Report- George Kambosos Has June Melbourne Stadium Date

Looks like Undisputed Lightweight champ George Kambosos is moving ahead with plans to fight in his native Australia and defend his title this summer in a massive stadium there.

ESPN boxing insider Mike Coppinger reported on Tuesday afternoon that he’s learned that Sunday afternoon June 5th is being targeted by Kambosos and his team, including promoter Lou DiBella. That time frame would allow the bout to be shown live for a U.S. audience late night Saturday,

Sources: George Kambosos is slated to make first defense of undisputed lightweight championship on June 5 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. June 5 is a Sunday which allows for prime-time U.S., telecast on June 4. Fight expected against Vasiliy Lomachenko or Devin Haney

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) February 15, 2022

Marvel Stadium has a 53,000 seat capacity for most events and is primarily the home to several Australian Rules Football Clubs, including the likes of: Essendon, Carlton and North Melbourne that play in the league annually.

The venue has previously held a UFC pay per view in October 2019, which broke the venue’s all time attendance record with over 57,000 there.

And, that is giving encouragement that a first ever title defense for Kambosos would be a massive draw, as well.

As we have written, the more likely fighter of the two that Coppinger mentioned and would be willing to come to Australia is former Undisputed 135 lb. titleholder Vasiliy Lomachenko of Ukraine. “Loma” was last in action in a December dominant, unanimous decision win over Richard Commey in New York.

And, in addition to fighting for world titles previously in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York, Lomachenko also won the unified WBA/WBC World Championships in another tremendous 12 round performance in England over favorite son, Luke Campbell in August of 2019.

So, he’s more than proven a willingness to travel wherever the most lucrative fight would be.

Back in December, Loma, who lost the four belts to Lopez in Las Vegas in October 2020, told ESPN post fight with Commey that he wouldn’t have any problem meeting Kambosos in his home country,

“I need this chance. And, if God gives me this chance, I’ll take it. I’ll go anywhere I need to go to fight him,” Lomachenko told ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna.

Of course, Devin Haney said the same thing directly to Kambosos, as they stood side by side in Las Vegas on the DAZN streaming coverage of Haney’s win over Jo Jo Diaz, also in December. That’s when Haney made the comment about going “to Jupiter” to have the fight with Kambosos, if he had to do so.

The likelihood is that Lomachenko will end up being the guy to go “Down Under.” This, as Bob Arum of Top Rank who promotes Loma, has previously had a major fight of his with Manny Pacquiao there in 2017 in a bout with Australia’s Jeff Horn.

Arum also previously hinted in early 2021 that if there was enough money in the offer from an Australian venue, promotion, etc., that he would’ve considered staging Lopez against Kambosos there. Then, Arum, and everyone else that bid, lost the purse bid to Triller for the Lopez-Kambosos title fight.

After months of delays, Triller eventually defaulted and never staged the Lopez-Kambosos bout. Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn was awarded the fight and it was held in late November at the adjacent Hulu Theater next to Madison Square Garden.

That’s when Kambosos outfought Lopez in a thrilling 12 round bout, with both fighters knocked down to gain the belts and all the leverage he needs to have a mega-fight title defense in his home continent.

On Saturday, DiBella told Boxingscene.com that he and the Kambosos camp have moved on from Haney being the opponent calling the counter offer for Haney to fight down under from Eddie Hearn and Matchroom boxing “absurd” and “ridiculous.”

It’s seems that Lomachenko will now be in play for a shot at getting all his titles back.