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George Kambosos Jr. has always flown under the radar. With little to no fanfare or attention hurled in his direction, the Australian native had grown accustomed to minimal public exposure. However, following his career-defining win over Teofimo Lopez on November 27th, 2021, Kambosos (20-1, 10 KOs) was shoved into the limelight. Ultimately, though he enjoyed kissing babies, and posing for pictures with a perpetual line of newly gained supporters, Kambosos believes that it placed him in an unfamiliar position.
Heading into the first defense of his newly won IBF, WBO, and WBA lightweight titles, Kambosos sauntered confidently to the ring as Devin Haney waited patiently at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. Yet, while the Aussie native believed that he was mere moments away from basking in even more glory, Haney firmly denied him as he cruised to a unanimous decision victory.
With the pair officially set to square off once more on October 16th, Kambosos has appeared as confident as ever. Although he originally embraced the gigantic target that was placed on his back, Kambosos admits he’s happy to be back where he belongs.
“I’ve always been the hunter, except for that last fight,” said Kambosos to Sporting News Australia. “It’s good to be back in that position. I embraced it and now I’m hunting again. This is fun for me. I’m back to doing what I do best. I’m back to the position where I’ve been most of my career so I feel very comfortable.”
Along with the added attention, Kambosos, for the first time in his career, was forced to deal with the needed requirements from media personnel. Though he gleefully seized every moment to step in front of the camera and honor his commitments, the 29-year-old has noticeably taken a different approach this time around.
Despite being just a few days away from facing off against Haney once again, Kambosos has remained mostly mum, opting to immure himself in an arduous training camp.
In a moment of candor, Kambosos acknowledges that returning to a more reclusive way of life has allowed him to focus more than ever. Still, even with the former unified champion promising to show off new wrinkles in his all-around game, oddsmakers have tabbed him as a heavy underdog.
But, in spite of the betting world expecting him to fall flat on his face, Kambosos, much like in his showdown against Lopez, is anxious to prove his naysayers wrong.
“This time, I’m very zoned in. No distractions this time, minimal commitments and just coming to fight. October 16th is gonna be a great statement in my career again. You wanna doubt me again? Ok. I will win this fight.”