Devin Haney survives late-rounds scare to outpoint game Jorge Linares

LAS VEGAS — Devin Haney was an enormous favourite to retain his WBC light-weight title towards Jorge Linares, and he did simply that, however the 35-year-old veteran gave him a run for his cash.

Haney, a 12-to-1 favourite in some locations, confronted adversity for the primary time in his profession as he was shocked on the finish of Spherical 10 from a right-left mixture that left him stumbling to his nook.

Devin Haney wobbles going again to his nook after the tenth! 🤯#HaneyLinares pic.twitter.com/6JNgW7gh98

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 30, 2021

Nonetheless, “The Dream” finally recuperated to defeat Linares by unanimous determination in the primary occasion of a Matchroom Boxing, DAZN-streamed card at Michelob ULTRA Area — the newly renamed Mandalay Bay Occasions Heart — at Mandalay Bay Resort and On line casino in Las Vegas.

“It was a very good shot, however I wasn’t damage,” Haney acknowledged within the ring following his victory. “Generally if you get hit by a very good shot, it’s a must to be good, proceed the sport plan, and I did that and obtained the win.”

Judges Steve Weisfeld and Patricia Morse Jarman scored the struggle 116-112, and Dave Moretti had it 115-113, all for Haney, who defended his belt for the third time and survived the hardest check of his six-year skilled profession.

On the age of twenty-two, Haney was elevated from interim WBC champion to full titlist in October 2019, when Vasiliy Lomachenko was awarded “Franchise Champion” standing.

Linares, a three-division titleholder who as soon as held The Ring light-weight championship, was outpointed for simply the primary time in his skilled profession (his earlier 5 defeats have come by the use of TKO). The Japan-based Venezuelan was was hyped as Haney’s hardest check thus far.

Haney was combating for simply the second time after present process proper shoulder surgical procedure that stored him out of the ring for a yr following his unanimous determination conquer Alfredo Santiago in January 2019. Final November, Haney outpointed former featherweight titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa in a efficiency that led some to criticize the rising expertise.

Haney’s shoulder was not one hundred pc going into the struggle with Gamboa, but it surely was towards Linares.

The triumph additionally marked his first win beneath new head coach Ben Davison, who additionally trains undisputed junior welterweight champ Josh Taylor.

Linares couldn’t have been extra complimentary of Haney within the lead-up to the struggle. He predicted a good looking struggle, and rattling proper it was.

Based on CompuBox, Haney landed 215 of 675 punches (32 p.c), whereas Linares related on 116 of 620 blows (19 p.c). Haney’s 215 connects have been essentially the most ever by a Linares opponent. Furthermore, Linares’ 91 energy pictures have been essentially the most by any of Haney’s opposition.

Haney (26-0, 15 KOs) started the struggle by coming straight at Linares, touchdown a sequence of jabs. He finally started to search for openings upstairs. As soon as Linares blocked these punches behind a decent guard, he started to jab to the physique.

Linares (47-6, 29 KOs), in the meantime, barely threw any punches and frequently backed up towards the slicker Haney, whose pace had a direct influence. In spherical two, Haney snapped his head round with a four-punch mixture.

Linares continued to have points working inside Haney’s jab late within the second body. He managed to land a jab to the physique, but it surely didn’t have a lot power behind it, as Linares was cautious of Haney’s counterpunchng skills.

When the fourth spherical started, Haney, combating in his adopted residence of Las Vegas for the third time, continued to come back ahead and stick his jab within the face of Linares, who had his finest spherical of the evening at that time.

He related with a left hook to the physique and adopted up with a shot upstairs that obtained Haney’s consideration. They each exchanged massive pictures till the bell rang to finish the spherical. Because the timer approached the two-minute mark in spherical 5, a well-placed left hook to the physique from Linares compelled Haney to carry.

Whereas Haney was clearly the faster boxer and touchdown extra punches, Linares had began to get the timing of his punches down.

He countered Haney with a stable proper hand that obtained the gang’s consideration, and Linares clipped Haney with a left hook in an in depth alternate.

Spherical six was solely a continuation of what occurred within the earlier spherical. Haney backed Linares into the ropes with a mixture that originally appeared to have damage him. As an alternative, Linares returned with a mixture of his personal and snapped Haney’s head again with a left hook that left his youthful opponent with a smile.

In spherical eight, Haney went again to medical precision, utilizing his jab from a distance and mixing in uppercuts to maintain Linares at bay.

What a left hook by Haney 😳#HaneyLinares pic.twitter.com/bvuirxRKqz

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 30, 2021

Nonetheless, Linares was not stored in a cage in spherical 9 as he ripped a depraved left hook that related on the button. However Haney displayed an incredible chin as he continued to maneuver ahead and alternate with Linares on the within. And because the finish spherical ended, Linares did a little bit dance as he went to his nook.

On the finish of spherical 10, Linares drilled Haney with a right-left mixture that despatched him stumbling to his nook.

Haney held for a lot of the eleventh spherical, a lot to the disdain of the followers in attendance. Nonetheless, Linares additionally did not capitalize when he had Haney damage, although he claimed that he wasn’t.

Linares looked for the stoppage, however Haney, like Floyd Mayweather did towards Shane Mosley of their 2010 conflict, overcame adversity, obtained his legs again beneath him, and earned a hard-fought victory.

“I simply stored good, used the jabs, feinted, and landed pictures within the twelfth spherical,” Haney stated. “You’ll get hit with massive pictures in boxing. I didn’t get dropped; I didn’t get damage.

“You see fighters get dropped and rise up from massive pictures and other people reward them; I didn’t get dropped, I stayed on my ft, stored throwing pictures, and closed it out.”

Haney then referred to as out unbeaten Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs), who holds the Ring, WBA and IBF titles (in addition to the WBC’s “franchise” belt).

“I wish to struggle the perfect; I stayed centered on Jorge this week, I knew he was a tricky competitor and I obtained the job executed with the sport plan,” he added. “If Teofimo needs to do it subsequent, let’s do it for all of the belts, the true undisputed.”

Within the chief assist bout, Chantelle Cameron defended her WBC junior welterweight title with a dominant fifth-round stoppage of former 126-pound titleholder Melissa Hernandez.

The competition was determined from the onset. Cameron was just too quick, too sturdy, and too contemporary for her shopworn opponent.

In spherical 4, the unbeaten Cameron (14-0, 8 KOs), 30, of Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, dropped Hernandez towards the ropes with a mixture to attain the knockdown. She subsequently battered Hernandez towards the ropes connecting with crisp mixtures.

The time of the stoppage got here at 1:38 when referee Celestino Ruiz stopped the struggle. Hernandez didn’t appear to be in any speedy hazard, a lot to the chagrin of the followers in attendance.

Cameron received the vacant title in October 2020 with a 10-round unanimous determination over beforehand undefeated Adriana dos Santos Araujo, who got here into the struggle obese. Because of this, solely Cameron was in a position to win the belt, and she or he did so with ease, scoring a whole shutout of her adversary.