George Kambosos Jr. won’t be pleased to just beat Maxi Hughes on Saturday in his first game since a close-quarters loss to Devin Haney in Australia.
He wants you to remember his performance.
The Kambosos lost the undisputed 135-pound championship to Haney unanimous decision last June and beyond one side nod four months later, which cost him the respect he earned by defeating Teofimo Lopez for the title in 2021.
He intends to stop Hughes as a first step to returning to prominence.
George Kambosos Jr. brought passion to his training camp for his fight on Saturday night. Mikey Williams / Top Rated via Getty Images
“I will make a strong statement,” he said after a recent training session. “I will prove that I am back. I will prove that I have become a better fighter. I will beat Maxi Hughes.”
Haney, one of the best technicians in the world, beat Kambosos (20-2, 10 KOs) in both of their matches. The fiery 30-year-old Sydney boxer competes as always but doesn’t have the tools to deal with Haney’s comprehensive skill set.
Kambosos said he’s spent the past six+ months hone his game, which he believes will be evident when he enters the ring at Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma (ESPN, ESPN+).
He opened training camp for this fight in Los Angeles and then moved it to Las Vegas a few weeks ago.
“I stay away from all distractions [here in the United States], and I’m making sacrifices,” he said. “When I sacrifice, I always vent this relentless hunger out of me. I’m going to a makeshift home where the team is, and we’re watching the games and researching the games.
“If we come up with something, we go out into the backyard and get to work. This is a 24/7 war zone. We’re making sacrifices with hard work and on July 22, I’m back.”
He continued: “Since Devin Haney fought, I have become sharper. I have become a better boxer. I stand more firmly on my feet. I’m better all around. I was able to sit back and add more firecrackers to the game. I was able to see a lot more footage from different fights. I am a better fighter.”
Of course, Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs) is a step backwards in opposition to the Kambosos, who have consecutively fought Mickey Bey, Lee Selby, Lopez and Haney twice.
However, that doesn’t mean the 33-year-old Briton is an excitable person. He is on a seven-game winning streak, including a majority decision against the famous Kid Galahad in his last game this past September.
Kambosos says it doesn’t matter what Hughes throws at him, implying that he was simply entangled with the wrong person at the wrong time.
“Whatever he’s carrying, it doesn’t matter,” Kambosos said. “I will come to what I am coming to.”
