It was a split decision victory for the Australian. He won 115-111 and 115-112 on two cards.
Australian George Kambosos used a relentless attack to become the undisputed lightweight champion with a split decision victory over Honduran-born Teofimo Lopez on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Both fighters entered the fight undefeated, but Kambosos, who survived a knockdown in the 10th round, made sure he was the one to come out with the crowns at stake.
The 28-year-old Kambosos took the WBA, IBF and WBO belts in a close fight at New York’s Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden that left both fighters bloodied and bruised at the end of the twelfth round.
Kambosos won 115-111 and 115-112 on two judges’ scorecards to improve to 20-0, with 10 KOs. A judge gave the fight to López 114-113.
“I didn’t get hurt,” Kambosos said of the fall. “I said to my corner: ‘We’re going hard. I’m going to punish this boy. ‘
From bell to bell
There were fireworks from the opening bell when Kambosos dropped Lopez in the first round.
They both landed several powerful right hands in the round, but Lopez was caught with a direct blow to the temple that Kambosos would return to time and again with great success throughout the fight.
In the 10th, Lopez dropped Kambosos with a right hand mid-round.
López suffered a severe cut over his left eye in the eleventh and the fight was briefly stopped by the doctor of the ring.
The fight continued until the twelfth when Lopez’s corner failed to stop the bleeding between rounds.
López interrupted Kambosos’s post-match interview to say that the fight had been taken away from him as he had only lost two of the 12 rounds, according to him. Kambosos then responded by saying: “You are delirious.”
Kambosos, who lives in Sydney, Australia, is a high-energy fighter who, like Lopez, hasn’t fought since October of last year.
The Australian had two split decision victories in his last two fights, against Mickey Bey and Lee Selby. This was only Kambosos’ third fight on American soil.
For his part, López, who lost his undefeated (16-1, with 12 knockouts), fought for the first time since his great victory over the Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko in October 2020 in Las Vegas.
He was 23 years old and only in his 16th fight, but Lopez got off to a quick start against the Ukrainian champion and won by unanimous decision.
That victory elevated Lopez to the rank of undisputed champion, but instead of capitalizing on his success, he has endured a long 13-month hiatus without a fight.
New York-born López represented Honduras at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but was unable to win a medal. (D)
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