Tag Archives: george Kambosos jr

Posted on 04/12/2022

By: Hans Themistode

From the moment George Kambosos Jr. defeated Teofimo Lopez and subsequently wrapped his IBF, WBA, WBO, and WBC Franchise lightweight titles around his waist, Devin Haney placed a bullseye on the Australian’s back.

Though Kambosos Jr. originally wanted to defend his 135-pound throne against Vasiliy Lomachenko, with the Ukrainian opting to instead stay in his native land and help defend against Russia’s ongoing invasion, Kambosos Jr. turned his attention toward Haney.

With Lomachenko temporarily out of the picture, Haney has officially signed his name on the dotted line to face Kambosos Jr. on June 5th, in Melbourne Australia. While Haney has opened up as a slight favorite, many have expressed concern. According to the terms of their possible two-fight deal, should Haney defeat Kambosos Jr. come June 5th, he’ll be mandated to face Kambosos Jr. immediately after. Just like their first bout, their second contest would take place in Australia as well.

Despite the apprehension, Tim Bradley is hoping that Haney won’t be rattled by fighting on foreign territory. Having won the first world title of his career against Junior Witter in 2008 in Witter’s backyard in the United Kingdom, Bradley is of the belief that as long as Haney remains focused on the task at hand, he’ll get the job done.

“He can’t worry about that,” said Bradley to a group of reporters. “At the end of the day, you got to go in there and fight your fight. I think that Haney has enough skills and ability to beat a fighter like Kambosos.”

Haney, the current WBC lightweight belt holder, had long been hoping to face one of the division’s best. In 2021, Haney completed the most impressive year of his young career. In May, the 23-year-old dominated former multiple weight world champion, Jorge Linares. Roughly seven months later, Haney would go on to hand Joseph Diaz a fairly one-sided unanimous decision defeat.

While Bradley believes that Kambosos Jr. is a terrific fighter in his own right, he’s also of the belief that as long as Haney doesn’t plant his feet and fight fire with fire, he should have little to no issue leaving Australia with every world title draped safely over his shoulders.

“I just think that Haney gotta box. If he just boxes for 12 rounds, he should be able to whitewash him. Haney has better feet, he’s longer, has a longer jab. It’s when he sits still, that’s the problem that I have. When he goes into that Philly shell, he gets hit with right hands. I worry about that, especially against Kambosos.”

Posted on 03/31/2022

By: Hans Themistode

From the moment Devin Haney burst onto the scene in 2014, the ambitious former amateur standout clamored to be a part of the biggest fights possible. Although it may have taken Haney a bit longer than he wanted, the 23-year-old has finally gotten his wish granted.

On June 5th, in front of what’s expected to be a mercilessly booing crowd, Haney will attempt to truncate the world title reign of unified lightweight champion, George Kambosos Jr.

For the majority of their virtual presser, Haney and Kambosos Jr. ripped into one another. Despite the back and forth theatrics, the current WBC 135 pound belt holder knows exactly what Kambosos Jr. represents. Having fought several former champions such as Yuriokis Gamboa and Jorge Linares, Haney is well aware that both fighters were well beyond their golden years. In the case of Kambosos Jr., however, the 28-year-old Australian native appears to be smack dab in the middle of his prime.

“I think George is a great fighter,” said Haney. “I been asking for the top fighters for a while now. I finally got one of them that’s in their primes that’s coming off the biggest win of their career. I’m happy about that.”

Kambosos Jr., of course, scored arguably the upset of the year in 2021. This past November, Kambosos Jr. defiantly stormed into the backyard and then, unified champion, Teofimo Lopez. Despite his underdog status, Kambosos Jr. rose to the occasion, scoring an early knockdown on the night before eking out the close split decision win.

During his showdown against Lopez, Kambosos Jr. pumped a consistent jab, showed an impressive chin, and placed his underrated boxing skills on display.

Admittedly, Haney was incredulous with the final results as he believed Lopez would pick up the victory. While he was ultimately proven wrong, Haney is unwilling to view the win of Kambosos Jr. as fluky.

