Kambosos Vows ‘Misery’ for Late Replacement Wyllie

George Kambosos Jr. says he’s going to put his replacement opponent, Jake Wyllie, “out of his misery” on Saturday night after letting him see what life is like under the “lights” in “the big show” at the Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, Australia.

Some fans feel that Kambosos should be the one being put “out of his misery” because he’s arguably been winless in his last four fights since his upset 12-round split decision victory over unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez on November 27, 2021.

It’s been downhill for Kambosos since that fight. But on the plus side, he’s become quite wealthy from his two fights against Devin Haney, his clash against Maxi Hughes, and his bout against Vasily Lomachenko. Kambosos is a one-hit wonder but a rich one.

Wyllie (16-1, 15 KOs) was brought in as a late substitute after Kambosos Jr’s originally scheduled opponent had a medical problem. The former unified lightweight champion Kambosos Jr (21-3, 10 KOs) says he collapsed while trying to make weight for their 12-round light welterweight headliner.

Wyllie, 24, is a complete unknown, and he’s not an ideal opponent to prepare Kambosos for a world title shot against IBF light welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins later this year.

Wyllie’s Opportunity

“It’s experience. It hasn’t happened that much in my career. I had such a big amateur career where you don’t know who you’re fighting on the day of the fight. Nothing changes,” said George Kambosos Jr. to Fighthype about him fighting the late replacement Jake Wyllie on Saturday night.

There’s no drop-off with Wyllie coming in as the replacement because the starting point was already quite low. This is a showcase fight for Kambosos to get his feet wet at 140, look good, and sharpen up from the ten months of inactivity.

“We like that he’s a respectful, humble young kid. He’s got a nice record, 16-1, with 15 knockouts and the same style. We compared him to who we’re sparring, and who we were fighting. It was a no-brainer. This kid deserves the opportunity.

“I’m looking forward to handling business. I found out on Monday morning that Daud had collapsed, cutting weight, or somethings gone wrong. We said, ‘Alright, you’re out. Who’s next?’ Jake Wyllie is the guy that made the most sense. He’s coming into the lights, the big show, but he’s a good humble kid.

“Come Saturday, I’m going to handle my business and take him out of his misery. He can come at me. We’re fully prepared. But at 140, how I feel at the weight, I’ll be coming to him. I’m very focused. I’ve got a lot on the line, too. I’m giving the kid a bit of exposure being around the big lights. No disrespect, but that’s where it ends,” said Kambosos Jr about his opponent Wyllie.