Australian undisputed light-weight boxing champion George Kambosos Jr will defend his three world title belts at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium on June 5.
Key factors:
- Kambosos gained the WBA, IBF and WBO light-weight world titles in November
- Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko or American Devin Haney are the frontrunners for his first title defence
- Sydneysider Kambosos stated he wish to struggle in his hometown however there was not an applicable venue
Nonetheless, the Sydneysider — who surprised the boxing world along with his shock defeat of Teófimo López in November — says the stadium super-fight won’t essentially be in opposition to Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Whereas admitting Lomachenko had edged into favouritism, Kambosos stated American Devin Haney remained within the hunt.
“They’re each nonetheless within the working,” Kambosos stated. “I feel Lomachenko has began to creep near the end line and that excites me massive time as a result of Lomachenko is a hell of a fighter, a man who’s gained two Olympic gold medals, a number of world titles.
“However Devin Haney excites me so much, too, as a result of he does have that small, different little piece that he loves [the WBC belt].
“He by no means actually earned it within the ring however he does love his piece and I would like to splatter his face throughout the ring and take that off him as nicely.
Lomachenko was broadly thought of the premier pound-for-pound boxer on the planet earlier than López in October, 2020, stripped him of the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, which Kambosos now holds.
Haney has the WBC belt.
“There’s solely ever been two names that I’ve ever been considering. I’ve solely ever been considering Devin Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko,” Kambosos stated.
“Persons are going to say, ‘Wow, Kambosos is loopy. He is taking an enormous danger to struggle one among these guys in his first defence’.
“However you have to be slightly bit loopy on this recreation. They stated I used to be loopy after I stated I used to be going to be higher than López in each single side and I proved them fallacious.
“I am going to show them fallacious once more. I do not plan on handing these belts over, ever. These belts are mine.
“I do know what I needed to undergo to earn them the laborious manner and I did what no Australian has ever finished earlier than and, once more, I am able to create extra historical past.
Kambosos took within the Australian Open tennis, watching Greek ace Stefanos Tsitsipas at Rod Laver Area, earlier than deciding on Docklands Stadium, which has an official capability of 52,000 however might conceivably seat extra for a boxing match with seats on the bottom.
“It’ll be a hell of an atmosphere,” he stated.
“It is unlucky that there isn’t any stadium prepared in Sydney. I like the brand new SFS [Sydney Football Stadium] and that is a future place that I’ll struggle.
“And Melbourne is an incredible metropolis, nice stadiums and simply has that environment and that is what we’re enthusiastic about after seeing how the tennis was and the way the followers interacted.
“That is going to be enormous. A mega struggle is barely becoming for it. The Emperor comes again house to struggle in entrance of all his folks within the largest struggle ever in Australian boxing.”
AAP