Undefeated Australian contender George Kambosos Jr. (15-0, 9 KOs) has warned that reigning World Boxing Association "regular" welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is really sharp with his counter-punching abilities.
Kambosos is one of Pacquiao's main sparring partners during the ongoing training camp, which is currently playing out at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California.
Pacquiao will return to the ring on January 19th, when he defends his title against four division champion Adrien Broner at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Kambosos explained that he believes Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 knockouts) will be far too much for Broner to handle.
“I’m a very, very fast puncher, very explosive, and I have faster hands than (Adrien) Broner. I am a better counter-puncher than Broner. So if Manny (Pacquiao) can deliver more shots and counter-punch than me, he is going to hit Broner all night. They call Adrien Broner the 'Problem'? Manny is the real problem now," Kambosos told The Manila Times.
Pacquiao, now 40-years-old, is taking steps to ensure that he doesn't overtrain.
“Everything is good, very good assessment and good camp. We are going to continue the heavy training in Los Angeles,” Kambosos said.
“When we need to rest, we rest. He (Pacquiao) is 40-year-old, so he understands he ain’t young. He knows when to take off and he knows when to push hard. So come January 19, he is going to be 110 percent ready."
Pacquiao recently stated that he's entering the fight with the mindset of scoring a knockout victory over Broner.
“I am not making a prediction, but my goal is to knock out Broner,” Pacquiao said during a training session this week at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California. “I am looking for a knockout against Broner. I have to maximize the opportunity. I forgot how much fun winning a fight by knockout was until I stopped Lucas Matthysse last summer to win the WBA welterweight title. It felt great to win that way and the fans loved it, too, so why not try for it again?”