Come June 5th, not only will Kambosos Jr. have Haney’s undivided attention but the 23-year-old is quietly looking forward to nullifying all of the unified champion’s offensive attributes.

“The things that he does best, I will take away from him and make it an easy night.”

Posted on 03/27/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Despite his normally joyous attitude, Devin Haney would become enraged whenever either Teofimo Lopez or now, George Kambosos Jr., would scream and shout to the world that they are in fact, an undisputed champion.

With the 23-year-old proudly holding his WBC lightweight title, he’s stated time and time again, that until he’s defeated in the ring, those previously mentioned undisputed claims are null and void.

Now, come June 5th, in Melbourne Australia, the confusion surrounding the 135-pound division will have immediate clarity.

As first reported by BoxingScene.com, Haney has verbally agreed to terms to take on current unified lightweight champion, George Kambosos Jr. The two will officially square off at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

For Kambosos Jr., sharing the ring with Haney was never in his immediate plans. Since scoring the unexpected upset against Teofimo Lopez in November of 2021, the well-rounded Australian fighter became flooded with options for his next ring appearance. Although he carefully sifted through every name presented to him, Kambosos Jr. landed on Vasiliy Lomachenko.

While Lomachenko was flattered by his selection, he ultimately decided against taking Kambosos Jr. up on his offer, opting to instead remain in his native land of Ukraine as he assists his fellow countrymen in the war against Russia.

In the end, while Haney has the lone bout he craved more than anything, he was forced to acquiesce to several of Kambosos Jr.’s demands, including an immediate rematch clause that would force Haney to face him once more in Australia, if Haney, of course, decides to remain in the lightweight division.

If Haney were to defeat Kambosos Jr. in consecutive bouts, the newly crowned undisputed titlist would likely face off against Lomachenko in an ESPN pay-per-view event.

With the perpetual confusion surrounding the lightweight division, Haney will finally be afforded his opportunity to prove that he is, in fact, the best 135 pounder in the world. Although contracts have not officially been inked, sometime this week, an introductory presser to announce their contest is expected to take place.

Posted on 02/15/2022

By: Hans Themistode

After sifting through various names, George Kambosos Jr. is reportedly down to just two.

As first reported by ESPN, the current unified lightweight champion is still mulling over offers to face current WBC titlist Devin Haney and, in a more likely scenario, Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Although nothing has been formally finalized as of yet, both Kambosos Jr.’s return date and fight location has supposedly been finalized. The 28-year-old will make his return to the ring on June 5th, at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

Originally, it appeared as though Haney was the frontrunner to land an undisputed showdown against the Australian born product. But, following months of back and forth negotiations, Lou DiBella, the current promoter of Kambosos Jr., revealed that he had “moved on” from a possible showdown against Haney, claiming Eddie Hearn, the 23-year-old’s current promoter, made an offer that was unacceptable.

Regardless of whom Kambosos Jr. ultimately selects, he’s staying true to his initial word. In November of 2021, Kambosos Jr. brazenly stomped into the backyard of Teofimo Lopez and proceeded to yank away his IBF, WBO, WBA, WBC “Franchise” and Ring Magazine lightweight titles as a prohibited underdog.

Immediately following the win, Kambosos Jr. claimed that no matter who he faced next, his opposition would have no choice but to travel to Australia, his native land.

Lomachenko, 33, has bounced back nicely since losing those very titles that currently occupy the waist of Kambosos Jr. The Ukrainian product scored a ninth-round stoppage victory over Masayoshi Nakatani in June of 2021. Six months later, Lomachenko registered a decisive 12 round unanimous decision over Richard Commey.

Posted on 01/11/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Fans that attended Teofimo Lopez’s long-awaited showdown against George Kambosos Jr. on November 27th, 2021, were expecting to have a good time. They kicked back in their comfortable seats at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, enjoyed a few adult beverages, and cheered vehemently as Lopez made his way to the ring. But, despite their expectations, Kambosos Jr. forced them to leave the arena with their heads held down.

