Kambosos will be advised to avoid Haney

Lenny Zappavigna on sparring Kambosos

'Zappavigna, a former lightweight world title challenger himself, now fights two weight classes above Kambosos at welterweight but said the 28-year-old Sydneysider gives as good as he gets in training.

“He’s an absolute workhorse”

“I’ve done a lot of rounds with George in this preparation for his fight, I’m a lot bigger and stronger and the way he can hold me off, he’s very fast, he’s quick and he’s sharp.

“You’re doing 10 or 12 rounds with him and he’s sharp the whole way through. His speed is phenomenal and his work-rate is amazing.”

Throughout the build-up, Kambosos has pointed to Lopez’s weight as a potential stumbling block for the champ, suggesting he faces a draining cut in order to get under the 135-pound (61.2kg) limit.

Now just days out from the clash, Zappavigna is predicting Kambosos’ famed stamina will help him outlast his opponent.

“If you don’t do your weight right and you’re really suffering to make weight it can take a toll on your body in the later rounds of a fight, it can really drain you,” Zappavigna said.

“Lopez does look big and if you hear all the rumours he struggles with weight, that’s a great advantage for George.

“George is comfortable, he’s coming in at a healthy weight, feeling good, rehydrating well, whereas Lopez might be drained.

“He might be dangerous for four to six rounds and if George can stay smart for those six rounds and come on top in the next half of the fight, George has a real strong chance of winning

Zappavigna has spent much of the past 15 years winning fans with his all-action style in the ring and he said he’s brought that into his sparring sessions with Kambosos.

“I’m at a level where I try to stay away from gym wars but, as my natural ability, I’m always going in for the attack, I’m always putting the pressure on and banging hard and George handled that really well. We spar full pace,” he said.

“I’ve seen George spar 12 rounds and he’s ready to go another 12, so that’s a big advantage.

“He’s confident, he’s fit, he’s fast, he’s got the speed, he’s got the footwork, he’s got it all there.

“People sometimes doubt his power, but George is very sharp where he can sting you, his hand speed is very sharp, he can catch you off guard and wear you down.”


Zappavigna said Lopez, who has been talking about fights with the likes of Devin Haney and even undisputed super-lightweight champ Josh Taylor, would be overlooking Kambosos at his peril

“It’s going to be a hard fight for Lopez, it’s not going to be a walk in the park,” he said.

“George is not going to be there to be hit, he’s going to be moving, he’s going to be creating angles, he’s going to be hard to hit, so Lopez would want be on his game for the whole fight.

“If, God willing, George is successful, it puts Australian boxing back on the map.”

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