There is plenty on the line when George Kambosos (22-3, 10 KOs) returns to the ring on June 14 at Madison Square Garden, the scene of one of boxing’s greatest recent upsets.
Hitchins vs Kambosos Jr | SUN 15 JUNE 9AM AEST | IBF super lightweight champ Richardson Hitchins attempts to make a first defence of his crown against Australia’s George Kambosos Jr. | Order now with Main Event on Kayo Sports
It was 2021 when Kambosos, a $6 underdog, shocked the world by defeating then unbeaten favourite Teofimo Lopez to become the unified IBF, WBO, WBA and The Ring lightweight world champion.
Now, the 31-year-old is ready to do it again.
Legacy is on the line. History too. Maybe even $50,000.
Kambosos’ opponent, IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins, put the wager on the table when the two faced off on Matchroom’s YouTube channel and while the Australian couldn’t confirm the bet will go ahead, he told foxsports.com.au his management is “working it out”.
But Kambosos never got into the fight game for money. It helped, and has set his family up for life.
But that was then and this is now. This is a chance for Kambosos to silence his critics, the ones who question why he is even in a position to win another world title and in another division, having lost three of his last five fights since that career-defining result against Lopez.
Although, if you asked Kambosos what he thought about that he’d tell you that it is Hitchins who has the most to prove.
“When you talk about a guy like myself and Hitchins, he has not faced anything anywhere comparable to the guy that he’s coming up against,” Kambosos said.
“… All the pressure is on him. This is his homecoming. The media should be all on him. He’s the big mouth. He’s the one that likes to talk. He’s not the seller. He’s not the name here.
“As much as it’s his homecoming, people are excited for George Kambosos, the Aussie, coming back to Madison Square Garden. See if he can do it again.
“Pressure will be on his shoulders. I think it’s a lot of pressure.”
In fact, Kambosos said he could see it. The “nervousness”. The “edginess”. It was all there to see when the two faced off earlier this week and when the Australian “looked into his eyes”.
“He’s a guy with a lot of fear coming up against this guy who just keeps rocking up and keeps shaking up the world,” Kambosos said.
“Remember, I’ve never lost in America. I’ve only taken losses in my home country.”
Kambosos saw fear in Hitchins’ eyes | 00:32
Those three losses also came against two of the biggest names in boxing, Devin Haney (twice) and Vasyl Lomachenko, which is why Kambosos doesn’t look at them as the “devastating” setbacks that others fight.
Why? Well, it’s simple.
“You’re fighting the best of the best,” Kambosos said.
“I look at those lessons as experience. I’d rather look at myself in the mirror and know what I’ve come up against and fallen short against or come up against and beaten.”
From the moment Kambosos made his professional debut against Jayson Mac Gura at the Croatian Club in May 2013 to when he walked out to the world’s “most iconic venue in the history of boxing” over eight years later, Kambosos has “never worried about the zero”.
“Give me the best guy possible. Pound-for-pound undisputed champion, Hall of Famer, all-time great, two-time Olympic gold medallist — doesn’t matter,” Kambosos said.
“Give me them. Let me test myself against the best.”
But as much as the Australian may have put together a long list of world class opponents, countryman Liam Paro questioned last week whether Kambosos himself is world class.
Paro tipped Kambosos to be either stopped or lose “a 12 round shut out” and had an emphatic message for ‘Ferocious’ when asked about the possibility of fighting him in the near-future.
“Given how I think George will go in this next fight against Hitchins, he’s going to have to build himself back up,” Paro told foxsports.com.au.
“Get some credible wins… what I’ve seen from him, I don’t see world class. So until he proves that, nah, I don’t see us fighting.”
Kambosos responded to those comments on social media, branding Paro “un-Australian” and he brought up that word again when asked about the Queenslander by foxsports.com.au.
“If that’s the way he wants to act, that’s cool. I’m a gentleman. All the best to him,” Kambosos added.
“Obviously he couldn’t do the job against Hitchins, so they had to call the big dog in to come to the job.
“But, like I said, my focus is on Hitchins and whatever people want to say, whatever disrespect they want to show, they want to show their true colours.
“That’s cool. I’m a gentleman. But Richardson Hitchins, that’s my focus, not anyone else, and especially not anyone in Australia.”
That includes Paro. If both Australians were to win their next fights, there would be plenty of interest in Kambosos and Paro settling their differences inside the ring.
So, would Kambosos be open to it? He may well be, but for now you won’t get an answer until after his hand is raised at Madison Square Garden next month.
“Richardson Hitchins,” Kambosos repeated.
“That’s my only focus right now.”
Kambosos hits back at Paro’s comments | 00:29
That is, along with what Hitchins and this fight represents.
A chance for Kambosos to become a two-weight global champion after moving up to 140 pounds and outpointing fellow Australian Jake Wyllie in March to earn another shot at the world title.
“This is history. I’ve done it before,” Kambosos said.
“I’ve been champion in the exact same place. Like I said, I’m the only Australian to win a world title at Madison Square Garden – the most iconic venue in history of boxing in the world.
“So, to come back and do it again against another favourite, against another big mouth hot shot that’s coming through the American ranks. That’s all-time history. That’s all-time greatness.
“Legacy is what I’m trying to define, trying to build more history, not only for myself, but for Australia and for Australian boxing.”
A legacy which Kambsos described as “already huge” and with a win against Hitchins, will only get even bigger.
“Undisputed champion of the world, cleaned out a whole division at 135, won the belts there and now going to do it again,” the 31-year-old said.
“… This one will be just that added cherry on top.”
Hitchins vs Kambosos Jr | SUN 15 JUNE 9AM AEST | IBF super lightweight champ Richardson Hitchins attempts to make a first defence of his crown against Australia’s George Kambosos Jr. | Order now with Main Event on Kayo Sports
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