Tim Tszyu expects big-mouth Brit Maxi Hughes to be eating humble pie after he cops a pounding from George Kambosos Jr.
Kambosos (20-2, 10KO) hopes to revive his career when he takes on Hughes (26-5-2, 5KO) in an IBF world-title eliminator in Oklahoma on Saturday (Sunday AEST).
Hughes claims Australia's one-time unified lightweight champion is still battling mental demons after being stripped of his four belts by Devin Haney last year, then failing to win a rematch against the undefeated American.
Tszyu, though, was surprised to hear his former sparring partner Kambosos - who grew up training at the same boxing academy in Sydney before forging his own path in the US - was being dismissed as yesterday's hero.
"Who's writing him off? I disagree. He fought Haney, who's the top of the tree. That's his only loss," Tszyu said on Wednesday.
"Kambosos wins easy (against Hughes). This fight's tailor-made for him. He's got a lot of vengeance in his mind.
"He's always been 100 per cent a full professional athlete. Kambosos wins this fight easy - knocks him out."
Hughes, 33, is considered something of a journeyman but has won his past seven fights and believes Kambosos is there for the taking.
"I feel like I'm getting George at the right time," Hughes told Sporting News.
"I chose this fight. I reached out to him and it is a fight that I wanted. I'm very confident in myself.
"He's got those demons to exorcise - he's coming off two back-to-back losses and in 24 rounds he barely won one.
"He'll tell you he hasn't (got demons) because he's very egotistical and a very proud man but when he's not got his team around him, and he's in bed alone, he's got to battle those demons.
"He won't have his team around him to blow smoke up his backside and it's the same on fight night; it's just me and him in there."
Kambosos briefly pondered retirement following the Haney bouts and may be forced to reconsider his decision to keep fighting if he also falls to Hughes.
But a victory would open up a path back to a world title, with the winner in the position to fight undisputed champion Haney or No.1 contender Gustavo Lemos, from Argentina, if the young American vacates.
