George Kambosos Jr. won’t be satisfied merely to defeat Maxi Hughes on Saturday in his first fight since back-to-back losses to Devin Haney in Australia.
He wants you to remember his performance.
Kambosos lost the undisputed 135-pound championship to Haney by a unanimous decision in June of last year and a more one-sided nod four months later, which cost him the respect he gained by upsetting Teofimo Lopez to win his belts in 2021.
He plans to stop Hughes as a first step back to prominence.
George Kambosos Jr. has brought passion to his training camp for his fight on Saturday night. Mikey Williams / Top Rank via Getty Images
“I’m going to make an emphatic statement,” he said after a recent training session. “I’m going to show that I’m back. I’m going to show that I’ve become a better fighter. I’m going to knock out Maxi Hughes.”
Haney, one of the best technicians in the world, outclassed Kambosos (20-2, 10 KOs) in both of their fights. The fiery 30-year-old Sydney fighter was as game as ever but didn’t have the tools to cope with Haney’s all-around skill set.
Kambosos said he has spent the past six months-plus honing his game, which he believes will be evident when he steps into the ring at Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma (ESPN, ESPN+).
He opened his training camp for this fight in Los Angeles and then moved it to Las Vegas a few weeks ago.
“I’m away from any distractions [here in the United States], and I’m sacrificing,” he said. “When I’m sacrificing, I always bring out this more relentless hunger out of me. I’m going home to a makeshift house that the team is living in, and we’re watching fights and studying fights.
“If we come up with something, we go into the backyard and start working on it. This a 24/7 warzone. We’re sacrificing with hard work, and July 22, I’m back.”
He went on: “Since the Devin Haney fights, I’ve gotten sharper. I’ve become a better boxer. I’m better on my feet. I’m better all around. I’ve been able to sit back and add more artillery to the game. I’ve been able to watch so much more footage from different fights. I’m a better fighter.”
Of course, Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs) is a step down in opposition for Kambosos, who has fought in succession Mickey Bey, Lee Selby, Lopez and Haney twice.
That doesn’t mean the 33-year-old Englishman is a pushover, though. He’s riding a seven-fight winning streak, including a majority decision over well known Kid Galahad in his last fight this past September.
Kambosos said that it doesn’t matter what Hughes throws at him, implying that he’s simply tangling with the wrong guy at the wrong time.
“Whatever he’s coming with, that’s no problem,” Kambosos said. “I’m coming in with what I’m coming in with.”
