Jeff Fenech can’t recall a bigger 24 hours in Australian boxing.
It begins on Saturday night when his charge, Brock Jarvis, is the headline act in the first foray of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions in the local market. And then on Sunday afternoon, George Kambosos Jnr gets the chance to avenge his defeat to Devin Haney and become just the ninth undisputed champion in the process.
“I don’t think it’s ever been bigger,” Fenech said.
“We’ve got so many great fighters, it’s crazy. It’s the best I’ve ever seen it.”
Fenech begins reeling off names: Jarvis, Kambosos, Tim and Nikita Tszyu, Andrew and Jason Moloney, Jai Opetaia, Justis Huni, Harry Garside, Ebanie Bridges, Sky Nicholson, Liam Wilson … to name but a few.
All have the chance to make their mark, but for Jarvis and Kambosos this weekend could be defining.
Jeff Fenech trains Brock Jarvis in his home gym in Five Dock, Sydney.Credit:Janie Barrett
Jarvis (20-0, 18 KOs) will take on unbeaten compatriot Liam Paro (22-0, 13 KOs) in Brisbane, a chance for British promoter Hearn to begin muscling in on the fertile turf that is the Australian boxing scene. This will be Jarvis’ first fight at a heavier weight division and a victory will secure the WBO global super-lightweight title.
“Only the people around us realise how much better, bigger and stronger he gets every time,” Fenech said.
“In this preparation, the power has doubled. He’s grown, he’s gone from a boy to a man. People only find that out when he hits them.
“The guys he sparred, if you see what he’s done to them, it’s sad to watch. I wouldn’t let my fighters spar him, I wouldn’t let them cop the punishment. It’s been a total domination by the kid.”
George Kambosos ahead of his first fight with Devin Haney.Credit:Getty
This is Jarvis’ second appearance as part of a three-fight deal with Matchroom. In his first, against Alejando Rodriguez in California, the Sydneysider had to dig deep to survive the second round after being rocked by a flurry that almost knocked him down. However, he recovered to record a fifth-round stoppage.
“I think I went into that fight a bit overconfident. It was a firefight, really,” Jarvis said.
“I fought a tough Mexican. He caught me. That’s boxing, those things are going to happen, whether you like it or not.
“People will have questions now and pay attention to what I do. That’s a good thing, as opposed to me getting in there and blasting him out in a couple of rounds, no one would have remembered that.
“It’s a good experience for me, I’ve been through it and know what to do. It was an unreal experience to fight on that platform and come away from the win.”
Brock Jarvis and Jeff Fenech.Credit:Janie Barrett
Kambosos’ previous bout was also a chastening experience. Coming off a life-changing undisputed world title win against Teofimo Lopez, “Ferocious” attempted to earn the only major prize that had eluded him, by taking the WBC crown from Haney in June. Instead, he received a boxing lesson, with the American dominating behind a laser-sharp jab.
Fenech is hopeful Kambosos can reverse the result in the rematch in Melbourne, but said his decision to sack members of his corner would make the task even more difficult.
“I hope and pray that he wins,” Fenech said. “For him to win, Haney will have to walk into something similar to what Teofimo walked into.
“No disrespect, he beat Teofimo Lopez, but the Teofimo Lopez he beat … I was in Vegas and every night I was out, he was out. He wasn’t out drinking, but he was out because he thought he would win, out at parties, meeting people at dinners.
George Kambosos cops some punishment from Devin Haney during their title fight at Marvel Stadium in June.Credit:Getty
“George won, you can never take that away from him. That was as big, if not bigger, than when Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson. But who is Buster Douglas today? Who is talking about him? Nobody.
“George, to be the person he set out to be, has to defend, to be successful. His first defence, he fought a great fighter and lost. It’s different being the hunted rather than being the hunter.
“Now he’s saying he’s 100 [per cent] again. I’ll never say anything about George because he’s travelled the world and done things on his own, the tough way …
“My summary of the [last] fight is Devin came over here under the worst circumstances and won it. Now he’s the champion. I can’t see George winning.”
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