Emiliano Vargas targets George Kambosos as proving ground at 140

Former unified champion now positioned as test for rising contenders

Emiliano Vargas isn’t chasing George Kambosos because he’s the most dangerous option at 140. He’s targeting him because of what a win over him still represents.

Kambosos (22-4, 10 KOs), once a unified lightweight champion, now sits in a different role after going 2-4 since his upset win over Teofimo Lopez. Losses to Devin Haney, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and Richardson Hitchins have shifted how he’s viewed.

When a fighter loses 4 (or 5) of their last 6, beating them becomes a requirement for a prospect, not an achievement for a contender. By the time Emiliano gets to him, Kambosos will be 32 with a lot of “miles” from those wars with Lopez, Haney, and Lomachenko.

If Emiliano beats Kambosos, it will be spun as a “coming of age” moment by promoters. In reality, it’s a calculated business move to build a star using the shell of a former champion.

Vargas (17-0, 14 KOs) made that positioning clear when discussing the matchup.

“It’s definitely the fight that I would love to make,” Emiliano said to Ring Magazine. “I’ve vowed for my next fight to be against a former world champion.”

The appeal for Emiliano is clear. A victory over a recognizable former champion propels him toward a title shot without the wait and having to take risky fights against contenders. Kambosos is now being used as a stepping stone for the next generation.

“I believe his best days are still here. He’s an exceptional fighter, and this is a great test for the world to see that I belong on the championship level,” Vargas said.

Beating Kambosos didn’t help Richardson Hitchins increase his stardom, as we saw last year. Hitchins actually stopped Kambosos in 8 rounds in June 2025, a feat even Devin Haney couldn’t pull off. Yet, despite that dominant performance, Hitchins hasn’t seen a massive surge in stardom. Why? Because the boxing public has already mentally “cashed out” on Kambosos.

“Study my fight with him and take notes. I served him up already. He’s not the same, but good luck, though, champ,” Hitchins said.