Promoter Eddie Hearn says the reason fans in Australia have been subdued in their reaction to fellow Aussie George Kambosos Jr’s comeback fight against Jake Wyllie is that they don’t realize what he’s accomplished in his career.
(Credit: Matchroom Boxing)
Hearn’s Defense
Australian fans were very interested in Kambosos’s first fight against Devin Haney in June 2022, but after he was trounced in a one-sided 12-round decision, people jumped ship.
Hearn feels that the Aussies that aren’t interested in this fight look at the former unified lightweight champion Kambosos (21-3, 10 KOs) as losing every time he fights in Australia, noting that he was beaten twice by Devin Haney and Vasily Lomachenko in the last three times he fought in his country.
Kambosos’ last win in Australia came eight years ago when he defeated journeyman Kaewfah Tor Buamas by a ninth-round knockout. That’s ages ago. So, it’s understandable why George’s fans aren’t excited to see him coming back to Australia to fight, especially against this level of opponent. Wyllie (16-1, 15 KOs) isn’t ranked in the top 15 by any of the four sanctioning bodies, meaning he’s not world class.
Obviously, Hearn had slim options after Kambosos’ originally scheduled opponent suffered a medical problem this week, resulting in him being pulled from Saturday’s card. However, there’s no chance that Hearn would have used someone talented who could potentially beat Kambosos because this fight is one being used to set him up for a world title shot against IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins. So, whoever was brought in as the replacement had to be someone beatable.
Recalling Glory
“George is coming back. Sometimes, guys that really don’t know their boxing don’t realize what Kambosos has done and who he’s fought,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to Jai McAllister Boxing, reacting to being told that the build-up to George Kambosos Jr’s fight against Jake Wyllie has been ‘A little bit subdued in Australia.’
Australian fans aren’t falling for the same song and dance from Kambosos. They don’t want to see a slick-talking ham & egger fighting a scrub in the main event on a PPV card in Sydney, and they don’t want to waste their money purchasing tickets to see it live.
“Maybe the consensus is, ‘Oh, every time George has boxed in Australia, he’s lost.’ [Note: Kambosos hasn’t won a fight in Australia since 2017]. Twice to Devin Haney and once to Lomachenko. But he’s also beaten Teofimo Lopez at the Garden [in New York City]. He beat Lee Selby in London in a final eliminator.
“He’s really brought Australia boxing on the map in big shows. Tell me in the last three or four years, has done stadium fights like that? It’s been George Kambosos. Sometimes, he ruffles people up the wrong way. That’s his style. I think we’ll have four 5,000 in there on Saturday. I think that’s a good crowd.
“We understand it’s not Devin Haney or Lomachenko, but George needs to win this fight because another defeat would definitely end his career, whereas a win would give him a shot to become a two-division world champion [against IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins],” said Hearn.
