George Kambosos vows to outclass Maxi Hughes as he attempts to erase memories of Devin Haney defeats
George Kambosos Jr believes he is on a “whole different level” to Maxi Hughes and plans to showcase his improvements “to the world.”
Former unified world lightweight champion Kambosos is refusing to contemplate a defeat when he faces Hughes, who holds an IBO belt, at Firelake Arena, Shawnee in the early hours of Sunday morning, live on Sky Sports.
The career of Hughes is at an all-time high after a string of impressive victories, including a split-decision win over Kid Galahad, but Australian Kambosos has taken a swipe at the Yorkshireman by insisting that he has received goodwill messages from Britain.
Kambosos Jr cannot afford another setback against the British contender
“I know I’ve got a lot of support,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of UK fans that have been reaching out and showing their love and they’re excited to see me back in the ring.
“We have put in extreme amounts of work here in America to make sure that we don’t just get a victory, we make an emphatic statement.”
Acknowledging the resurgence of his opponent, Kambosos said. “He’s a good fighter, he’s going to come. This is his opportunity. But that’s why we have made the sacrifice.”
Since suffering his fifth professional loss to Liam Walsh in 2019, Hughes has been unbeaten in his next seven bouts, but Kambosos believes he will be a class above the 33-year-old.
He said: “You’ve just got to look at my last three fights. The guys I’ve been in there with, you’ve got to look at the guys I’m working with over here, the sparring I’m getting over here. This is a different level.”
Kambosos returns to the ring for the first time since October, when he suffered his second defeat to current undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney in Australia.
Regarding the criticism following his back-to-back losses to the American star, Kambosos said: “People forget because of the Haney fight. I came up against a guy who’s a natural 140-147 pounder. A guy who’s probably the most gifted, talented, pure boxer in the sport in the last 10 to 20 years. They think for some reason that I can’t box, but that’s okay. I’ll have to remind you again.
Devin Haney delivered another punishing victory over Kambosos in their rematch
“We want to showcase to the world that, hey, he lost against Devin Haney, he beat Teofimo Lopez. The man has improved. The man has put in extra time. The man has gone and tried to give everything more to the sport.”
While Hughes may view himself as the underdog on the rise, Kambosos sees it differently and had a message for his opponent, saying: “He’s 33 [years old] with five losses. No, you’re not on the way up. You’ve just been given an opportunity. But that’s okay. If you’re taking the illusion from the Haney fights, no problem.
“There is no pressure on me. I do this because I want to do it. I love to do this. I love workouts. I love that warrior mentality, day in, day out. I love the sacrifice.”
Looking to the future, Kambosos emphasized that his motivation lay solely in building a legacy, not chasing money or even championship titles anymore. He said: “It’s not about the money. It’s not really about the belts. It’s about the legacy,”
“The hardware is one thing, having that belt, yes, it’s a beautiful thing. But it’s status. It’s the words, ‘world champion again,’ that’s what’s motivating me.”
While he remains focused on his upcoming fight with Maxi Hughes, Kambosos understands that for him to secure the more lucrative matchups in the future, he must get past Hughes first.
“I want to show to the rest of the division that I have gotten better,” said Kambosos. “I am still a dangerous threat. As we know, there are many big, big fights out there for me, and it all starts with Maxi Hughes next week.”
Adam Azim says he will make an explosive return when he recovers from a hand injury
Kambosos Jr vs Azim in the future?
Adam Azim has targeted a fight against Kambosos, who is not yet aware of Britain’s exciting young contender but did not rule out a future showdown.
“I’ve never heard of him, but at the end of the day, I get called out by many people.
“Good on the young kid. Keep calling me out, keep getting all your friends and family to know who Kambosos is.
“Until these young guys deserve their spot and earn their stripes like I did and like Maxi Hughes, then we can talk.”
Watch George Kambosos Jr vs Maxi Hughes, live on Sky Sports, from 1am on Sunday morning.
