Saturday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney (25-0, 15 KOs), the 21-year-old "next best thing" from Las Vegas via San Francisco, easily outpointed 38-year-old Yuriorkis Gamboa (30-4, 18 KOs), the former featherweight champion from Miami by way of Guantanamo, Cuba.

 

Haney controlled the action from the opening to closing bell. But Gamboa, fighting above his natural weight and with only three losses coming into the fight, is a wily veteran. A product of the Cuban system, his boxing IQ remains high, his athleticism hasn’t eroded completely, and he can still take a punch.

 

The final scores after 12 lopsided rounds were 118-109 and 120-107 twice.

 

“I want the big fights,” said Haney after the bout, which he promised would end with a knockout. “Fighting someone like Gamboa was a steppingstone but I’m here for the big fights.”

 

If it’s big fights he wants, a lightweight unification against the skyrocketing WBA/IBF/WBO champion would be a natural.

 

“Teofimo Lopez is the one with the rest of the belts,” Haney said, “so that’s the main one I want to make happen.”

 

Haney landed at a higher percentage than his challenger, but Gamboa threw more punches He was deducted a point for holding in round 11.

 

“I knew coming in that he was gonna do a lot of holding,” Haney said. “But that was just him being a veteran and knowing how to survive and being in a lot of big fights.”

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There are more big fights in Gamboa's future. Bigger fights await Devon Haney.