Boxing news: George Kambosos v Teofimo Lopez; Aussie says win will make him our best ever boxer
Many pundits reckon George Kambosos needs a miracle against American champion Teofimo Lopez, but the Aussie says victory will make him our best ever boxer.
Boxing/MMA
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George Kambosos finally has his shot at world title glory on Sunday morning. This is what he is fighting for.
“There are a few factors — my kids and family and the sacrifices I have had to make,” Kambosos told News Corp ahead of his fight with unified lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez in New York.
“My legacy — winning this fight and what it does for my name, the legacy I leave in boxing worldwide. Both my nations — Australia and Greece.
“And everything I have been through, this hard road. This has really been a hard road. I have had to earn it. It is not an easy gig going into the backyard of these former champions.
“This is real boxing. I want the fans and the people back home to understand what we are doing here. This is not circus events, this is the major leagues.
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“I go down as a global superstar, straight into the Hall of Fame (when I win). I become Australia’s best fighter ever. I take all his belts, become the undisputed champion, that is massive for Australian boxing.
“This is big because I feel the weight of the whole country on my shoulders. This really puts Australia on a pedestal and it gives all these young fighters an opportunity and a push.
“That is what I am focused on. I represent that flag with all my heart. I am a warrior, a spartan warrior. I put everything on the line.
“This going to go down as a huge win. The people know who the people’s champion is.”
Kambosos is a rank outsider against the undefeated Lopez, the American who stunned the boxing community in October last year when he upset Ukrainian great Vasily Lomachenko.
Lopez hasn’t fought since but that victory alone was enough to move him into the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world. If Lopez was the underdog then, Kambosos is now.
The Australian earned his shot by piecing together an undefeated career of his own, the past seven of those wins on the road.
He has fought in London, Athens, Kuala Lumpur and Las Vegas in pursuit of a title shot. He has steadily climbed the rankings and put himself in position to be a world champion through sheer hard work and persistence.
Hard work and persistence may not be enough against Lopez when they meet in the Hulu Theatre in New York on Sunday morning (AEDT). Most pundits believe Kambosos will need to produce a miracle.
The 28-year-old, from Sydney’s southern suburbs, gives that talk short shrift.
“We have put in the work over here,” Kambosos said.
“This is really a 50-50 fight in the eyes of the media but in my eyes, I am going to destroy this kid. This was always the plan — to come over here and crack it with the big fish.
“If you want to be in the major league, you have to be in the US. This is the Mecca of boxing. We made the decision very early in our career once we had taken everyone in Australia — I wasn’t going to sit around and try to bring imports in.
“I wasn’t going to sit around and twiddle my thumbs and see who I could fight in Australia, and hopefully get a crack and not be ready because we have seen it so many times — Australian fighters who are not ready and get beaten.
“I am continually showing up and beating these former champions on the road. This is what we have worked hard for — to get to this point with good karma.
“We want to fight for every belt on the line and we talk about the money as well — this is huge amounts of money — but it’s never been about that.
“I came to the US and the money was not great, I was making more money in Australia. I knew down the track with my hard work and persistence, something would crack.
“My hard work and tunnel vision is about the belts — truly I don’t care about anything else, I don’t care about the fame or the money.
“It’s about the legacy.”
It’s been a long time coming. The fight was originally meant to take place in June but has been pushed back on a handful of occasions.
The first time was to avoid a clash with an exhibition bout between Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul. Then Lopez tested positive for Covid-19.
Then there was a clash with key baseball and football dates in America. Kambosos has blown off steam on social media and vowed to take his frustrations out on his younger opponent.
There is genuine bad blood between the respective camps- their fathers even exchanged expletives this week. The time for talk is now over.
Finally, the day has arrived. Lopez shocked the world when he toppled Lomachenko. Kambosois is ready to return the favour.
“I am an aggressive puncher, I am a dangerous counter-puncher, I am faster than Lomachenko, hit harder than Lomachenko, I am bigger than Lomachenko and I think my stamina is on another level,” Kambosos said.
“It is a different fight when someone has nothing to lose, who has had the hard road. Lomachenko has already made millions and millions of dollars, he has already been a three or four time world champion.
“He is already in the Hall of Fame. I am not content with what I have done. I am far from content. I feel Lopez is content with that he has done in his career.
“I am coming in with all guns blazing to take something from him.”
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Originally published as Boxing news: George Kambosos v Teofimo Lopez; Aussie says win will make him our best ever boxer
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