Hungry as ever, George Kambosos Jr has eyes only for his next rival as he chases a place in Australian boxing history alongside the great Jeff Fenech.
“Ferocious” Kambosos returns to the ring on March 22 against Indonesian senator Daud Yordan in his long-awaited first fight in front of Sydney home fans since 2016, long before his rise to a unified world lightweight champion.
Stepping up to the super-lightweight ranks, Kambosos is bidding to join Fenech as a multi-division champion of the world.
But that can only happen if he makes a successful debut in the 140-pound ranks against the distinguished Yordan, who is not only a formidable fighter but also a Member of the Indonesian Regional Representative Council.
“My focus is on March 22,” Kambosos told AAP on Wednesday.
“Yordan is no slouch. You don’t get a record of 43 wins and 31 knockouts, of two IBA titles and WBA world title challenger and formerly No.1 rated in the world by just luck.
“So this is a dangerous fight. He will come with everything he has.
“He’s a puncher, knockout artist, has a country behind him.”
Adding to the spice, the bout will take place two days after Australia’s World Cup qualifier against Indonesia at Allianz Stadium when legions of his countrymen will be in the NSW capital supporting both the nation’s soccer team and Yordan.
“He’s not going to want to be embarrassed,” Kambosos said.
After first having his unbeaten 20-fight professional record shattered twice by pound-for-pound superstar Devin Haney, then also losing to the legendary Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko, Kambosos contemplated his future.
But only briefly.
The 31-year-old insists the fire still burns.
“You never call it in,” Kambosos said.
“I’m a warrior, I’ll fight till the day I die.
“Yeah, of course I could ride into the sunset and bring my big boat out this afternoon and go fishing and have a good time with my kids and family, but I love fighting.
“Where else are you going to find me?
“I went 11 rounds with Lomachenko. He’s a legend, one of the all-time greats in history.
“So you don’t you go 11 with him and go two times with Haney … I beat (Teofimo) Lopez.
“For me, there’s so much more in the tank and now moving up a decision, I feel stronger, I feel better, more focused.”
In addition to ultimately having the chance to emulate four-division belt holder Fenech as a multi-weight world champion, Kambosos could also join fellow Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu in the history books.
Tszyu dominated the super-lightweight ranks during his illustrious career and now Kambosos Jr feels “it’s time” to join the division.
“It’s been a long time coming to move into the 140 division,” he said.
“Making that 135 is not easy. The older you get, the harder it is, and I got to the point where it’s time to move up.
“I’ve beaten the No.1 guy there already – Teofimo Lopez.
“I’ve fought two hell of a fights with Devin Haney, who was a champion in recess.
“I look at (Richardson) Hitchins, yes, he got a good win against Liam Paro but I don’t think he’s one-tenth of Devin Haney and Lomachenko and the guys that I’ve gone to war with.
“So I get a lot of confidence coming into the division.”
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