Jorge Linares is going with the smart choice, picking former three-division world champion Vasily Lomachenko to defeat George Kambosos Jr., the gym champ, in their fight on May 12th for the vacant IBF lightweight title at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
The former three-division world champion and boxing expert Linares has fought Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) and knows his talent and what he brings to the table for this fight. Linares views the 30-year-old Kambosos Jr. (20-2, 10 KOs) as a fighter who looks good in the gym, but on fight night, he’s marginal.
Other than Kambosos Jr’s win over an injured and mental basketcase, Teofimo Lopez, in 2021, he’s done little with his career. Kambosos Jr. is a classic example of a one-hit wonder.
The Gym Warrior
“I think Lomachenko wins that fight,” Linares said to Probox TV. “He’s a world champion in the gym, but in the ring, he is different… He just doesn’t do the same things that he does in the gym.”
It’s not that Kambosos peaks in training camp. Linares has got it wrong. The problem is that Kambosos just isn’t that good of a fighter compared to the other talents at 135, which makes him look bang average when he gets in with talented opposition.
It’s pretty clear that Kambosos was exposed in his two fights against Devin Haney, losing back-to-back to him in 2022.
Many fans think Kambosos should have been given a loss in his last fight against Maxi Hughes last July. The judges gave Kambosos a huge break by giving him a 12-round in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in his debut with Top Rank.
If Kambosos had lost that fight, it would have been his third consecutive defeat and a signal that his career as a major player is essentially over.
Linares’ Confidence in Loma
“He pushes all his focus into his training camp, but [unlike Kambosos] he loses everything in the ring. That’s why I’m always with Lomachenko,” Linares said.
Lomachenko puts in the work, and has had the benefit of superior training in his amateur career in Ukraine. He competed against the best and learned from the star. Also, he’s a great athlete, and that helps.
Unfortunately, Lomachenko has been robbed several times and should still be unbeaten. He’s found out the hard way what it’s like in the pro game.