George Kambosos Jr. on Teofimo Lopez Jr.: ‘He’s in big, big trouble’

George Kambosos on opponent Teofimo Lopez: “He’s in big, big trouble.”

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

George Kambosos Jr. is confident ahead of his fight with undisputed and unbeaten lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez Jr. on Saturday in New York City.

The Australian, ranked No. 1 by the IBF, believes he has better tools than his American counterpart.

“My speed and the way I move and explosive power and shots that I land and throw and the punches in bunches and the combination punches that I have in my artillery, and my stamina and my fitness is just too much for this kid,” Kambosos told AAP .

“He’s been saying he’ll knock me out first round. Before he got COVID on June 19, he said he was going to knock me out within three, so what’s changed?”

George Kambosos Jr. (right) is confident going into his fight with lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez on Saturday. Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports

The long delay will help him spring a surprise, he believes.

“His fitness and his stamina is nowhere near what it has to be so he’s hoping and he’s praying that it’s one round because it has to be,” Kambosos said. “What’s he going to do for the next 11 when he doesn’t get that first-round knockout?

“If that’s his only game plan, then he’s in big, big trouble. I’m fully prepared. I’m ready for 12 rounds. I’m old school so, if they want, we can do 15 rounds like the greats of our sport.”

The 28-year-old from Sydney also defended himself against critics of his style, which some say lacks decisive power.

“Look, volume punching in boxing is if you throw a lot of punches and I do that,” Kambosos said. “I’ve got a big motor. Throughout the 12 rounds, I keep going. Every round I keep getting better and better and keep throwing more punches.

“But my defense is so underrated in the boxing world. I’m super sharp and my reflexes, my head movement, my footwork in and out, they’re going to find out the hard way, Lopez is.

“They don’t believe in my defense and think this is going to be an easy fight for him, but they’re going to find out the hard way. … He relies on his power but when you’ve got a guy like myself who can bang as well but has super fast hands and ring IQ, I just know I’m going to beat him.

“Everything that he brings to the table, I do better.”

[lawrence-related id=26104,21090]

George Kambosos Jr. on Teofimo Lopez Jr.: ‘He’s in big, big trouble’

George Kambosos on opponent Teofimo Lopez: “He’s in big, big trouble.”

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

George Kambosos Jr. is confident ahead of his fight with undisputed and unbeaten lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez Jr. on Saturday in New York City.

The Australian, ranked No. 1 by the IBF, believes he has better tools than his American counterpart.

“My speed and the way I move and explosive power and shots that I land and throw and the punches in bunches and the combination punches that I have in my artillery, and my stamina and my fitness is just too much for this kid,” Kambosos told AAP .

“He’s been saying he’ll knock me out first round. Before he got COVID on June 19, he said he was going to knock me out within three, so what’s changed?”

George Kambosos Jr. (right) is confident going into his fight with lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez on Saturday. Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports

The long delay will help him spring a surprise, he believes.

“His fitness and his stamina is nowhere near what it has to be so he’s hoping and he’s praying that it’s one round because it has to be,” Kambosos said. “What’s he going to do for the next 11 when he doesn’t get that first-round knockout?

“If that’s his only game plan, then he’s in big, big trouble. I’m fully prepared. I’m ready for 12 rounds. I’m old school so, if they want, we can do 15 rounds like the greats of our sport.”

The 28-year-old from Sydney also defended himself against critics of his style, which some say lacks decisive power.

“Look, volume punching in boxing is if you throw a lot of punches and I do that,” Kambosos said. “I’ve got a big motor. Throughout the 12 rounds, I keep going. Every round I keep getting better and better and keep throwing more punches.

“But my defense is so underrated in the boxing world. I’m super sharp and my reflexes, my head movement, my footwork in and out, they’re going to find out the hard way, Lopez is.

“They don’t believe in my defense and think this is going to be an easy fight for him, but they’re going to find out the hard way. … He relies on his power but when you’ve got a guy like myself who can bang as well but has super fast hands and ring IQ, I just know I’m going to beat him.

“Everything that he brings to the table, I do better.”

[lawrence-related id=26104,21090]

Fight Week: Return of Teofimo Lopez Jr., Stephen Fulton vs. Brandon Figueroa

Fight Week: Teofimo Lopez Jr. defends his belts against George Kambosos. Also, Stephen Fulton faces Brandon Figueroa to unify titles.