On the night, the Australian native floored the former unified lightweight titlist before eking out a closer than expected split decision win. Although the performance by Kambosos Jr. was far and away the best of his relatively young career, he believes he hasn’t come close to revealing his true potential to the boxing world.

“The Lopez victory was only 15%,” said Kambosos Jr. on his social media account. “I’m getting better and better every day.”

Throughout much of the build-up between Lopez and Kambosos Jr., the pair were forced to endure a long and arduous waiting period. From streaming company Triller winning the right to stage their contest but placing it on ice on countless occasions, to Lopez dealing with a positive COVID-19 test result, the acrimony between them only grew.

With the tension at its highest, Lopez guaranteed a knockout victory in the opening frame. And, as their contest officially kicked off on that unforgettable Saturday night, Lopez attempted to prove that his words were prophetic.

Kambosos Jr. weathered the storm early on, only to capitalize on the mistakes of his much younger man. With their rivalry now behind them, Kambosos Jr. is now pondering his next move. The 28-year-old has made his feelings clear that he has already whittled down his opponent list to Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney.

Nonetheless, whomever Kambosos Jr. ultimately chooses to face next, after fighting on American soil in two of his past three contests, the 28-year-old vows to defend his newly won titles in his hometown of Australia next.

Posted on 12/08/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Since stomping into the backyard of Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater and mercilessly ripping away Lopez’s IBF, WBO, WBA, and WBC franchise titles, George Kambosos Jr. has continued to scout the competition in search of his next opponent.

With several names near the top of the lightweight division entering the ring over the past few weeks, the 28-year-old has been spotted sitting front row in numerous arenas. On back-to-back nights, both WBC 135 pound titlist Devin Haney, and WBA “Regular” champion Gervonta Davis, defended their crowns. However, while both were ultimately victorious, Kambosos Jr. was impressed by only one of his possible future opponents.

“I think Haney had the better performance,” said Kambosos Jr. recently to a group of reporters.

Haney, 23, fought whom many considered to be his toughest opponent to date in Joseph Diaz on December 4th, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although Diaz had his moments, Haney would go on to systemically break him down before cruising to a unanimous decision victory.

One day later, Kambosos Jr. was spotted in attendance at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Aussie product nestled comfortably into his chair as he took in the sights of the main event.

On the night, Davis, while successful in his defense of his secondary title, was given all he could handle against Isaac Cruz. Known for his ability to end contests in the blink of an eye and overwhelm his opponents, Kambosos Jr. was left disappointed by the Baltimore native’s performance. In fact, the newly minted 135-pound titlist gave Cruz a standing ovation for his tenacity and doggedness.

“Nothing too exciting,” continued Kambosos Jr. in reference to Davis. “It is what it is. He got the win. I had it very, very close, it could’ve been a draw but he edged it. Big respect to Isaac Cruz. He excited me, he’s a warrior.”

Cruz, 23, left a pro-Davis crowd speechless with his relentless pressure and unwillingness to fold underneath the power of his man. While he fought Davis on mostly even terms, the multiple division titlist revealed that Cruz’s ability to last 12 full rounds, was in part due to a severely injured left hand.

At the moment, Kambosos Jr. has yet to disclose whom he’ll defend his lightweight titles against next. And while Haney is presumably in the driver’s seat, Kambosos Jr. isn’t ruling out a possible showdown against Davis.

“That fight might be there, we’ll see.”

Posted on 12/04/2021

By: Hector Franco

Last weekend the boxing world was turned upside down when George Kambosos Jr. (20-0, 10 KOs) defeated heavy favorite Teofimo Lopez (16-1, 12 KOs) to win the WBA, IBF, WBO, and Ring Magazine lightweight titles. 

When the first bell rang to start the fight, Kambosos was a 13 to 1 and +600 underdog, according to BET MGM. Those odds became null and void when Kambosos landed a right hand at the end of the first round that put Lopez on the seat of his trunks. 

