Lee Selby from Wales’s chances of becoming the first two-division world champion have been boosted.
The former IBF featherweight champion will face undefeated Argentina’s 25-year-old Gustavo Lemos in the final knockout round, and the winner will challenge George Kambosos Jr for the world lightweight title.
Sanigar Events, the manager of Selby, made an announcement yesterday (Tuesday) that the two current top contenders of the International Boxing Federation, Lemos (3rd) and Selby (4th) will final ticket competition. Number two contender Isaac Cruz challenges Gervonta Davis for his WBA Regular title this weekend while Kambosos has gone from number one to man to beat after his stunning win over Teofimo Lopez last weekend.
“I’m happy and looking forward to beating this guy [Lemos] and challenge for the world title again,” Selby said while speaking to Social boxing on Wednesday.
“I looked at the ratings and where the IBF had placed me after the games, and they obviously watched the game come back and put me back at the top.”
The ‘fight’ Selby was referring to was his split decision loss to Kambosos at Wembley Arena in October 2020. Whoever gets through that game victorious will go on to challenge Lopez for titles. his world. And on Saturday night from Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, the boxing world watched in awe as the Kambosos beat Lopez in round 1, climbing himself off the tarp in round 10.NS before a worthy raise of hands after 12 dramatic rounds.
Selby admits he doesn’t watch the candidate of the year game.
“I skimmed through it and saw the highlights. I didn’t watch the entire battle. Looks like he did a great job with what I saw.
“I’m not too surprised [he won] because that’s boxing, and anything is possible.”
Social boxing Selby asked Selby if it hurt to watch the Kambosos go on and become the new top dog at a mild level as their fight was close.
“No. Not really,” he replied. “Not cruel but I don’t really care what the other boxers are doing. In boxing, you have to be very selfish.”
Selby isn’t blunt at all, in fact, if you spend time chatting with him, you’ll quickly realize that he has a dry sense of humor and doesn’t seem to take his family and career too seriously. . However, give him a topic that interests him and he will happily answer it. For example, his fight against Kambosos. When Selby takes the time to talk about that impression you make, he’ll take it as a loss for you. We asked him earlier if he thought the Australian was world champion material having hit him 12 rounds.
“No,” he said.
To fight instead.
“I haven’t really reviewed it yet. During the fight, I just thought it was easy. I don’t think I got caught by any of the shots because he has no power. I’ve kept it basic, behind the blend. He’s quite deceiving though in front of me, and I feel like if I let go of my right hand I’ll be countered with the upper right hit I’ve seen him throw in previous skirmishes. .
“I thought I won the fight, I just stuck to the basics but then looking back, I didn’t give it enough. I left the ring; I am not short of breath. I have so much left in me to give. I played it too safe, which I did in my last few games. “
Photo by Dave Thompson / Matchroom Boxing
Selby’s standout bout took down John Simpson and Stephen Smith, 10 years ago, respectively, and showcased the punching prowess and wretchedness that could have left him. However, as the levels go up, the transition to such devastating performances can become few and far between. If Selby had to face the Kambosos again he insisted he would do things differently. Playing it safe won’t even cross his mind.
“I will let go like in previous matches. I will go back to the years and give it to him,” Selby said.
Having a world title again and going down in history as the first Welshman to become a two-weight world champion has Selby put a smile on his face as he talks about it. Without a doubt, this was a goal of his.
“It means everything. That would be the icing on the cake in my career. Worth more than any money to go down in the history books to become the first and only Welsh second division world champion. ”
By the time such an opportunity presented itself, he was 35 years old, maybe even 36 years old depending on how boxing politics treated him. However, he told us and anyone else who might ask him that he hasn’t thought about when he might end his career.
“People ask me [about that] or how many battles you have left. I find it quite offensive. Not from you, you’re okay, just some public. They thought I had another big fight or payday, but I didn’t see it that way. I’m still young. There aren’t really hard battles yet. I still feel like I did when I was 15.”
And lastly, does he have a message for his old nemesis the Kambosos?
“No. That’s not my style. Though Kambosos would say otherwise if you asked him about a rematch with me.”
