George Kambosos Jr. will look to solve the equation that is Vasiliy Lomachenko when they fight for the vacant IBF lightweight title on Sunday.
“He has an IQ like the Albert Einstein of boxing,” Kambosos told BoxingScene.
Lomachenko, a three-division champion and future Hall of Famer, has often been difficult to dissect, like advanced algebra. But at 36, Lomachenko has seen his once-prolific skills brought into question after a string of uneven performances.
“A 100 percent Lomachenko has a lot left in the tank,” Kambosos said. “But I don’t believe he has that dog inside of him anymore. I don’t think he wants it as bad as I do right now.
“You can never overlook a guy like Lomachenko. I’d be the biggest idiot if I were to do that. Lomachenko is an all-time great and a guy we have a lot of respect for. We are preparing for the best version of Lomachenko. Once that bell rings, the respect is out the door and it’s time to do the job.”
Kambosos-Lomachenko is set to take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on May 12 (May 11 in the U.S.). The event will air on ESPN in the U.S.
Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) hasn’t fought since dropping a competitive unanimous decision to Devin Haney last May.
The former unified lightweight champion Kambosos (21-2, 10 KOs) bounced back after a pair of decision losses to Haney in 2022 by scoring a highly disputed majority decision against Maxi Hughes in July.
Kambosos explained his subpar performance against Hughes – his first win since 2021 when he knocked down and upset Teofimo Lopez Jr. in a split decision victory.
“When you’ve been with 10-out-of-10 Victoria’s Secret models and then you get the 2-out-of-10, a guy [like Hughes, who] is supposed to be a bump in the road, you sometimes don’t have that supreme motivation,” Kambosos said. “I had to adapt a lot in the fight. He was at his best, and I was at my worst.”
Hughes outlanded Kambosos 98-90 in their fight.
Kambosos is promising a more motivated version of himself against Lomachenko.
“I’ve had a tremendous game plan and camp, with fantastic sparring partners who emulate Lomachenko to a T, and I have game plans from A to Z,” said Kambosos. “You have to adapt against a guy like Lomachenko.
“Lomachenko has great IQ and he’s tremendous on the feet, but he likes to come forward, too. We have our own tricks up our sleeves. Do we have to bully him? We’re going to wait and see. I’ll be ready to adapt, and it will be an electric fight to remember.
“I’m very explosive and dynamic. I fear no man. I step to the best. My resume speaks for itself. I want a tough action fight. I want a brawl.
“This is exciting and motivating, against a fighter I’ve admired and manifested fighting. The atmosphere is going to be incredible.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.