Kambosos would not merely be a standard mandatory defense and showcase for Lopez, who was then ranked as the number seven fighter pound for pound by Ring Magazine following his win over Vasiliy Lomachenko last year. 

The Australian fighter with the words “Never Retreat, Never Surrender” tattooed on his back outboxed, outfought, and outsmarted Lopez throughout the vast majority of the match. Lopez, to his credit, never stopped coming forward and scored a knockdown of his own in the 10th round. 

But when the final bell rang, it was Kambosos who came away with the victory earning a split decision on the judge’s scorecards. 

The win was manifested by Kambosos, who never wavered in confidence against Lopez in and out of the ring. 

“You’re in the bright lights,” Kambosos said in a press conference before the fight. “I’ve been in the dark, in the trenches, in the gym—the hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. I’m hungry. He says he’s hungry; he’s lying. I am hungry, and we are ready for war.” 

The fight between Lopez and Kambosos was initially set to take place in June in Miami, FL, on the Triller platform. However, multiple delays, including Lopez testing positive for the coronavirus, led to the fight being promoted by Matchroom Boxing on the DAZN streaming platform and taking place in New York. 

The delays likely played a factor in both men’s performances, but the fight exceeded expectations as one of the best of 2021. 

With no rematch clause set in place and Lopez moving up to the junior welterweight division, the lightweight division has a brand new fresh face at the top of the division. 

“A lot of people didn’t believe in me,” Kambosos stated in an interview with promoter Eddie Hearn for DAZN. “Maybe 99.9 percent of the world didn’t believe in me. They thought they were going to get rid of me in the first round. But the most important person that believed, obviously my team, but the most important was myself. I believed like crazy. I didn’t change throughout the whole preparation. 

“I knew I was going to beat this kid. Take everything off him, and that is what I did.”

Waiting like hyenas for Kambosos are the top fighters in the division drooling at the opportunity to take on the Greek Australian-based fighter. 

Fighters such as Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, Vasyl Lomachenko, Devin Haney, and Gervonta Davis all congratulated Kambosos on the win, but also stated that they wanted to take on the Australian next. 

This weekend, two future potential opponents for Kambosos will step in the ring. Davis will defend his version of the WBA lightweight title against late replacement and lightweight contender Isaac Cruz. 

The opponent who seems to have the highest probability of facing Kambosos next is Haney, who holds the WBC lightweight title. Haney will defend his title against former IBF super featherweight champion Joseph “Jojo” Diaz in Las Vegas. 

Haney coming out victorious in impressive fashion against Diaz will likely put him on the direct track to take on Kambosos. However, Kambosos has made it clear that he wants his next fight to take place in his native Australia. 

“My next fight will be in Australia, in an 80,000-seat stadium,” stated Kambosos. “I think Devin Haney’s gotta look good this weekend. I will be there to watch. And if he looks good, then we’ll sit down, make it work, and let’s do it.” 

Haney, for his part, has stated that he is willing to travel to make the fight with Kambosos. 

“That’s the type of fight we will travel for,” said Haney. “When it’s for undisputed, for all the belts, he has the majority of them. If I have to go on the road, then I will.” 

Last year, fans and pundits anointed Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, and Ryan Garcia as this era’s four kings at lightweight, with some including Shakur Stevenson. 

It was hasty to compare a group of fighters to the likes of Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler, and Roberto Duran without them stepping in the ring with one another. 

And it looked like these fighters wouldn’t face each other anytime soon. 

In one night, George Kambosos has changed the guard in the lightweight division. His victory over Lopez has significantly impacted the potential fights that can happen. 

Longtime journalist and HBO commentator Larry Merchant once stated, “Fights make fights.” Kambosos seems willing to make fights happen with any opponent. 

“I live for this,” said Kambosos. “I love this. The blood. The knockdowns. The back and forth exchanges. I’m a warrior. I’m a Spartan warrior. For me, I’ll do this every week if I have to.” 

One of the new most wanted men in the sport is one that welcomes all challengers.

