It's strange to ponder that at 28-years old, Don "Da Bomb" George (24-3, 21 KOs ) is in the midst of a comeback.

High-ranking super middleweight contender Adonis Stevenson stopped George in 12 rounds last October in Montreal , Canada .

The bout was a title eliminator. Stevenson, a resident of Quebec was the focus of most of the cheering during the fight.   However, by the middle of the slugfest most of the fans were shouting for George. The Illinois native hit the canvas five times during the contest, but found the will to pull himself up - even managing to rally in the middle rounds. 

"After the second knock down in the fifth round my body was so hurt it was telling my mind, “I can’t get up, I’m down,” George told this writer last week.  

"Then I saw my fiancé and my mother looking right at me. They were worried. I knew I couldn’t quit in front of them. I ended getting up and hurting him (Stevenson). It was a crazy night, but I am not a quitter. I’ll never quit,” George said.

That much was obvious. George went back to Chicago after the loss to Stevenson. He relaxed and pondered his future. He returned to the ring last month and destroyed James Cook in the opening round. The power might have looked the same, but something was different. 

George had decided during his time away from the ring to campaign as a middleweight. Why drop down a division?

"The truth is I was sick of being the smaller man," George said. "As a middleweight, I'll be the monster."

Was it difficult to lose weight?

"I haven't been one hundred and sixty since I was 16 years old," said George. "It's a lifestyle change all the way around. I can’t blow up to two hundred pounds between fights now. I must eat and live a clean life."

Did George feel quicker at the lighter weight?

"I do feel much lighter on my feet and from what I hear, I look quicker," he said. "I would have loved to see how I felt later in the fight, but it was very short night."

On March 22 at the UIC Pavilion (ESPN Friday Night Fights) in Chicago , fan favorite George will lace up the gloves and fight veteran David Alonzo Lopez. The 35-year-old Lopez (41-13, 23 KOs ) recently went the distance with junior middleweight champion Austin Trout.  

"This is a make or break fight for me," George said. "It’s a true must win fight. Lopez is a very solid guy and I respect him. 

"I'm going to try for the knock out. Trout is very good, but he's not the puncher I am," he added.

George would like to use a victory over Lopez as a springboard to a more important bout.  
"I'm not looking past Lopez, but I would love to get shot at that number one spot," George said. "I want to be in a place to work my way to a title shot."
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