George Kambosos Jr. says he likes being the underdog with no one believing in him in his fight against Vasily Lomachenko this Saturday night in Perth, Australia.
Kambosos (21-2, 10 KOs) seems a tad bit overconfident because this is one fight that he can’t afford to fight in a reckless manner. Sometimes the doubters are right.
The Odds Aren’t Looking Good
It’s actually not a good thing for Kambosos that fans and the oddsmakers view him as the underdog. They feel he’s over his head, and the reason for that is he’s looked good lately.
He’s dealing with a lot of pressure, struggling lately, fighting at home, but no longer in the choice spots in the country, like Syndey and Melbourne. Is this the best Kambosos could get due to his two losses to Haney?
Would Kambosos be headlining in stadiums in those two popular cities if he were still unbeaten? It’s hard not to see it that way.
Perth is arguably a massive step down for Kambosos from where he was headlining after his upset win over Teofimo Lopez, which is why he needs this win on Saturday. I’m just wondering where Kambosos will end up fighting next if he loses on Saturday. Could it be Alice Springs next?
There’s too much on the line. Kambosos and Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) are fighting for the vacant IBF lightweight title on ESPN and ESPN+ at the RAC Arena.
The winner of this fight could potentially face one of the other champions in a unification. Ideally, that would be Gervonta Davis, but that might be a little too much to hope for.
Thriving on Doubt
“I like being the underdog. I like having a big mega-fight in Australia where the whole world is talking and the whole country is talking. I like that underdog mentality,” said George Kambosos Jr. to the Sean Zittel YouTube channel.
“That mentality has lit a fuse where they’re saying, ‘This is the end of Kambosos. This is going to be an easy fight for Lomachenko.’ If they think it’s going to be an easy fight, no problem. We’ll see on May 12th.”
Kambosos might need to use some roughhouse tactics like the ones Devin Haney used on him if he wants to win. Lomachenko is too good for him, and he’s going to take him to school unless he throws out the rule book and goes primitive.
“Lomachenko, he’s extremely talented, thie boxing feet and the boxing brain,” said Kambosos. “It takes more than that. I have my own attributes. I have my own speed, my own explosive power, but I got a hell of a heart. I’ve got my will and motivation for whatever it goes down in the fight.”
Kambosos isn’t much of a puncher, so he shouldn’t count on stopping Lomachenko because he’s more of a simple finesse-level guy.
“I’m ready for whatever it takes,” said Kambosos. “I’m excited. I hope he’s at his best right now. I hope there’s no excuses on his end, and victory is all that matters for me. Deep down, I’m a true warrior. I’m here for a proper fight.”
So there it is. Kambosos is going to do whatever it takes to win, which is a hint that he could be planning on roughing up Lomachenko to increase his chances of getting the W.
A History of Defying Expectations
“I’ve always been an underdog in my career. This is what I thrive on. I have that mentality. I’m extremely focused and I have that fire and desire and will for victory,” said Kambosos.
Well, the only instance where Kambosos defied expectations was in his win over Teofimo, but that was a special case because Teo was injured.
