George Kambosos Jr. didn’t see anything at the official pre-fight weigh-in to sway his opinion on how his opponent arrived at this point.
“Look at him. This is your champion, huh? We’re living rent-free inside his head,” Kambosos claimed of reigning lineal/WBA/IBF/WBO lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez Jr. “Look at him, he’s a dehydrated little boy. He’s struggling, man. How long did it take him to get here today? He’s struggling. And you know what? He’s going to struggle [on Saturday].
“We’re ready for war. No problems on our side, we’re taking all these belts. We’re in his hometown, but where’s his people?”
Both boxers made weight ahead of their long-awaited, oft-postponed lightweight championship clash, which takes place Saturday evening on DAZN from Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City. Sydney’s Kambosos (19-0, 10KOs) came in well under the limit at a fit and trim 134.4 pounds. Brooklyn’s Lopez (16-0, 12KOs) appeared to be in impeccable shape in weighing right at the 135-pound divisional limit for his second overall IBF title defense and first as the unified champion.
Kambosos continues to see something in Lopez that he can exploit, a feeling that has not changed since he was first named IBF mandatory challenger. The two have remained embroiled in a bitter feud ever since it became clear that they were on a collision course, having to be forcibly separated during every pre-fight function.
The downside is the lengthy wait that has preceded this championship contest finally making its way to the ring, following at least six official fight dates and the threats of several lawsuits. They finally get to fight it out where it matters most—in the ring, where the underdog challenger vows to shine.
“I’m so focused, I’ve had that tunnel vision for such a long time,” insists Kambosos. “I’ve had my foot on the pedal and I’m bringing these belts home.
“This is huge. I have my country behind me, I have the world behind me. I am winning this fight.”
Credit: Jake Donovan