Lightweight division has challengers to George Kambosos Jr.

WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney near MGM Grand Garden victorious connected Saturday aft outpointing erstwhile two-weight satellite champion JoJo Diaz Jr.

But not earlier crystallizing his volition to combat unified champion George Kambosos Jr., who watched the combat ringside and spoke with Haney (27-0, 15 knockouts) afterward.

“I’m decidedly reasoning positive. I bash deliberation that George wants the fight. I deliberation helium wants to trial himself,” said Haney, who lives and trains successful Las Vegas. “At the extremity of the time speech is cheap. … If we don’t marque the combat happen. Then what? We person to marque the combat happen. Then determination won’t beryllium nary much talk.”

Haney isn’t the lone lightweight who would combat Kambosos (20-0, 1o KOs) adjacent year. The 135-pound part is the deepest and astir captivating successful boxing due to the fact that of its prima powerfulness — some youthful and seasoned — and depth. So Kambosos figures to person plentifulness of suitors erstwhile helium defends his WBA, IBF and WBO titles.

There’s Haney, who has the different loop and has compiled the champion resume of the young lightweights by beating Diaz and erstwhile satellite champions Jorge Linares and Yuriorkis Gamboa successful the past 13 months. A combat betwixt Haney and Kambosos would find a existent undisputed champion.

There’s Gervonta Davis (26-0, 24 KOs), the undefeated knockout creator who overcame a manus wounded Sunday by boxing beautifully to bushed Isaac Cruz successful Los Angeles.

Davis is the biggest superstar successful the division. He’s susceptible of selling retired an arena and selling a combat connected pay-per-view against virtually immoderate hostile astatine this point. A combat with Davis could connection Kambosos the lucrative pay-per-view platform.

Fellow unbeaten powerfulness puncher Ryan Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) besides looms amid a twelvemonth of inactivity. Like Davis, helium has the benignant of superstar qualities that assistance merchantability a fight.

Veteran pound-for-pound large Vasiliy Lomachenko (15-2, 11 KOs) besides looms arsenic a anticipation and is possibly inactive the astir skilled combatant successful the division. He caps the year’s marquee lightweight docket Saturday successful New York with a bout against erstwhile IBF champion Richard Commey.

Only 1 tin situation Kambosos, but there’s thing preventing the others from warring 1 different — prevention for the promotional authorities that person stymied the athletics for decades.

Kambosos is with DiBella Entertainment and does not person a broadcast partner.

Haney works with Matchroom Boxing and fights connected DAZN similar Garcia, who is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Lomachenko is with Top Rank and fights connected ESPN’s household of networks. Davis is with Mayweather Promotions and Premier Boxing Champions and fights connected Showtime pay-per-view.

The nationalist has been clamoring for years for fights involving astatine slightest 2 of the these fighters. Maybe 2022 volition beryllium the twelvemonth they’ll happen. Like Davis said Sunday during his post-fight property conference, “time volition tell.”

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.