Posted on 12/03/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Before Teofimo Lopez stepped into the ring against George Kambosos Jr. last weekend at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, there was an undeniable aura surrounding him.

The 24-year-old New Yorker saw his stock rise to unprecedented heights following an unlikely victory over Vasyl Lomachenko one year prior. Though Lopez was tabbed as one of boxing’s youngest and brightest stars, Kambosos Jr. stood both unimpressed and undeterred.

As a pro-Lopez crowd continued to cheer him on, they were left speechless as Lopez was dropped in the opening round before ultimately suffering the first loss of his career.

Just a few days from now, Isaac Cruz will have his own opportunity to upset the applecart. The 23-year-old lightweight contender will face by far the biggest challenge of his career when he takes on WBA “Regular” titlist Gervonta Davis at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on December 5th.

Despite reeling off 17 straight victories, Cruz is considered a sizable underdog. Regardless of the preconceived notions surrounding his chances against Davis this Sunday night, Cruz simply points to last weekend’s results as a reminder.

“You know what Kambosos showed people? That there are no superheroes on this earth,” said Cruz during an interview with SecondsOut. “Everybody is human, everybody has a weakness. I’m going to find Gervonta’s weakness and then we’re going to see what happens Sunday night.”

Originally, Cruz was taken aback when he was first informed that he would be moved up from the undercard to the main event. Previously, highly ranked lightweight contender Rolando Romero was set to take on Davis. However, with the outspoken and flamboyant power puncher removed from the card due to several ongoing legal issues, Cruz was gifted the opportunity.

For Davis, changing his preparations to deal with a much shorter fighter as opposed to the taller Romero, was something he revealed was a flawless transition.

Most recently, the hard-hitting Baltimore product was last seen in the ring six months prior at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, against Mario Barrios.

While Barrios proved to be one of his more difficult opponents, Davis eventually floored his man before finishing him off in the 11th. Considering the violent nature in which Davis normally ends his fights, Cruz reveals that he’s taken his preparation to another level.

While Kambosos Jr. did provide Cruz with a bit of added motivation, the Mexican native admits that his true drive comes from an entirely different source.

“What Kambosos showed us is that champions can be beaten. But my inspiration isn’t him. It’s my wife and it’s my kid.”

Posted on 11/28/2021

By: Hans Themistode

It appeared as though Ryan Garcia was well on his way to having his breakout year.

After peeling himself up off the deck for the first time in his career against Luke Campbell on the second day of the new year, Garcia went on to score the seventh-round stoppage win. Although big-time fights were lined up in the coming months, the 23-year-old spent a protracted amount of time sequestered on the sidelines as he dealt with mental health issues.

Once he felt fit and able, Garcia was set to return to the ring against Joseph Diaz. However, due to a right wrist injury that required surgery, Garcia is now out for the remainder of the year. But while he continues to work diligently towards his return, Garcia already knows who he wants to take on next.

“My return fight, I’ll fight [George] Kambosos,” said Garcia on his social media account.

Before this past Saturday night, Kambosos Jr. was viewed as an extraneous name in the lightweight division. Though the Australian native sported an undefeated record through 19 professional fights, little to no one expected much from him during his upcoming showdown against former unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez.

Nevertheless, Kambosos Jr. stormed into Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City, Lopez’s hometown, and went on to drop and ultimately outwork the 24-year-old before a stunned crowd.

Following his improbable victory, it was revealed that, unlike most championship showdowns, there was no rematch clause. Meaning, Kambosos Jr. is free to do whatever he pleases. Presently, the 29-year-old Aussie has yet to make his intentions clear about the direction of his career. Instead, after beating the odds, he’ll make his way back to Australia and enjoy the fruits of his labor. At least, temporarily.

As for Garcia, a return to the ring appear on the cards for the first quarter of 2022. And while he has audaciously stepped forward as a willing participant for Kambosos Jr.’s first title defense, first things first as the 24-year-old believes what the unlikely unified champion has accomplished deserves its moment in the sun.

