George Kambosos Jr has begun his journey back to reclaim the Lightweight World
Boxing Championship, and if his recent discussion with the Ouzo Talk Podcast is anything
to go by – beware the second coming.
By his own admission, Kambosos has been quiet since losing his five belts to Devin Haney in
consecutive losses last year. But don’t let the silence fool you. The proud Greek Australian has
been lurking in the shadows, plotting and training with a ferocity worthy of his ‘Ferocious’
monicker.s
For his part, Kambosos believes he is only getting better, as he looks forward to face off against Maxi Hughes in the coming months with the fight set to take place in Las Vegas.
“I truly believe that I am (getting better),” Kambosos told Ouzo Talk co-hosts Tom Skolarikis and Nick Athanassiou.
“Even coming off these two losses to Devin Haney – he’s an elite boxer – you learn from these kinds of fights. I’m very excited for my next fight to be able to showcase the experience and (show) how much of a better fighter I’ve become.“I’m still 29, still young in the sport. I’ve achieved so much but I’m very hungry to continue that legacy.”
Kambosos shocked the boxing world and fight fans in November 2021 when he sensationally beat then-champion Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden. That now folkloric fights build-up reads more like a modern-day Odyssey with everything from reschedules, bouts of Covid, mud-slinging, trash talk and family members threatening each other – the lion’s share of which came from Lopez’s camp.
Beating Lopez to claim the World Championship meant that the mainstream media finally started to take notice of the newly-anointed champ, resulting in countless interviews, including one on the world’s biggest Podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.
But while Kambosos’ camp justifiably welcomed the fresh attention, it came with knock-on effects, but ones he was more than comfortable taking on the chin in the interests of his
competitive nature.
“In the first fight with Haney – that I walked out in front of 45,000 people, and I didn’t feel right at all,” admits Kambosos. “I just got extremely drained with a lot of the training and a lot of the media work and commitments. But I gave it my all – he’s an unbelievable fighter.”
“I was never worried about the loss. I was never worried about protecting the record, and that’s why I chose to fight a guy like Devin Haney. I know that the losses give me a better experience for my future wins.”
Kambosos admitted to Ouzo Talk that he was offered many fights after claiming the World Championship that could have netted him more money and almost certainly ensured him a longer stint with ‘World Champ’ next to his name.
“We had ten different names where they were not going to be difficult fights,” says Kambosos. “I could have done that; chased the easier money and been ‘not real’ to the fighter that I am. I said; ‘nuh, give me the best guys’.
I want to keep proving myself against the best of the best. I love the challenge.
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