Devin Haney’s plans for his world title fight against Australian George Kambosos have been thrown into disarray, with his father and trainer Bill Haney’s visa application blocked by customs for the trip to Australia.
There’s a strong chance that Haney, 23, will go into the biggest fight of his career without his father’s guidance, with Yoel Judah—the father and head trainer of retired former two-division and undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah – to fill the void.
The title challenger arrived in Melbourne on Thursday morning ahead of his June 5 undisputed lightweight championship clash with lineal/WBA/IBF/WBO champ Kambosos Jr, with his father forced to remain in the United States.
READ MORE: Undefeated boxer Musa Yamak dies after collapsing in ring
READ MORE: Russia outraged as gymnast sanctioned for podium act
READ MORE: Eddie McGuire and Caroline Wilson lock horns over AFL’s $50m issue
https://twitter.com/AlBernstein/status/1527056006210981889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“I’m still at home in Vegas. I wasn’t able to board the flight to go over [to Australia],” Bill Haney told Trill Boxing Talk. “They said my visa hasn’t been approved. It hasn’t been denied. At this point in time, I wasn’t able to go through customs.”
The issue with customs stems from a drug conviction Bill Hany served time for in 1992. Haney’s other coach Ben Davison, is also currently sorting out visa issues.
“I was always up front in terms of where I come from, being from Oakland where I made some mistakes I don’t want Devin to make. I made some mistakes at 22, 23, where Devin is now and hopefully he don’t ever have to make those mistakes I’ve made,” Haney Snr said.
“Those aren’t the paths he wants to go down. I have a felony on my record that goes back to 1992. A federal drug conviction that I served time on.
“I was open and honest to our partners at Top Rank. Lou DiBella with DiBella Entertainment (Kambosos’s promoter) knew about this as well. We were hoping to get the support from the Australian government pertaining to it. Hopefully that will happen in the next day or two, a couple of weeks before the fight that I will be able to go.”
Haney will now go into the fight with a different team, but Haney Snr says he hopes the issue will get sorted in time for the fight or the rematch, which is firmly in the Australian’s favour.
“They weren’t willing to give up anything,” Haney added. “It’s a one-way rematch clause and they want it in Australia. Devin doesn’t have a rematch in the contract. With this, me not being able to go over, it changes the dynamic of what we agreed to.
“But we are men of our word. We have this fight right now. The most important thing is to get through this fight right now, that we have in front of us. Get through that with him and then speak to the government.
“Hopefully in the next couple of days or even during the rematch I will be allowed to be let over.
“I’m as optimistic about the fight happening when they said it wasn’t happening. I’m just as optimistic about being allowed over there. In all actuality, we have to prepare for me not being there.”
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!