“Massive respect to Kambosos for that performance. Honestly, you deserve it and all love. Go celebrate.”

Posted on 11/28/2021

By: Hans Themistode

At one point, it seemed as though we would never get here.

With both Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos Jr. enduring months of unwanted delays, the pair finally squared off in the ring. And while Kambosos Jr. assured everyone who would listen that he was idoneous to truncate the title reign of the unified lightweight titlist, no one believed him until it was too late.

As the New York crowd burrowed into their seats at Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden, they immediately voiced their displeasures as Kambosos Jr. made his way to the ring. The smiling Australian native appeared unaffected as he shook his head and sauntered on.

In a contrasting manner, the jam-packed crowd stood to their feet and roared as Lopez marched his way to the ring. Moments later, following their respective introductions, Kambosos Jr. quieted the crowd.

With so much built-up frustration, Lopez came out like a man possessed. He winged a hard right hook to kick things off. While Kambosos Jr. evaded the hit, Lopez continued his all attack. Seemingly surprised by his man’s aggression, Kambosos Jr. back-peddled for much of the round.

Just when it appeared as though Lopez had pocketed the first round, the Australian native landed an overhand right that saw the unified lightweight titlist hit the deck for the first time in his career.

A smiling Lopez nodded his head in approval as he seemed to give Kambosos Jr. his credit. As the following round kicked off, Lopez appeared fine. He bounced up and down on his toes and began tagging his long-time rival with hard stinging shots. In round three, it was much of the same as Lopez appeared to grab the momentum. That said, Kambosos Jr. refused to allow an opportunity of a lifetime slip through his fingers.

The Australian product began tagging Lopez repeatedly in the fourth. Unwilling to allow Kambosos Jr. to command the round, Lopez attacked the midsection of his man. Regardless of his increased work to the body, Kambosos Jr. didn’t let up as he continued to dominate the period.

With the halfway point of their contest rolling by, Kambosos Jr. was in complete control. He showboated at the crowd and continued to make Lopez miss in the process. Seemingly irate at this point, Lopez finally began finding his rhythm in the eighth. With his father urging him to pick it up, Lopez began picking him apart.

In addition to the unified titlist finding his mark, Kambosos Jr. seemed to be running on fumes. In the 10th, things appeared extremely bleak for the road warrior as he hit the deck, courtesy of a right hand from the 24-year-old.

For the duration of the round, Kambosos Jr. back peddled and attempted to box and move. In a complete change of events, Kambosos Jr. seemed to catch his second wind. In the final two rounds, he connected repeatedly with overhand rights and straight lefts.

As the final ten seconds of the 12th began ticking away, both men stood square in the middle of the ring and slugged it out. Though their contest was officially over, Kambosos Jr. pushed Lopez as he ran around the ring fully convinced that he had done more than enough to win their contest, he was right.

Though it was ultimately tight, Kambosos Jr. was awarded the split decision victory. Referee Don Trella scored it 114-113 in favor of Lopez but he was overruled by Frank Lombardi 115-111 and Glenn Feldman 115-112.

Posted on 11/26/2021

By: Hans Themistode

After months of back and forth trash talk, protracted preparations, and a long list of outside delays that are now extraneous, both Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos Jr. are now officially set to square off.

With only their ceremonial weigh-in standing in the way of their highly anticipated contest, neither man appeared to be struggling on the scales.

As tempered continued to flare all week long, Kambosos Jr. stepped onto the podium first. The Australian native smiled slyly as his team and supporters cheered loudly. Moments later, it was announced that he officially weighed in at 134.4 pounds.

A shirtless Kambosos Jr. paced back and forth as he waited for Lopez to make his way to the stage. Despite team Lopez stating on numerous occasions that 135 was becoming extremely arduous to make, the unified lightweight titlist appeared to be just fine on the scales. He stood stoically while flexing as it was announced that he weighed in at 135 pounds on the nose.

