Former lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr says he has all the respect in the world for Vasiliy Lomachenko, who he will face in Australia on May 12. But, in speaking with Sky Sports, Kambosos said all the respect will go out the window come fight night. Kambosos – who has to win this fight or else his career at elite level will really take a hit, what with him having lost twice to Devin Haney and then having looked fortunate to have got the decision against Maxi Hughes in his last fight – says he will be “coming to take his head out.”
Kambosos, 21-2(10) says Lomachenko will be doing the exact same thing, and he says the fight will prove to be a great one.
“This is the guy who was formally the pound-for-pound number-one fighter in the world, a three-division champion, a two-time Olympic gold medallist,” Kambosos said in listing Loma’s credentials. “So we totally understand his accolades, we respect him of course. But we respect what we’ve been able to do, too. Styles make fights. And the way we both bring that action, it’s gonna be something special. I truly believe it’s gonna be a memorable fight. As a man, as a person, as a fighter, you can’t fault the guy. But when it comes to May 12, all that respect is out the window and I’m coming to take his head out, and I’m sure he’s going to come and do the same thing to me.”
Lomachenko, 17-3(11) and the older man by six years at age 36, is coming off a very close, debatable decision loss to common opponent Haney, and in that fight which took place in May of last year, Loma looked almost back to his dazzling best. Like Kambosos, Lomachenko cannot afford a loss on May 12. The vacant IBF belt at 135 pounds will be on the line, but a whole lot more than that.
Kambosos says the May 12 winner will “continue and go back to the number-one lightweight in the world, back to lightweight supremacy,” and he believes he will be the winner next month.
“It (a win) puts me back to where I want to be, where I’m motivated to be,” Kambosos said. “My road continues, my opportunities for bigger fights with guys like Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson continues and that’s what I want, the biggest fights.”
Kambosos is the younger man, he is fighting at home, and he is very confident. But Lomachenko is the pick to win in most places, including here. But it could be a great fight, with both men having to dig deep. How much greatness has southpaw wizard Loma got left at age 36? Can Kambosos rebound from those back-to-back losses to Haney?