FIGHT WEEK

the YOUNG STARS out. TEOFIMO LOPEZ JR. returns against george kambosos jr. meanwhile, stephen fulton and brandon figueroa fight to unify titles.

Teofimo Lopez Jr. (16-0, 12 KOs) vs. George Kambosos Jr. (19-0, 10 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 27
  • Where: Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Lightweight
  • At stake: Lopez’s undisputed championship
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Lopez No. 6
  • Odds: Lopez 7-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Azinga Fuzile vs. Kenichi Ogawa, junior lightweights (for vacant IBF title); Ray Ford vs. Felix Caraballo, featherweights
  • Prediction: Lopez KO 10
  • Background: After so many date changes that it was impossible to keep track, Lopez vs. Kambosos is finally here. Lopez, whose bout with COVID-19 resulted in one postponement, will be fighting for the first time since his break through victory over pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko in October of last year to become undisputed lightweight champion in only his 16th fight. He was only 23 at the time. The gifted boxer-puncher got off to a strong start against the strangely inactive Ukrainian champion and then held off a rally to win a clear unanimous decision in Las Vegas. The WBC has designated Lopez its “franchise” champion and elevated Devin Haney to full titleholder, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. Lopez has suggested that the fight against Kambosos could be his last at 135 pounds. Kambosos is a tough, high-energy fighter from Australia but he can also box, as the 28-year-old demonstrated in split-decision victories over good technicians Mickey Bey and Lee Selby in the last two fights. The Selby fight also took place in October of last year, meaning both men will have been out of the ring for around 13 months. This will be Kambosos’ third fight in the United States.

 

Brandon Figueroa (22-0-1, 17 KOs) vs. Stephen Fulton (19-0, 8 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 27
  • Where: Park Theater, Las Vegas
  • TV/Stream: Showtime
  • Division: Junior featherweight
  • At stake: Figueroa’s WBC and Fulton’s WBO titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Fulton 3-1 (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Ra’eese Aleem vs. Eduardo Baez, junior featherweights; Gary Antonio Russell vs. Alejandro Barrios, bantamweights
  • Prediction: Fulton UD
  • Background: This is a classic matchup of boxer (Fulton) vs. brawler (Figueroa), although Fulton demonstrated in his dominating unanimous-decision victory over then-titleholder Angelo Leo in January that he’s willing and capable of mixing it up. That victory gave Fulton his first major belt. And there presumably will be more to come. The 27-year-old Philadelphian is one of the most gifted young champions in the sport, although he hasn’t proven that over long period of time. Fulton said he ability to “adjust and outthink” Figueroa will lead him to victory. Figueroa, 24, is a relentless pressure fighter who wears his opponents down with volume punching. That’s what he did in his upset, seventh-round knockout victory over then-unbeaten Luis Nery in May, which earned him his first legitimate title. The Texan is the underdog once again but you can bet that he’s going to make Fulton work hard no matter who has his hand raised.

Also fighting this week:

  • Junior welterweight contender Ohara Davies (22-2, 16 KOs) of England faces Ismael Barroso (23-3-2, 21 KOs) of Venezuela in a scheduled 12-round bout Friday in Dubai (ESPN+).
  • Jay Harris (18-2, 9 KOs) of Wales will take on fellow contender Hector Gabriel Flores (18-0-4, 9 KOs) of Mexico in a scheduled 10-round junior flyweight fight Friday in Cardiff, Wales (ESPN+).
  • Erika Cruz (13-1, 3 KOs) faces fellow Mexican Melissa Ezquivel (12-1-1, 4 KOs) Friday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (DAZN).

Fight Week: Return of Teofimo Lopez Jr., Stephen Fulton vs. Brandon Figueroa

Fight Week: Teofimo Lopez Jr. defends his belts against George Kambosos. Also, Stephen Fulton faces Brandon Figueroa to unify titles.

FIGHT WEEK

the YOUNG STARS out. TEOFIMO LOPEZ JR. returns against george kambosos jr. meanwhile, stephen fulton and brandon figueroa fight to unify titles.