For both sides, their off again, on again contest is finally set to come to an end. After winning the IBF, WBO, WBA, and WBC Franchise titles in his unification showdown against Vasyl Lomachenko late last year, Lopez has sat sequestered on the sidelines. The New York native had long been hoping to return to the ring at a much sooner date. By all accounts, Lopez was on the verge of doing just that.

Originally, the unified lightweight champion and Kambosos Jr. was on the brink of facing off several months ago under the promotional company Triller, who won their purse bid with an offer of over $6 million. However, the pair would endure several delays due to a combination of COVID-19, and unprecedented pushbacks due to Triller attempting to steer clear of competition in the form of NFL football and other sports.

Thanks to the uncertainty of the event altogether, Triller was found to be in default. From there, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom were given the rights to their contest which will now take place this Saturday night at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Posted on 10/20/2021

By: Hans Themistode

After several starts and stops, Teofimo Lopez will finally defend his WBO, WBA, and IBF lightweight titles against mandatory challenger George Kambosos Jr. Their contest is now officially set to take place on November 27th, at Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden.

Both Kambosos Jr. and Lopez have gone back and forth for the past several months with seemingly, no true concrete date to work with. After watching Triller win their purse bid earlier this year, Kambosos Jr. and Lopez sat back and patiently waited for their contest to take place. However, the pair was incredulous about the consistent postponements.

With Kambosos Jr. unwilling to placate the wishes of Triller by moving their fight date once again, the streaming company was ultimately found to be in default. Subsequently, long-time promoter Eddie Hearn, was then given the right to promote their showdown since he originally dished out the second-largest bid.

Although Hearn was thrilled with the news, he struggled with finding an immediate date. Nevertheless, with Ryan Garcia forced off his November 27th encounter against Joseph Diaz due to hand surgery, Hearn has now given the vacant slot to Lopez vs. Kambosos Jr.

Since picking the biggest win of his career against Vasyl Lomachenko in October of 2020, Lopez has sat idly by as his career came to a grinding halt. Needless to say, with reassurance that his contest against Kambosos Jr. will take place next, Lopez is now patiently watching the clock.

“The time has finally come!” said López. “It has been a long wait for Team Takeover. We’ve been in the zone for six months and counting but we’re pleased to be able to finally get this fight on DAZN! The Takeover will show the world once again why we are called ‘The People’s Champ’.”

Posted on 08/23/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Teofimo Lopez was adamant that he would not be traveling to the backyard of IBF mandatory challenger George Kambosos Jr., to defend his lightweight world titles. Lopez, 24, was so headstrong in his decision in fact, that he threatened to drop the IBF title entirely. Now, after a lengthy battle, he should be ultimately happy with the results.

For the first title defense of his unified career, Lopez will take on Kambosos Jr. at the Hulu Theater in New York’s Madison Square Garden on October 5th.

According to Mike Coppinger of ESPN, who first reported the news, Ryan Kavanaugh of Triller has reportedly sent out contracts to both parties.

“We’re really excited about it: Tuesday night boxing in New York,” said Kavanaugh.”

As specified by Kavanaugh, Lopez vs. Kambosos Jr. will be available for purchase through FITE for $19.99. Or, if fans aren’t too pleased with dishing out that sort of cash, they’ll have the secondary option of seeing the fight through a monthly Triller subscription plan of $2.99.

Over the past few months, their showdown has suffered through numerous starts and stops. Originally, the plan was for Lopez to take on Kambosos Jr. in Miami Florida on June 5th. They then choose to move off the date entirely due to the high-profile mega event between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul.

Once their contest was rescheduled, they ran into another issue, as Lopez tested positive for COVID-19. With the two now on the verge of facing off, Lopez will look to begin his reign as a unified champion.

The pugnacious knockout artist, added both the WBA and WBO titles, as well as the ever confusing WBC “Franchise” title to his collection with a win over Vasyl Lomachenko late last year. Kambosos Jr., 28, worked his way to the number one ranking in the IBF sanctioning body due to a split decision win over former titlist, Lee Selby in October of 2020.

