PERTH, Australia – When George Kambosos steps into the ring on Sunday (Saturday, 10 p.m. EST in the U.S., ESPN/ESPN+) to face Ukrainian megastar Vasily Lomachenko, his attention won’t be on winning the vacant IBF title in lightweight who is in front of us grabs. There will also be no mention of the upcoming payday of the monster he calls “the biggest fight in Australian history”. Instead, Kambosos focuses on one thing and one thing only: its heritage.
How he is perceived as a fighter, both now and after he hangs up the gloves, is something Kambosos (21-2, 10 KO) has been focusing his attention on since the megafight with Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KO). officially announced in January. Each media appearance during the preparations gave Kambosos the opportunity to discuss how significant a victory over the two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-division champion would be and what impact it would have on his mark on the sport.
“For me, it’s about legacy. Nothing more,” a defiant Kambosos said earlier this year. “He made money, I made money. He won the belts, I won the belts. I’ve been in substantial fights [and] he fought the best. I’ve won substantial fights and lost substantial fights. But this is the legacy here; the fate of both boys. We don’t have to exaggerate or create any stories or headlines. These are two warriors coming together to fight.”
The legacy Kambosos is alluding to and seeking is a place in the coveted International Boxing Hall of Fame, an honor that has so far been bestowed upon only five Australians – Jeff Fenech, Kostya Tszyu, Peter Jackson, Youthful Griffo and Les Darcy.
Kambosos and his camp are convinced that a victory over the great Lomachenko, even though he is 36 years aged and in the twilight of his career, will strengthen his resume to such an extent that his entry into the ultra-exclusive fight club will become undeniable.
“This fight cements me in the Hall of Fame, I truly believe in it. They can’t deny it,” Kambosos said. “What I’ve achieved, the fighters I’ve been able to fight, the events I’ve been able to bring to Australia… how can they deny Kambosos’s resume?”
The problem with legacy is that it doesn’t just trend in a positive direction. And while Kambosos will rightfully throw flowers at his feet if he manages to upset Lomachenko, a loss will only reinforce the narrative of one great fight that many have formed over the past 24 months, which have been rather disappointing.
Kambosos rose to fame in November 2021 when he caused not only ESPN’s 2021 Upset of the Year, but also one of the biggest boxing upsets of the 21st century. The unheralded Sydneysider traveled to Fresh York and handed unified American star Teofimo Lopez his first – and still only – defeat by split decision. It was the fight that earned Kambosos the spoils of the lightweight championship belts and launched his international boxing career.
But two and a half years later, that night begins to seem more anomalous than usual.
Kambosos lost his belts six months later after a one-sided 116-112, 116-112, 118-110 loss to Devin Haney in Melbourne. His rematch with the undefeated American four months later was even more lopsided, with Haney once again humiliating the former champion in his home country 119-109, 118-110, 118-110.
Kambosos was scheduled to return to the ring in mid-2023 when he faced Maxim Hughes, and the fight ended in a highly controversial manner. The Englishman put in the best performance of his career, passing Kambosos and leaving him bloody and bruised, but it was the Australian who nodded 114-114, 117-111, 115-113 as a chorus of boos rang out around the Firelake Arena in Oklahoma.
Controversy aside, the victory breathed life into Kambosos’ career. Attention Lomachenko.
Kambosos and Lomachenko, the former longtime unified lightweight champion, were scheduled to fight for the undisputed honors of the Australian summer of 2022. However, those plans were thwarted when Lomachenko opted to return to his family during the war in Ukraine, opening the door for the fight for Haney to step in and fight Kambosos. Although the fight between Lomachenko and Kambosos did not materialize, it remained on boxing’s radar and was eventually considered the main act of a blockbuster bill in the Australian city of Perth.
The biographies of Kambosos and Lomachenko may be completely different, but both players have one thing in common: defeats against Haney. But unlike Kambosos, who was completely outclassed twice, many felt Lomachenko had done enough to earn the judges’ approval when he fought Haney last May. This was the last we saw of Lomachenko in the ring and it was a performance that certainly showed he still had a lot left in the tank.
For that reason, and with the increasing likelihood of a Lomachenko-Shakur Stevenson mega-fight if the Ukrainian is able to make the salute, Kambosos has been listed as a 7-1 underdog by oddsmakers for Sunday’s fight, per ESPN BET. And as was the case when Kambosos fought Lopez at Madison Square Garden in 2021, few would argue the Australian can pull off an upset. But it doesn’t bother him. In fact, Kambosos is enjoying his underdog status and plans to withdraw his highly credible opponent.
“Once I beat Lomachenko, there will be no way for him to go,” Kambosos said at an official press conference in Perth on Thursday afternoon, during which both fighters stared down for three minutes. “It’s retirement for him, I really believe that.
“The way I spar, the way I fire up every engine. The speed I have… he’s never seen that kind of speed and explosive power. The will, the heart that I have, the desire to win it I want it very badly. I prepared extremely demanding for this fight.
Kambosos knows perfectly well that a high-profile fight with Lomachenko gives him a chance to regenerate his boxing career and regain his position as one of the top fighters in the division. However, a third loss in four fights would be a hammer blow to his career, one that would send him tumbling down the lightweight rankings and almost certainly banish him from future world title fights.
“[After this fight] only one of us will continue his career,” Kambosos said. “One of us won’t go where we want. So I’m very motivated. I know he’s motivated.”
The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
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