Lightweight division has challengers to George Kambosos Jr.

WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney left MGM Grand Garden victorious on Saturday after outpointing former two-weight world champion JoJo Diaz Jr.

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

“I’m definitely thinking positive. I do think that George wants the fight. I think he wants to test himself,” said Haney, who lives and trains in Las Vegas. “At the end of the day talk is cheap. … If we don’t make the fight happen. Then what? We have to make the fight happen. Then there won’t be no more talk.”

Haney isn’t the only lightweight who would fight Kambosos (20-0, 1o KOs) next year. The 135-pound division is the deepest and most captivating in boxing because of its star power — both youthful and veteran — and depth. So Kambosos figures to have plenty of suitors when he defends his WBA, IBF and WBO titles.

There’s Haney, who has the other belt and has compiled the best resume of the young lightweights by beating Diaz and former world champions Jorge Linares and Yuriorkis Gamboa in the last 13 months. A fight between Haney and Kambosos would determine a true undisputed champion.

There’s Gervonta Davis (26-0, 24 KOs), the undefeated knockout artist who overcame a hand injury Sunday by boxing beautifully to beat Isaac Cruz in Los Angeles.

Davis is the biggest superstar in the division. He’s capable of selling out an arena and selling a fight on pay-per-view against virtually any opponent at this point. A fight with Davis could offer Kambosos the lucrative pay-per-view platform.

Fellow unbeaten power puncher Ryan Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) also looms amid a year of inactivity. Like Davis, he has the kind of superstar qualities that help sell a fight.

Veteran pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko (15-2, 11 KOs) also looms as a possibility and is perhaps still the most skilled fighter in the division. He caps the year’s marquee lightweight schedule Saturday in New York with a bout against former IBF champion Richard Commey.

Only one can challenge Kambosos, but there’s nothing preventing the others from fighting one another — save for the promotional politics that have stymied the sport for decades.

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

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

The public has been clamoring for years for fights involving at least two of the these fighters. Maybe 2022 will be the year they’ll happen. Like Davis said Sunday during his post-fight press conference, “time will tell.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.