George Kambosos lastly has his shot at world title glory on Sunday morning. That is what he’s combating for.
“There are a couple of elements — my youngsters and household and the sacrifices I’ve needed to make,” Kambosos informed Information Corp forward of his struggle with unified light-weight world champion Teofimo Lopez in New York.
“My legacy — successful this struggle and what it does for my identify, the legacy I go away in boxing worldwide. Each my nations — Australia and Greece.
“And every little thing I’ve been by means of, this tough street. This has actually been a tough street. I’ve needed to earn it. It’s not a simple gig going into the yard of those former champions.
“That is actual boxing. I would like the followers and the individuals again residence to grasp what we’re doing right here. This isn’t circus occasions, that is the foremost leagues.
“I’m going down as a world celebrity, straight into the Corridor of Fame (after I win). I change into Australia’s greatest fighter ever. I take all his belts, change into the undisputed champion, that’s large for Australian boxing.
“That is large as a result of I really feel the load of the entire nation on my shoulders. This actually places Australia on a pedestal and it offers all these younger fighters a chance and a push.
“That’s what I’m centered on. I signify that flag with all my coronary heart. I’m a warrior, a spartan warrior. I put every little thing on the road.
“This going to go down as an enormous win. The individuals know who the individuals’s champion is.”
Kambosos is a rank outsider towards the undefeated Lopez, the American who surprised the boxing neighborhood in October final yr when he upset Ukrainian nice Vasily Lomachenko.
Lopez hasn’t fought since however that victory alone was sufficient to maneuver him into the highest 10 pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. If Lopez was the underdog then, Kambosos is now.
The Australian earned his shot by piecing collectively an undefeated profession of his personal, the previous seven of these wins on the street.
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 place to be a world champion by means of sheer arduous work and persistence.
Onerous work and persistence is probably not sufficient towards Lopez after they meet within the Hulu Theatre in New York on Sunday morning (AEDT). Most pundits consider Kambosos might want to produce a miracle.
The 28-year-old, from Sydney’s southern suburbs, offers that speak quick shrift.
“Now we have put within the work over right here,” Kambosos mentioned.
“That is actually a 50-50 struggle within the eyes of the media however in my eyes, I’m going to destroy this child. This was at all times the plan — to come back over right here and crack it with the massive fish.
“If you wish to be within the main league, it’s a must to be within the US. That is the Mecca of boxing. We made the choice very early in our profession as soon as we had taken everybody in Australia — I wasn’t going to take a seat round and attempt to carry imports in.
“I wasn’t going to take a seat round and twiddle my thumbs and see who I might struggle in Australia, and hopefully get a crack and never be prepared as a result of now we have seen it so many instances — Australian fighters who should not prepared and get overwhelmed.
“I’m regularly exhibiting up and beating these former champions on the street. That is what now we have labored arduous for — to get so far with good karma.
“We need to struggle for each belt on the road and we speak in regards to the cash as properly — that is big quantities of cash — however it’s by no means been about that.
“I got here to the US and the cash was not nice, I used to be making more cash in Australia. I knew down the observe with my arduous work and persistence, one thing would crack.
“My arduous work and tunnel imaginative and prescient is in regards to the belts — really I don’t care about anything, I don’t care in regards to the fame or the cash.
“It’s in regards to the legacy.”
It’s been a very long time coming. The struggle was initially meant to happen in June however has been pushed again on a handful of events.
The primary time was to keep away from a conflict with an exhibition bout between Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul. Then Lopez examined optimistic for Covid-19.
Then there was a conflict with key baseball and soccer dates in America. Kambosos has blown off steam on social media and vowed to take his frustrations out on his youthful opponent.
There may be real unhealthy blood between the respective camps- their fathers even exchanged expletives this week. The time for speak is now over.
Lastly, the day has arrived. Lopez shocked the world when he toppled Lomachenko. Kambosois is able to return the favour.
“I’m an aggressive puncher, I’m a harmful counter-puncher, I’m sooner than Lomachenko, hit tougher than Lomachenko, I’m larger than Lomachenko and I believe my stamina is on one other stage,” Kambosos mentioned.
“It’s a totally different struggle when somebody has nothing to lose, who has had the arduous street. Lomachenko has already made thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of {dollars}, he has already been a 3 or 4 time world champion.
“He’s already within the Corridor of Fame. I’m not content material with what I’ve completed. I’m removed from content material. I really feel Lopez is content material with that he has completed in his profession.
“I’m coming in with all weapons blazing to take one thing from him.”