In order to maintain an air of superiority, George Kambosos is treating Saturday’s fight against Jake Wyllie, a late replacement, as though it is something he has arranged out of the goodness of his heart. As grateful as he is to still have a fight – following the withdrawal of Daud Yordan, his original opponent – Kambosos is keen to let it be known that he dictates the terms of this arrangement and that the surprise will be Wyllie’s, not his. 

"One guy is out, and who’s the next guy?" he said at the pair's final pre-fight press conference. "Of course we respect Jake jumping in. His style was suited. We said, 'Okay, give him the shot. Young kid, respectful, humble – give him his Rocky story.' But don’t get it twisted. This is not a happy ending.

"There’s a difference between fighting at domestic level and having the Australian title, and fighting at the level I've been fighting at. He says he sees holes; I'd like to ask him, which holes does he see? Which fights do you see the holes in? Is it the [Vasiliy] Lomachenko fight? Is it the Devin Haney fight? Is it the [Teofimo] Lopez fight, when I beat his ass and he's the current number one at 140? The Lee Selby fight? These guys are the best of the best.

"People say they see holes, but there’s a difference between the elite, the pinnacle, where I have been for so many years fighting, and the level he's been fighting. And yes, he’s got a nice knockout ratio; good record, I respect that. I respect the kid. I don't have any bad beef. I'm not going to sit here and say anything bad about him. But when you deep-dive on the guys he's knocked out, they're all plums."

By stressing that this opportunity is, for Wyllie, a gift, and by calling him "kid" at every turn, the approach from Kambosos is as shrewd as it is obvious. Whether it is an attempt to "old man" his fellow Aussie, or whether it simply pertains to the "art of war", it is clear Kambosos, 21-3 (10), wants to make Wyllie, 16-1 (15), feel out of his depth before the pair even reach the ring. It has, after all, been a whirlwind few days for the Queensland native.

"It's huge," said Wyllie. "We prepared to come down here for sparring, for my fight that was to be in a couple of weeks’ time. My coach Luke and I had booked tickets to come and watch George. As it is, here we are fighting him.

"It was about 9.15pm on Saturday night and I was half asleep. I sort of rolled over and thought, Jeez, who's calling me this late? It was my manager, so I thought I’d better call him back. And there it was. He told me George's opponent was out and asked me if I was willing to step up and take this on. Without any hesitation, I said yes. I could not sleep for the rest of the night."

Determined not to play his scripted role – or at least the subservient role Kambosos wants him to play – Wyllie said, "I'm here to beat George Kambosos. Yes, the money is great, but my focus isn't on that. I’m here to do a job on George and change my life forever.

"I always stay active, I always stay fit, and I always stay healthy, so that when these opportunities arise, I can drop the hammer and say, 'Bang, I'm taking the fight.' I don’t have to get ready. I’m always ready. My weight was down. I’m not jumping off the couch here. I'm coming in fit, hard, strong and ready to do a job on George Kambosos.”

Despite all the mind games, there is a clear mutual respect between Kambosos and Wyllie ahead of their fight in Sydney. For Kambosos, the respect is perhaps the result of Wyllie essentially saving Saturday’s show, whereas Wyllie, having bought tickets to see Kambosos box, is full of admiration for what the former world lightweight champion has so far achieved. 

"Of course I've watched him from afar," he said. "He’s done big things in Australian boxing. Credit where it’s due. He’s done some huge things. The two Haney fights that he brought over here were brilliant.

"For me, I've always looked at George and thought, Jeez, if only I could get my hands on him. He's so beatable. Now here we are. Now I’ve got the chance and I’m not going to let this one slip."