George Kambosos Jnr has put behind him the “disappointment” of missing out on an all-Australian contest with Liam Paro by focusing on the benefits of his new start.

Aged 31 and entering his 25th professional fight, the former unified lightweight champion fights for the first time at 140lbs, and also for the first time as a fighter signed to Matchroom.

On Saturday at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, he fights another Australian, Jake Wyllie, in the pursuit of challenging for a world title later in 2025. He is therefore being showcased in his home city for the first time in 2016, which he believes has enhanced his preparations, ahead of a date on which he recognises he has to win.

Kambosos Jnr’s career highlight came in victory over Teofimo Lopez, in 2021. Since then there have been successive defeats by Devin Haney, a controversial victory over Maxi Hughes that many observers felt should have been awarded to the Englishman, and another defeat, by the great Vasiliy Lomachenko – the first via stoppage that he has suffered.

The 24-year-old Wyllie was confirmed as Kambosos Jnr’s replacement opponent on Monday following the withdrawal, on medical grounds, of Daud Yordan of Indonesia. The fight with Yordan regardless was confirmed following Kambosos Jnr expecting to challenge Paro for the IBF junior-welterweight title in December and starting preparations to do so. Paro instead fought, and lost, to Richardson Hitchins, leading to Kambosos Jnr instead attempting to rebuild.

“As disappointing as it was, you had Richardson Hitchins, the new IBF champion, calling me out,” he told BoxingScene. “My goal is not just big-money fights or big Australian fights, my goal is championship fights – becoming world champion again and winning world-title belts. So when you have Hitchins calling you out the next day, and me and him are going back and forth, that was good – that was perfect. We all know what’s to come, but that doesn’t happen if I don’t get my job handled on March 22. This is an unofficial world-title eliminator. 

“I’m moving up a division. My stress is not about, ‘I’ve got to make that 135 limit’. As much as you’re training and preparing, you’ve got in the back of your head the weight and trying to get down. Weight’s so comfortable now. I can eat; I can feel good; I feel a lot more refreshed and motivated in a division with so many big opportunities. For the Lomachenko fight [in May 2024] we did a five-month camp. It was a long, gruelling camp, getting down to that weight.

“When you’re trying to get down to that 135 limit, your focus becomes on making the weight. When you’re moving up a division and the weight is no issue… you can physically see it, how good I look; how strong I look; my sparring partners can’t believe how strong I am on the inside; how hard I’m hitting. 

“My biggest concern was, ‘Will I slow down?’. [But] I’m still very, very dynamic; I’m explosive; I have that added energy and power behind me. It’s been a good move. When I weighed in for Lomachenko, Lomachenko was bigger than me, and I thought, ‘This can’t be right’. I’m a lot thicker; a lot stronger; 140 feels good for me; I’ve a lot of energy. We’re very excited to make a big statement.”

It was while under a co-promotional agreement with Top Rank that Kambosos Jnr fought Hughes and Lomachenko. As is typical for Matchroom, they see the value in placing Kambosos Jnr’s fights in his home city; they have also attempted to expand into the Australian fight market more than any of the world’s other leading promoters.

To that end Kambosos Jnr had sparred from August to October in an attempt to be ready for a date in December with Paro, but he then eased off before returning to the gym early in 2025.

“With signing with Matchroom, and having Matchroom on board – Eddie Hearn and the whole team; Frank Smith; I love working with the guys – it’s good to be with them,” he said. “We have a good understanding. It’s like I’m their fighter; their A side; they want to see me become champion; I didn’t feel that with other guys. I’ve been able to have a good understanding of what they wanna do and where they want to take me. They’re looking to make a big mark in Australian boxing.

“It’s beneficial to the young kids; guys on my undercard; prospects and contenders. They’re getting opportunities; a Matchroom show; a DAZN show; put to the world. It really does help the whole ecosystem of Australian boxing.

“It’s [also] awesome to be back home in Sydney. I’ve got my private gym here; I’ve got all my facilities; my recovery centres. I’ve got my sparring partners. The right food – when you’re overseas or interstate, trying to get the right food [is harder]. Everything that’s accessible to make me feel good, and comfortable. Especially when you’re moving up a division. 

“It’s not too far from the gym and from where we run, down at the beach. I’ve got a little spot where I eat, sleep, get up, and go train. It’s like a prison cell. No comfort. Nothing too fancy. It’s a place I get to relax, recover, and get ready for the next session. We know how important this fight is for my career.

“On rest days I’ll go down and see my kids. It makes me feel good – being a father, getting to be with my family, my kids [daughter Evaliah, aged seven; son Leonidas, five; son Santiago, three, with wife Rebecca] are young and love seeing their dad. 

“They understand I have to go away for work and have to do certain things. It’s good, because it gives me that little bit of extra drive, motivation, when I see them. Then I get back in my prison cell.”