Jorge Linares promises to cause “big problems” to Devin Haney on Saturday night and believes his experience will prove crucial in their world title showdown in Las Vegas.
Haney (25-0, 15 KOs) makes a second defence of his WBC Lightweight crown against three-weight world champion, Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) who attempts to win back the title he held in 2014 at the Michelob Ultra Arena.
The Venezuelan has notable victories over British trio Luke Campbell, Kevin Mitchell and Anthony Crolla, who he beat twice, and also became the first man to drop Vasyl Lomachenko before losing in the tenth round in 2018 and the 35-year-old believe he will show ‘The Dream’ a different level.
“It’s a big fight and a new challenge for me,” Linares said to Matchroom Boxing.
“I have a lot of respect for Devin. He’s a young guy, a world champion, but on Saturday the respect goes, and I am ready for an amazing fight, and I hope he’s ready too.
“He knows who he is fighting – a four-time world champion. I have a lot of experience and that’s the most important thing in this fight to win the fight.
“He doesn’t have that. He has talent, he has youth and hunger, and the belt.
“A fight with me is a different level. I can show so many styles, I’m naturally fast and strong, I don’t have a lot of KOs, but he knows I can punch.”
Linares has won two on the bounce since a shock first round defeat to Pablo Cesar Cano in 2019, with his most recent win a fourth round knockout of Carlos Morales in February 2020.
Haney claimed a shutout win over former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in November and is a strong favourite to overcome undoubtedly the toughest challenge of his career to date.
However, Linares who sparred the American champion over three years ago believes he will test the undefeated 22-year-old and believes he is capable of putting in a punishing performance.
“I think he will run all night, but I will be waiting for him, I will follow him. If he wants to fight inside, I am ready for him.
“He’s going to have big problems on Saturday night, he knows I can do everything, and he knows I have timing to put him down.
“I know his style, I trained with him a long time ago in Vegas and we did some sparring. He was a baby then! But he’s a champion now and I hope he’s ready for a tough fight.
“I don’t need to say anything about what he’s said. I just think about myself and what I need to do, not what he says or does.
“I don’t like to talk too much, I don’t need to talk to get fans or followers or anything, I just need to go out and do my job and put on a great fight.”
