A relatively unknown Australian fighter, George Kambosos Jr, seized the IBF, WBA, and WBO lightweight titles from American boxer Teofimo Lopez in a surprising turn of events on Saturday night. Their match at Madison Square Garden’s Theater marked the most significant boxing upset of the year.
Despite being the underdog, Kambosos managed to knock down Lopez in the first round. He himself faced a knockdown in the 10th round but ultimately secured a victory through a split decision by the judges. While two judges scored the fight 115-112 and 115-111 in favor of Kambosos, the third judge favored Lopez with a score of 114-113.
Following the decision, Kambosos expressed his self-belief, stating, “I believed in myself, I backed myself. I said it time after time. You might not believe it, but I believe in myself. And look at me now. I’ve got all the jewels. I’m not the king, I’m the emperor because I come to every other country and I take them out one by one.”
Lopez returned to the ring after more than a 13-month hiatus since his fight with Vasiliy Lomachenko, the former three-weight champion considered among the top boxers in his weight class. The bout with Kambosos, IBF’s mandatory challenger, faced several postponements before ultimately taking place in the smaller theatre of Madison Square Garden instead of the main arena.
