On November 27, 2021, the boxing world witnessed a monumental upset as Australia's George Kambosos Jr. defeated the heavily favored Teófimo López to become the unified lightweight champion. The bout, held at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden, New York City, showcased Kambosos's resilience and tactical prowess, earning him the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles.
Entering the ring as a 13-to-1 underdog, Kambosos wasted no time asserting his presence. In the opening round, he delivered a stunning overhand right that floored López, setting the tone for the fight. Despite López's aggressive attempts to regain control, Kambosos maintained composure, effectively countering and utilizing his jab to disrupt López's rhythm.
The middle rounds saw both fighters exchanging heavy blows, with Kambosos's sharp counters and López's power punches keeping the audience on edge. In the tenth round, López landed a right hand that sent Kambosos to the canvas, momentarily shifting momentum. However, Kambosos displayed remarkable grit, recovering swiftly and finishing the championship rounds strong.
After twelve electrifying rounds, the judges delivered a split decision: one scoring 114-113 for López, while the other two favored Kambosos with scores of 115-112 and 115-111. This victory not only crowned Kambosos as the unified lightweight champion but also disrupted the anticipated trajectory of López's career, who had previously dethroned Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020.
Kambosos's triumph was lauded as one of the biggest upsets of 2021, earning him widespread recognition and shaking up the lightweight division. His relentless determination and strategic execution against a formidable opponent underscored his status as a top-tier fighter and set the stage for future high-profile bouts in the division.
Fight card:
▪️Teofimo Lopez vs. George Kambosos Jr.; For Lopez's IBF, WBO and WBA lightweight titles ▪️Azinga Fuzile vs. Kenichi Ogawa; For the vacant IBF world super featherweight title ▪️Raymond Ford vs. Felix Caraballo; Featherweight ▪️Andreas Katzourakis vs. Wendy Toussaint; Middleweight ▪️Zhilei Zhang vs. Bernardo Marquez; Heavyweight ▪️Ramala Ali vs. Isela Vera; Super bantamweight ▪️Christina Cruz vs. Marygreen Vellinga Hinz; Flyweight
