanders are on the undercard – including David Nyika and Hemi Ahio - but few have a story quite like Heywood, a man who goes by the ring name “The Headache” for his exploits as a troublesome teenager and the damage he now inflicts in the ring.

Former kickboxer Heywood, who lives in Whangaparāoa with five-year-old daughter and No.1 supporter Aalycia, took up boxing only three years ago and has done it the hard way since.

Two weeks after his first boxing bout, Heywood, now aged 28, was offered a fight against seasoned professional Gunnar Jackson, a man with more than 40 pro fights behind him, and Heywood didn’t hesitate to agree.

He had only two weeks to prepare for it.

“Like most things in my life I like to jump head-first into the deep end,” Heywood told 1News. “It’s the easiest way for me, unfortunately. It was a great learning experience for me and I fell in love with boxing from that fight on.”

Heywood, who began working under trainer Chris Martin for the Jackson fight, which he lost on points, continued to accept fights against big Kiwi names which accounts for his 6-4-1 record.

The biggest name on Heywood’s resume is Andrei Mikhailovich, a rising star now ranked 12th by world governing bodies the WBO and IBF.

Heywood lost the bout by unanimous decision over eight rounds in Auckland two years ago but wasn’t outclassed, and perhaps his most notable performance was his next fight – a split decision defeat by former Commonwealth Games boxer Bowyn Morgan in Morgan’s home town of Christchurch.

Heywood and coach Martin – and other observers - believe Heywood was hard done by in terms of two of the judges' decisions but it didn’t dim his passion for the sport.

In August, Heywood beat Shay Brock by technical knockout to win the vacant NZ Professional Boxing Commission middleweight title which helped set up what may be the opportunity of a lifetime: a fight against Simpson on the world stage. In New Zealand, the entire card will be broadcast live on TV1.

“No doubt it’s going to be a hard fight,” Heywood said. “He’s undefeated and is fighting under the best people in the world. He’s in Devin Haney’s camp and has all the money and support behind him.

“But all the pressure is on him - I’ve got nothing to lose. It’s going to be a good fight. I think it might go the distance, but I think I’m going to win on points – pressure him and make it hard for him.”

Coach Martin also senses an upset in the making.

“Lorenzo Simpson has a big amateur pedigree,” Martin said. “I think he’s had about 232 fights with four losses. He’s been USA youth champion three times. But we’ve seen his pro fights and he hasn’t really been tested yet.

“Sometimes with a fighter they can have the skill but the will hasn’t been tested. Lorenzo is used to dictating terms and the tempo - we’re going to try to change that a little and put it on him and see how he holds up.”

Someone who is firmly in Heywood’s corner is Aalycia, who, when not in school, travels everywhere with him and has become used to making hidey holes (and watching YouTube videos) in the gyms where he trains.

Heywood, a part-time builder when time allows, said Aalycia was a huge part of his motivation to improve in the ring in order to find bigger-money fights to provide for the pair.

“She motivates me a lot,” he said. “I think it’s great for me to set an example for her – that if you work hard you can achieve great things.”

In referring to Heywood's challenge, Martin touched on the story of American boxer James J Braddock, known as the “Cinderella Man” for his journey from being an apparently washed-up fighter to world heavyweight champion during the 1930s Depression era, and a win for Heywood on Sunday would have a similar romantic quality.

“He’s got a good ring IQ and he picks up things quickly,” Martin said. “He’s at a level now where he’s won a New Zealand middleweight title and he’s a guy some of the others are avoiding because he is a headache.”

Heywood: “I’ve got to in and perform to my best and show the world I belong here.”

Fight coverage starts at 11am on TV1

Full card with Kiwi boxers in bold:

Fight 1 – Lorenzo Simpson (USA) vs Marcus Heywood (NZ), middleweights

Fight 2 – Amari Jones (USA) vs Tej Pratap Singh (AUS), super welterweights

Fight 3 – David Nyika (NZ) vs Titi Motusaga (NZ), cruiserweights

Fight 4 – Hemi Ahio (NZ) vs Faiga Opelu (AUS), heavyweights

Fight 5 – Cherneka Johnson vs Susie Ramadan (AUS), for IBF super-bantamweight world title

Fight 6 - Andrew Moloney (AUS) vs Norbelto Jimenez (DOM REP), WBO international super-featherweight title

Fight 7 – Jason Moloney (AUS vs Nawaphon Kaikanha (THAI), WBC bantamweight title eliminator

Main Event – Devin Haney (USA) vs George Kambosos Jr (AUS), for the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles

[diehard]

Fights start at 11AM. First three of the four fights are Kiwi's. Excellent!

