George Kambosos calls Devin Haney a ‘RAT’ who should have been barred from Australia like his dad

If the powder wasn’t lit for Sunday’s lightweight unification boxing bout between Aussie George Kambosos Jr and Devin Haney before, it certainly is now.

Kambosos Jr came out firing from the hip at their mandatory press conference on Monday, accusing his rival of being an informant, a snitch and a rat who should have been banned from the country like his father.

Haney’s father and trainer Bill Haney was not granted a visa to enter Australia for the fight because of a drug conviction in the 1990s. Kambosos Jr has previously said he tried to get that decision overturned so the Haney camp could not use it as an excuse.

Now Kambosos Jr has slammed Haney for sending him messages in the leadup to his previous fight against fellow American Teofimo Lopez.

‘Unfortunately, as we all know, Devin’s father Bill, is not here at the moment,’ he said.

‘Again, I have tried my best to help that situation but that’s on them.

‘I really don’t know how they let this guy into the country, to be honest. I didn’t think they let informants into the country.

‘This guy is an informant, this guy is a rat. I’ll tell you why, because in the Teofimo Lopez fight against a foreigner, his own countryman, he was messaging me, telling me all the details, every bit. Teo at the hookah lounge, Teo having problems with his wife.

‘This is a rat, this is a rat, this is a snitch, this is an informant. Your own countryman and you’re going behind his back.

‘So you know what? On Sunday I am going to whip your arse and you know when you get back to Las Vegas? You’ll be on the lookout for Teofimo Lopez. Because he’ll be looking for you too.’

Haney saw the humour in Kambosos’ accusations of being a rat and a snitch

Haney was measured in his response and said he was playing both sides to ensure he got the result that he wanted. 

‘A rat? What are you talking about? Do you know the definition of a rat?’ he said.

‘What was the consequence? I had both sides of it. If he won, I would fight Teo. If you win, I would fight you.

Kambosos Jr fired back: ‘This guy acts like a gangster but he’s as fake as that belt.’

Haney will have to take on Kambosas Jr without his father and trainer Bill, who was banned from the country because of 30-year-old drug charges

In Bill Haney’s absence, Devin has been training with Yoel Judah, the father of former two-weight world champion Zab Judah, who was famously knocked out by Australian Kostya Tszyu two decades ago. 

‘Things have definitely been different without my father here, but the show must go on,’ he said.

‘This is a dream of mine … I wasn’t going to turn it down for nothin’.

‘My dad, he instilled the right things into me. I’m ready.

‘On fight night I will show it. My father isn’t here but I’m not leaving without those belts.’