The proliferation of lightweight titles had seemingly come to an end once George Kambosos Jr. officially stepped onto the world scene. His upset win over Teofimo Lopez in 2021, essentially netted Kambosos every major championship trinket at 135 pounds. In doing so, the 29-year-old had his pick of the lightweight litter.
Originally, Kambosos (20-2, 10 KOs) selected Vasiliy Lomachenko as his dance partner. However, with the former multi-divisional champion opting to help defend his native land of Ukraine from the ongoing Russian invasion, Kambosos was forced to go in another direction.
Unfortunately for Kambosos, Devin Haney was chosen in lieu of Lomachenko’s decision to remain home. Back-to-back losses though, would leave Kambosos out of the championship mix. Lomachenko, in the meanwhile, was steadily making his return.
After scoring a close but clear unanimous decision victory against Jamaine Ortiz, the former two-time Olympic gold medalist challenged Haney for his undisputed throne. Although scorecards were somewhat contentious, Haney eked out the win. Now, with Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) unsure of what his next move will be, Kambosos has offered the former pound-for-pound star a chance to pick up where the two left off.
“I think he’s got a big, big stadium fight in Australia with Kambosos like we were originally meant to do,” said Kambosos to a group of reporters when asked what Lomachenko should do next.
Anxious to jump back into another big fight, Kambosos will first have to take care of business on a smaller scale. This summer, the former unified champion will square off vs. Maxi Hughes. Although it doesn’t register as necessarily a big bout, the timeline works in Kambosos’s favor.
Hughes, of course, is at the forefront of his mind. Lomachenko, nevertheless, can use this time to let his body rest and recover.
“Let him heal,” continued Kambosos. “Let him heal.”