Boxing news: $2m George Kambosos v Liam Wilson fight in works

Negotiations are underway to stage one of the biggest domestic boxing bouts since the Anthony Mundine-Danny Green blockbuster in 2006.

Liam Wilson (L) feel just short in his world title bout against Emanuel Navarrete. Picture: Williams/Top Rank/ Getty

Plans are underway for boxing sensation Liam Wilson and former world champion George Kambosos to square off in a $2 million all-Australian super fight.

News Corp can reveal Wilson’s management will begin negotiations with the Kambosos camp this week to stage one of the biggest domestic bouts since the Anthony Mundine-Danny Green blockbuster in 2006.

One of Australia’s hottest prospects, Wilson has arrived as a world-class talent in the wake of his heroic display against Emanuel Navarrete last Friday, almost upsetting the Mexican champion in his world-title debut in Arizona.

Wilson sensationally dropped Navarrete - unbeaten in a decade - in the fourth round and it was only a farcical 27-second count that robbed the Australian of the type of world-title boilover Kambosos conjured against Teofimo Lopez 15 months ago.

The Queenslander ideally wants a world-title rematch against Navarrete, but with the Mexican unlikely to wage another war with Wilson, the 26-year-old has Kambosos in his sights.

Kambosos is chasing a confidence-boosting victory after losing his world titles in back-to-back losses to Devin Haney last year and Wilson’s manager confirmed he will kick-off talks for an Australian mega fight with ‘Ferocious’.

Liam Wilson (L) feel just short in his world title bout against Emanuel Navarrete. Picture: Williams/Top Rank/ Getty

“We absolutely want George Kambosos,” said Wilson’s agent Steve Scanlan.

“A rematch with Navarrete would be great, but if that doesn’t eventuate, we want our next fight to be with Kambosos.

“I think Liam showed he deserves a crack at George and this week, I will reach out to the Kambosos camp and we’ll begin discussions to put together a possible title bout.

“Given what Liam showed against Navarrete, it would be a massive all-Australian fight and one of the most exciting domestic fights in decades.

“It’s not as hard as it might seem to put this fight together. If both parties want to fight, it would be easy to do.

“It all depends on George’s fight schedule and what he plans to do next.

“George is in his prime. It would be the fight of the year.

“George is a Spartan warrior and Liam loves to entertain when he fights. It’s a fight the Australian public deserves to see, if Liam wins, it would really propel him into the mainstream.

“But the ball will be in George’s court if he wants to get a deal done with us.”

Kambosos (20-2, 10KO) recently turned down the opportunity to fight American sensation Shakur Stevenson (19-0) and is weighing up a number of options as he plots the right comeback path following his quinella of failures against Haney.

The 29-year-old Sydneysider cannot afford a third consecutive defeat and would fancy his chances of disposing of classy super featherweight Wilson (11-2, 7KO), who is prepared to step up to lightweight to challenge Kambosos.

“Liam would have no trouble putting on weight,” Scanlan said.

“We could potentially do the bout at a ‘catch weight’ (an agreed weight between divisions), but I’m a flexible negotiator and if George wanted to do the fight at lightweight, Liam would certainly go up.

George Kambosos Jr. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty

“George would be the A-side, but I would say both guys could easily make $1 million from the fight, especially after the way Liam performed in his first world-title fight.

“It would be a risk taking on George, but Liam wants the big fights, he doesn’t want to go back home and take on a basic domestic fighter.

“Given his quality, any big fight Liam takes moving forward is going to be risky, but my job is to make sure Liam is financially rewarded for the risk.

“George is a former world champion, he is an Australian boxing legend, so it makes sense for us to do it.

“I think it’s a very winnable fight. Liam has power and he would give Kambosos some real problems.

“Generally the money isn’t in Australia. George Kambosos doesn’t want to fight Liam for $100,000 at the Mansfield Tavern. That’s why Aussies go overseas. But if we can make it financially attractive for Kambosos to fight on his home soil in Sydney, I’m sure he would love to take this fight.”

Wilson is adamant his heartbreaking loss to Navarrete won’t break his spirit and is relishing the prospect of facing Kambosos.

“I still want that All-Australian showdown ... either George Kambosos or Paul Fleming,” he said.

“Paul Fleming would be good, too, he’s my weight.

“I’ve taken four hard fights in a row so I’m also due for a stay-busy fight as well.

“I’ll leave it to my team to organise that.”

Originally published as Boxing news: $2m George Kambosos v Liam Wilson fight in works