Teofimo Lopez Jr. (16-0, 12 KOs) vs. George Kambosos Jr. (19-0, 10 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 27
  • Where: Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Lightweight
  • At stake: Lopez’s undisputed championship
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Lopez No. 6
  • Odds: Lopez 7-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Azinga Fuzile vs. Kenichi Ogawa, junior lightweights (for vacant IBF title); Ray Ford vs. Felix Caraballo, featherweights
  • Prediction: Lopez KO 10
  • Background: After so many date changes that it was impossible to keep track, Lopez vs. Kambosos is finally here. Lopez, whose bout with COVID-19 resulted in one postponement, will be fighting for the first time since his break through victory over pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko in October of last year to become undisputed lightweight champion in only his 16th fight. He was only 23 at the time. The gifted boxer-puncher got off to a strong start against the strangely inactive Ukrainian champion and then held off a rally to win a clear unanimous decision in Las Vegas. The WBC has designated Lopez its “franchise” champion and elevated Devin Haney to full titleholder, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize. Lopez has suggested that the fight against Kambosos could be his last at 135 pounds. Kambosos is a tough, high-energy fighter from Australia but he can also box, as the 28-year-old demonstrated in split-decision victories over good technicians Mickey Bey and Lee Selby in the last two fights. The Selby fight also took place in October of last year, meaning both men will have been out of the ring for around 13 months. This will be Kambosos’ third fight in the United States.

 

Brandon Figueroa (22-0-1, 17 KOs) vs. Stephen Fulton (19-0, 8 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 27
  • Where: Park Theater, Las Vegas
  • TV/Stream: Showtime
  • Division: Junior featherweight
  • At stake: Figueroa’s WBC and Fulton’s WBO titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Fulton 3-1 (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Ra’eese Aleem vs. Eduardo Baez, junior featherweights; Gary Antonio Russell vs. Alejandro Barrios, bantamweights
  • Prediction: Fulton UD
  • Background: This is a classic matchup of boxer (Fulton) vs. brawler (Figueroa), although Fulton demonstrated in his dominating unanimous-decision victory over then-titleholder Angelo Leo in January that he’s willing and capable of mixing it up. That victory gave Fulton his first major belt. And there presumably will be more to come. The 27-year-old Philadelphian is one of the most gifted young champions in the sport, although he hasn’t proven that over long period of time. Fulton said he ability to “adjust and outthink” Figueroa will lead him to victory. Figueroa, 24, is a relentless pressure fighter who wears his opponents down with volume punching. That’s what he did in his upset, seventh-round knockout victory over then-unbeaten Luis Nery in May, which earned him his first legitimate title. The Texan is the underdog once again but you can bet that he’s going to make Fulton work hard no matter who has his hand raised.

Also fighting this week:

  • Junior welterweight contender Ohara Davies (22-2, 16 KOs) of England faces Ismael Barroso (23-3-2, 21 KOs) of Venezuela in a scheduled 12-round bout Friday in Dubai (ESPN+).
  • Jay Harris (18-2, 9 KOs) of Wales will take on fellow contender Hector Gabriel Flores (18-0-4, 9 KOs) of Mexico in a scheduled 10-round junior flyweight fight Friday in Cardiff, Wales (ESPN+).
  • Erika Cruz (13-1, 3 KOs) faces fellow Mexican Melissa Ezquivel (12-1-1, 4 KOs) Friday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (DAZN).

Teofimo Lopez tests positive for COVID-19, Saturday’s fight postponed

Teofimo Lopez’s title defense against George Kambosos Jr. has been postponed because Lopez has tested positive for COVID-19.

Teofimo Lopez’s title defense against George Kambosos Jr. is off … for now.

Lopez, the undisputed lightweight champion, has had to pull out of Saturday’s pay-per-view showdown after testing positive for COVID-19, The Athletic is reporting. The entire card has been rescheduled for Aug. 14, according to the website.

The fight was set to take place at loanDepot Park in Miami. The new site has not been determined.

Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) is coming off a sensational unanimous-decision victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko in October, which made Lopez the undisputed lightweight champion.

Kambosos (19-0, 10 KOs) also last fought in October, when he defeated Lee Selby by a split decision to earn the right to challenge Lopez. The Australian is ranked No. 1 by both the IBF and WBO.