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American boxer Devin Haney feels luck is on his side after George Kambosos Jr's weigh-in drama and the granting of a visa to his trainer father Bill.
American boxer Devin Haney feels the cards are falling his way ahead of a winner- take-all world title showdown with George Kambosos Jr.
Haney's bid to dethrone Kambosos on Sunday at Marvel Stadium has been boosted by news his trainer father Bill won a late visa reprieve.
Haney Sr was landing in Melbourne from Las Vegas on Saturday night, less than 24 hours before the biggest fight of his 23-year-old son's life.
That came after Australian Kambosos shocked fight fans by failing to make the lightweight limit on his first weigh-in on Saturday.
Haney said while he was excited to have his father by his side, it wouldn't change his plans to dominate, and leave Australia as undisputed champion with the WBA, IBF and WBO belts owned by Kambosos.
"Of course I'm happy to have my dad but nothing changes," Haney told FightTV.
"I'll still follow the same blueprint and do what we have to do to get the job done.
"Everything has just been working out in my favour and we're ready to fight."
The WBC belt holder had all but given up hope of having Bill in his corner after his father was denied an entry visa due to a 30-year-old drug conviction.
But Haney had one last roll of the dice, filing a petition to immigration officials on Wednesday that even his lawyer gave little chance of succeeding.
"I had to do a petition to get him to come and it was the last of the last, the last thing we could possibly do," said Haney.
"Nobody really thought it would work but it was, let's just try it and see and that s*** worked.
"I asked my lawyer, 'You think it will work?' and he said 'no, but let's try it'."
Haney had enlisted Yoel Judah, the father of former great Zab, in his father's absence.
Yoel had trained him as a youngster before he moved away from Las Vegas and handed the reins to Bill.
Haney turned professional when he was 17 and had his first four professional fights in a seedy pool hall in Tijuana, Mexico, because he was too young to box professionally in the USA.
He said he had no fears about fighting in front of 50,000 fans at Marvel, with most supporting the hometown hero.
"It was pretty hostile in Mexico but that's boxing," Haney told AAP.
"The boos are the boos no matter how many people and it's something that I'm used to.
"I looked forward to turning the boos into cheers when I come up victorious, that's the goal. Just like I did when I was in Tijuana.
"I'm looking forward to embracing the crowd in Australia and I'm looking forward to the energy the arena is going to bring so it's not going to be a bad thing."
