George Kambosos Jr. vs. Maxi Hughes Preview and Betting Odds

Last Updated on July 21, 2023 3:49 pm by Erwin Noguera

The boxing world puts its eyes on the Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to see a fight card full of interesting bouts develop. After covering some of the undercard fights, we’ll finally focus on the main card, as the former Unified Lightweight Champion from the WBA, WHO, IBF, and The Ring, George Kambosos Jr., is trying to rebound after a terrible 2022.

This time, his rival will be the experienced Brit Maxi Hughes, who comes to give the surprise and throw his rival into oblivion for good. This fight has many points to analyze, and we’ll get to it for good.

When and where:

Saturday, July 22, 2023, at the Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma

Main event ring walks:

(Estimated)11:00 pm ET

Betting Odds:

Kambosos -370

Hughes +243

Where can I watch it?

ESPN+

Why bet on George Kambosos Jr.?

The talented Australian possesses a 22-2 record with 10 KOs. That level took him to the unified championship until Devin Haney stood in his way. He lost his first fight with the American, triggered his rematch clause, and lose again, all in his natal Melbourne in Australia.

He’s now looking to rebound but at a more steady pace. Although Hughes is an excellent fighter, he’s not one of the top dogs in a division that includes names like Vasily Lomachenko. If “Ferocious” wants to take things calmly or if his promotors think this is his current level, we don’t know.

Whatever the case, he is now obligated to win, as a loss could be the final nail in the coffin of a once sky-high career, and it would take him too far away from another title shot.

Why bet on Maxi Hughes?

The experienced British boxer comes with a 26-5-2 record, having 5 KOs in his favor. He has a southpath stance and, in his last bout, beat Kid Galahad in the Nottingham Arena. He is a former IBO World Lightweight Champion, so even if he is not one of the top dogs in the division, he has plenty of weapons. However, just 5 KOs in more than thirty pro fights is a humble number, so we doubt this will be the outcome.

“Maximus” is already 33 years old, with a pro career that goes all the way to 2010. In this sense, we feel that he’s heading towards the twilight of his career than anything else. Whatever the case, this is the perfect chance to reignite his quest for a title and search for a “second youth.”

Free Betting Pick: George Kambosos Jr. vs. Maxi Hughes

There was a lot of thrash talk in the preview of this fight, but there are some things to analyze. Kambosos affirms that his rival was nervous and insecure, but he also appeared with a set of sunglasses that he never remove. Some point out, that he is still feeling his last year’s stumble deeply and is trying to “hide.” Whatever you believe, is clear that the bookmakers have lost faith in the Australian.

We are accustomed to seeing truly mammoth odds in fights, with ciphers close to -/+ 5000 being normal. This time, we have pretty close odds, so much so that it looks more like a regular football match.

Referring to the fight itself, we think there is not much to analyze. Hughes is a pawn in a bigger table, being played to reignite his foe’s career. We don’t believe he we’ll go down without a fight, but Kambosos Jr. is just the better boxer, and if he can shake the ghosts from his past, he’ll get a knockout. We believe this is what will happen, at around the 10 round.

Go for a victory for the Australian at -370. If you bet $100 at such odds, you could get $27.03 for a total payout of $127.03.

George Kambosos Jr. vs. Maxi Hughes Betting Pick: George Kambosos Jr.