George Kambosos Jnr secured a shot at IBF junior welterweight boss Richardson Hitchins when he outpointed the feisty and gutsy late substitute Jake Wyllie over 12 gruelling rounds in Sydney, Australia. That the unfancied Wyllie was still around to hear the scores (two of 117-111 and a too close 115-113) might be deemed something of a disappointment to Kambosos, however.

"A win is a win," said a bloody Kambosos afterwards. "This kid is something special, though. We only had five days to prepare for each other and we produced a war. He's got a big future ahead of him."

Kambosos' own future has been in the balance. His form plummeted after he scaled the Teofimo Lopez-shaped mountain in November 2021 and claimed the world lightweight title. He would lose two one-sided decisions to Devin Haney the following year, be deemed lucky to get the nod over Maxi Hughes in 2023, and he was outclassed in 11 by Vasyl Lomachenko last year. 

Wyllie, the Australian champion at 140lbs who stepped in for Daud Yordan at late notice, was as much of an outsider as Kambosos had been when he stunned Lopez all those years ago.

The favorite, after a tentative first minute, showed his class at the end of the opening round when he countered with a whipping left hook that threatened to wobble Wyllie. Another shot, a right hand from Kambosos, further illustrated the gulf in class that Wyllie was being forced to negotiate.

Kambosos ended the second round strongly, too. His advantages in speed and precision were glaring as he rat-a-tatted Wyllie's face whenever the underdog dared to stray too close. The 24-year-old, however, was exhibiting plenty of pluck and the shots, though accurate and plentiful, were having little effect as Wyllie continued to edge forward.

The tattooed Kambosos dominated the third, classily turning every Wyllie attack on its head with swift counter punching. A left hook landed flush on the bell but, yet again, Wyllie stood firm before having some success of his own in the fourth with single lefts and rights.

Kambosos, looking for his first stoppage win since 2019 while having his first fight with a fellow Aussie since 2017, found himself under pressure of sorts midway through the fifth. Wyllie, goading the favorite, thudded home two right hands that made Kambosos briefly hold. The script never really looked like being rewritten, however, and it was the former world champion who ended the stanza in the ascendency.

But Wyllie's effort, particularly in the second half of the contest, was remarkable. He seemed to hurt Kambosos in the eighth when the underdog swung his right mitt with menace and it collided with the 31-year-old's cheek. 

The heads came together throughout with the worst collision occurring in the ninth. Blood seeped from a deep gash above Kambosos' left eye but he instinctively fired back, as if to teach Wyllie a lesson. An exchange ensued and with Wyllie again proving somewhat immovable, any hopes Kambosos had of securing a stoppage all but evaporated.

One hopes the cut, which for now was contained, doesn't prove to be too difficult to shift. With the Hitchins fight scheduled for June, Kambosos only has three months to both heal and prepare. "I don't care," he declared. "Hitchins doesn't hit as hard as this guy [Wyllie] and he better be prepared to fight me toe to toe."

The final three rounds followed the fight's theme; though Kambosos' face was a mess, his work was by far the tidier as Wyllie's crude lunges would return only sporadic success. At the final bell, the fighters embraced and Wyllie's delight at not only hearing it but also making his presence felt in every round was well earned.

Afterwards, promoter Eddie Hearn announced that Wyllie will be rewarded with a contract.

"What a war," Wyllie beamed. "I loved every minute of it. I only accepted the fight on Sunday and I hope I won the hearts of many people tonight."

Even in defeat, he certainly did that.