Posted on 04/14/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Teofimo Lopez thoroughly enjoyed stripping Vasiliy Lomachenko of all his world titles this past October. The two faced off with all of the lightweight marbles on the line in the Bubble at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Despite being a heavy underdog, Lopez walked away with a close but clear unanimous decision victory. While it was the biggest win of his career, Lopez has now put that victory behind him as he prepares to take on mandatory challenger George Kambosos Jr.

Considering the Australian native’s lack of experience at the elite level, most of the boxing world believes Lopez will walk right through his man. Although Lopez does believe he’ll win, he has a feeling that Kambosos Jr. is going to bring it from the opening bell.

“I think that he’s a strong fighter, a hungry fighter,” explained Lopez during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Someone that’s going to want to come in aggressive. It’s going to be a good fight. It’s going to be one of those fights that maybe is toe to toe.”

In the opinion of Teofimo Lopez Sr., father and trainer of Lopez, he believes his son won’t have any trouble at all. Always ready to back his loquacious father, Lopez sided with his old man and his prediction. Not only is the current undisputed lightweight champion under the belief that he’ll take Kambosos Jr. out early, he might be willing to put his money where his mouth is.

“I agree with him. It won’t go past three. I’m even thinking of putting money on it.”

For anyone else, predicting a knockout win could place an enormous amount of pressure on their shoulders. In the case of Lopez, he views things entirely differently. With his contest against Lomachenko viewed as his finest hour as a pro, the Brooklyn, New York native believes he’ll be even better this time around.

“I’m a lot sharper and I had more time. In the Loma camp, we only had seven weeks, in this camp, we have nine. It’s better preparation.”

Posted on 04/10/2021

By: Hans Themistode

When Teofimo Lopez did the unthinkable by defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in October of 2020, most of the boxing world viewed him as the undisputed lightweight champion. As of late, however, Lopez is being regarded as a unified champion instead. When Lopez upset the odds against the Ukrainian, his IBF title – along with Lomachenko’s WBA, WBO and WBC “Franchise” belt was on the line.

While Mauricio Sulaiman, President of the WBC has come out and said that Lopez is, in fact, the undisputed champion, he has also contradicted himself on numerous occasions as he admits Devin Haney is the WBC full champion.

Despite the ever confusing situation in the lightweight division, 135-pound contender George Kambosos Jr. is firmly behind Lopez. In the Australian’s opinion, Haney can scream until he’s blue in the face all he wants, unless he goes into the ring and actually defeats Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos Jr. will view his title reign as a fraudulent one.

“He (Lopez) is the undisputed champion,” said Kambosos Jr. during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “He has every single belt. When we fight it’ll be for every single belt. Lomachenko had the WBC belt, obviously, they decided to make a franchise title which is like a super title, a super belt, just like the WBA has. He moved on to that title but he (Lopez) beat the guy who was the WBC champ, Lomachenko.”

Although Haney claims that he wanted to earn his world title by facing Lomachenko as opposed to it being handed to him, Kambosos Jr. believes the Las Vegas resident took the easy way out.

“Devin Haney never fought for the title, never won the belt properly. He was interim champion or silver champion whatever he was. Then, all of sudden he got an email, or a Gmail, or a Yahoo mail or whatever you want to call it and he became a world champion. If that was me, I would’ve put the email in spam and I ain’t accepting it, I like to earn things. Even if I don’t become a world champion, I would rather know that I gave it my all and no one gave it to me.”

Currently, Kambosos Jr. is in the midst of training camp as he prepares to take on Lopez sometime this coming summer. The supremely confident undefeated contender wants to be addressed as the undisputed champion if he hands Lopez the first defeat of his career.

Win, lose or draw – Kambosos Jr. is very comfortable with the man he’ll be staring at when he looks in the mirror. As for Haney, Kambosos Jr. doesn’t believe he can say the same.

“Devin Haney is parading different. He thinks he’s the full champion but I’ll bet you when he looks at himself in the mirror, he knows that he didn’t earn that belt.”