[diehard]

Haney-Kambosos Final Press Conference

Undisputed lightweight world champion Devin “The Dream” Haney and former champion George Kambosos Jr. re-exchanged “pleasantries” at the press conference two days shy of their showdown at Rod Laver Arena. The combatants talked some trash, but it was Haney’s father/trainer, Bill Haney, who stole the show. He presented Kambosos (20-1, 10 KOs) — or at least attempted to — a copy of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” a reference to Kambosos post-weigh-in mind tricks before their first bout back in June. Kambosos was none too pleased and knocked the book off the dais.

Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) dominated Kambosos to unify all the belts at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, and a little more than four months later.

Haney-Kambosos 2 will be broadcast live in prime time SATURDAY (taking place Sunday afternoon local time) on ESPN.

At Friday’s press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.

Devin Haney

“It’s great to be back here in Melbourne. I made history here. And it won’t be no different on the 16th. The name of the game is to hit and not get hit. I’m a student of the game. So, that’s what I follow. I might be one of the best defensive fighters in boxing. But on the 16th, I’ll look to show more offense.”

“They’ve been quiet. But every time they open their mouth, it’s a different excuse. They talk this quiet stuff, but they keep making up excuses. Now it’s the coach. Then it was the referee, because I was holding. Every excuse in the book. But why did you fire your whole team? If you truly felt like I was holding too much, why did you fire your whole team?”

“There are a lot of big fights out there to be made. I’ve been calling out Loma for a while. But my main focus is on getting past George Kambosos. Then we can talk about what’s next.”

George Kambosos Jr.

“I’m physically and mentally focused on this fight right now. Nothing else matters. Whatever was said or whatever was done…I’m zoned in on this moment. Nothing will break my focus. I’m not interested in anything else. I’m interested on Sunday and what I do then.”

“The changes have been made. You learn from your losses. You come back a better fighter. So, I’ve made my changes. I’ve looked at certain things. I’ve gone back to my roots as well. We’re just focused. I’m not going to give anything away. I’m just zoned in. Sunday is when I’ll do my talking. We’ll see who laughs last.”

“He’s got a fantastic jab. But we have put in fantastic work to not only evade his jab, but whatever he tries to bring. It doesn’t matter. Did I let him jab too much? He’s got a great jab. But that’s why boxing is the sweet science.”

Bill Haney (Devin Haney’s Father/Trainer)

“Going into the first fight, we knew that George possessed things that are on an elite level. Our preparation was to outbox him. We wanted to do that and we wanted to do that convincingly based on the unknown. We didn’t know what we were going to get in Australia. To our surprise, we’ve met some wonderful people. The Australian government has been totally supportive. We feel this is a second home. Unlike the Kambosos’ over there, who make excuses after excuses. And we’re all tired of hearing them.”

“Devin gave me one job today. He told me to go out and get this for George. It’s ‘The Art of War’ [by Sun Tzu]. If you can hand it to him over there. We want him to be well prepared and not misinformed. What excuse is he going to have on the 16th?”

Undercard bouts — streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT — include twin brothers Jason & Andrew Moloney in separate contests. Jason Moloney will take on Thailand’s Nawaphon Kaikanha in a final eliminator for the WBC bantamweight world title, while Andrew Moloney battles the Dominican contender Norbelto Jimenez for the vacant WBO International junior bantamweight strap.

In a special world title attraction, Cherneka Johnson (14-1, 6 KOs) will make the first defense of her IBF junior featherweight world title against Australian two-time world champion Susie “Q” Ramadan (29-3, 12 KOs).

Jason Moloney

“He has a very impressive record. You don’t become ranked as number 2 in the world without being a very good fighter. I’ve prepared for a very tough fight. He’s obviously had his whole career in Thailand. He’s been very successful over there. But I feel that he’s been a big fish in a small pond. I plan to welcome him into the world stage and show him the next level in this sport.”

“This is my dream, to fight for a world title and become world champion. And this is the final hurdle. I’ve been working extremely hard. I’m very motivated to go out there and win this fight. I’ll do whatever takes. You saw a great performance last time, and this time will be even better.”

Nawaphon Kaikanha

“This is my first time fighting as a professional outside of Thailand. I’m very excited. At the same time, I feel honored that I’ve gotten the chance to fight in Australia in this beautiful country. It’s a very hospitable country, and I’m happy to be here.”

