George Kambosos Jr. has become the newest Australian to win a unified boxing title with an upset split-decision victory against Teofimo Lopez today to claim the IBF, WBA, and WBO lightweight titles as well as The Ring Magazine lightweight title.
Lopez came into the contest promising a first-round knock-out but it would be Lopez who put Lopez on the canvas with a perfectly timed right overhand late in the first round. Lopez easily beat the count and the two exchanged words at the conclusion of the round.
Twenty-four-year-old Lopez regathered himself well to box well in the following two rounds but thereafter, a disciplined and composed Kambosos put on a boxing clinic in the middle rounds as Lopez often lunged forward looking for that knock-out blow.
Lopez did come close late in the bout, dropping Kambosos with a right in the tenth round as the rounds before edged the bout loser.
The final rounds went the way of Kambosos as he out-landed his opponent to finish the bout strong. The battle left both with visible bruising and Lopez had a cut opened up over his left eye.
When the judges’ score-cards came in it would be Kambosos who would remain undefeated, moving to 20-0 with a split-points decision of 115-111, 115-113, and 113-114.
Lopez who dropped to 16-1, did not take the defeat well, commenting that he thought he had won the fight clearly
“I won tonight,” Lopez said in his ring interview.
“I ain’t no sore loser, I take my wins and I can take my losses. I don’t care what anybody says, man.
“The referee knew I won tonight. Everybody knew I won tonight,” but that was met by an outcry of boos from what was previously a very pro-Lopez crowd.
Kambosos called Lopez ‘delusional’, before offering to do the rematch in Australia.
“Take it like a champ, let’s do it again in Australia,” Kambosos says. “80,000 fans in Australia, let’s do it again.”
*Image via Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing
