Is Devin Haney the next Floyd Mayweather?
After Devin Haney defeated George Kambosos Jr. on Saturday, the young American has been compared to the great Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Haney travelled to Kambosos' home country to beat the Australian by a convincing, unanimous decision. The official scorecards read 116-112, 116-112 and 118-110 in favor of the American.
The 23-year-old became the Undisputed Lightweight Champion of the world as he now holds the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and The Ring Titles.
A lot of fighters have been compared to Floyd over the years with no substance , this is as close to a Floyd performance as your going to see here from Haney
Floyd Mayweather was most notably known for his impressive undefeated career. 'Money' held a record of 50-0. Haney is certainly on track to replicate his idol's record, as he already has a record of 28-0.
The former champion was never known for his knockout punch power, but instead was praised for his high boxing IQ. Mayweather had a very effective jab, which he used to control the distance. Most importantly, his defence was one of the best ever seen in the sport.
Against Kambosos, Haney portrayed glimpses of the defensive skills that were perfected by Mayweather. Additionally, the young fighter won the fight by consistently landing his jab, in a similar fashion to how Mayweather would win contests.
Round 5: Dare I say this is starting to resemble a vintage Mayweather performance? Haney, round after round, controlling the action with his excellent jab and dictating pace. Kambosos has no answers so far. He simply can’t get inside that jab. 5-0, Haney. 50-45, Haney
Mayweather was a five-weight world champion as he held titles from super featherweight to light middleweight. This includes The Ring magazine title in five weight classes and the lineal championship in four weight classes.
The Lightweight Champion still has a long way to go if he wants to match the former champion's pedigree. However, Haney is only 23 years old and Mayweather competed professionally until he was 40.
What must Devin Haney do to match Floyd Mayweather's legacy?
Devin Haney still has a long way to go if he wants to be in the same bracket as Floyd Mayweather Jr. but he has proved that he has the potential to get there.
One of the most important tasks for Haney throughout the rest of his career is that he must sustain his unbeaten record. The former boxing superstar's most popular achievement is that he retired without being beaten.
The young American must also replicate Mayweather's impressive resume. So far in Haney's career, the most notable opponents on his record have come in his most recent four bouts. Floyd Mayweather competed against the biggest names of his era and was able to win against them all.
The Undisputed Lightweight Champion must also look to become a multi-weight world champion. With Mayweather being a former five-weight world champion, Haney would have to win a world title in four more weight classes to match the legend. Despite this, the 23-year-old must first defend his belts against the biggest names in his current weight class.