“All those 46 knockouts were not a product of luck. I worked hard for it. I trained hard for it. It’s the same for this fight. I have been training really hard for this fight.”

Andrew Moloney

“This is the perfect fight for me right now. I’ve had a very busy 14 months. This is my fifth fight in 14 months. I’ve worked my way up the rankings. And, Norbelto is ranked at number two in the world, and I feel like this is the perfect fight for me. I’m going to take his ranking. I’m going to put on the best performance of my career this Sunday and earn myself the opportunity to fight for a world title next.”

Norbelto Jimenez

“I have had two world title opportunities. I’m looking forward to this third opportunity. I have seen Moloney fight. I know him very well. I have a good record, thanks to God and to my manager, Belgica Peña, president of Shuan Boxing, and we’re coming for more.”

Cherneka Johnson

“Susie has a lot of experience. She’s been in the game for a long time. She’s paved the way for women’s boxing here in Australia, so I’m just excited to take on this match.”

Susie Ramadan

“I’ve fought in Melbourne for a very long time. Obviously, I’ve had a couple of fights overseas. But I’ve won the WBC and the IBF title here in Melbourne, so everything comes in threes, I guess. So, I’m really looking forward to it.”

[diehard]

https://fightnews.com/haney-kambosos-make-weight/138894

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Not a bad opponent for Hemi:

https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/790906

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Boxing: Kiwi heavyweight Hemi Ahio ready for the spotlight
Christopher Reive

Hemi Ahio is happy flying under the radar – for now.

After his last bout – a first-round win on the undercard of the undisputed lightweight title fight between George Kambosos Jr and Devin Haney in June – the 32-year-old says he "went back into hiding; just training and doing normal things".

But the hard-hitting heavyweight's record is beginning to speak for itself. With 19 wins in as many bouts and 14 of those by knockout, Ahio has established himself as one of Oceania's top heavyweight prospects.

On Sunday, Ahio will return to the ring in Melbourne - on the undercard of the Haney v Kambosos Jr rematch – against Australia prospect Faiga Opelu (14-3-1), looking to press his claims to a shot at the best fighters the world has to offer.

"What I've got to do is really hurt someone in a way that it gets the top 15's eyes, or get whoever works with them to think it could be a good fight," Ahio said.

"I know for a fact that if I get in there with one of these big guys, they'll be really surprised by what I can do in there. I haven't really thrown down too much. I've had 19 fights, and I haven't really thrown down too much with any real big guys.

"They like to give, but they don't like to take too much. That's what I've seen in the top 15, so I would like to rub shoulders with them."

Nicknamed 'The Heat' due to his power and forward-pressing style, Ahio won seven of his first nine bouts within two rounds. Since then, he has travelled globally to compete against strong opponents. In his four bouts abroad, his opponents have had a combined record of 49-9-3.

However, each fight ended the same way – with Ahio showcasing his talents and making the judges' services unrequired.

But while he is still getting stoppage wins – albeit a bit later in the fights than early in his career – Ahio's improvement under coach Doug Viney from Auckland's City Kickboxing gym has shown as his career has progressed.

Now, he's hoping that trend will continue against Opelu – who suffered a knockout loss to Lucas Browne in his last bout - and he can try to climb the rankings.

"I've slowed down from dropping guys and getting first-round knockouts. I'm enjoying it a little bit more now," he said.

"When I do come across these top names and heavy hitters, we'll see what happens then, but right now I'm just enjoying what I do."

Ahio will be one of five Kiwi fighters competing at the event. Rising cruiserweights David Nyika and Titi Motusaga will square off against one another, with middleweight Marcus Heywood looking to upset undefeated American Lorenzo Simpson. Kiwi-born Australian super bantamweight Cherneka Johnson will also defend her IBO world title on the card.

The card will be broadcast free-to-air by TVNZ. The last time a boxing world title fight screened free-to-air in New Zealand was David Tua's unsuccessful bout against Lennox Lewis in November 2000. The broadcast was viewed by 1.3 million people.

[diehard]

Fights start at 11AM. Watch the Kiwi's fight in three outta the first four. Go the Kiwi's!

[bart]

Good win by nyika
Hemi looks laboured

[diehard]

Pre-mature stoppage but Hemi looked terrible. No defense. Did he not train for this fight? Came in joking and smiling. What's wrong with him? He got his ass kicked by a club fighter. Thought he wanted to be world ranked...he was close to getting knocked out.