Boxing Challenge: Kambosos stuns Lopez!

  In a 2021 filled with major upsets, the upset that may have the biggest immediate impact took place in New York City as George Kambosos knocked down Teofimo Lopez in the first round and outslugged the heavily favored Lopez to win a split decision and take the three lightweight titles (WBA, IBF, and WBO) away from Lopez.

Lopez had vowed to stop Kambosos in the first round and while he stormed out in an attempt to do Kambosos in early, it was the Australian that scored the knockdown in the first round.

While Lopez wasn't badly hurt, it established that Kambosos was not going to roll over for Lopez and Kambosos began to bank rounds with hurting Lopez in the fourth round.

Both fighters showed facial damage but Lopez was cut over each eye and was sliced along his mouth and certainly was the more battered of the pair.

Lopez began to work his way back into the fight and in the tenth round floored Kambosos and suddenly it appeared that Lopez was going to save his titles but by the end of the round Kambosos was fighting back effectively.

With the fight on the line in the final two rounds, I gave both to Kambosos to win 115-111, which agreed with one judge with another scoring 115-112 for Kambosos with the odd judge giving the fight to Lopez 114-113.

Lopez didn't himself any favors by interrupting the DAZN post-fight interview with Kambosos insisting that he won and wasn't a "Sore Loser" while appearing to be just that to the boos of the crowd that was in favor of him when the fight began.

While on the sheer difference in talent, I still grade the Sandor Martin upset of Mikey Garcia as a bigger surprise, the Kambosos win will easily have the largest impact for 2022.

Kambosos could unify with WBC champion Devin Haney or Joseph Diaz, should Diaz dethrone Haney in their upcoming fight or fight any of the lightweight stars although I would bet he will make a showcase title defense in Australia to bank some big bucks in his home area.

Lopez looked like a fighter that needed to move up in weight and said he would love to face unified 140-pound champion, Josh Taylor, next but with this loss that fight may have lost some immediate luster and Lopez may first have to notch a win or two at 140 pounds before a potential Taylor matchup.

Larry Merchant always called boxing "the theatre of the absurd" and the saga of Lopez-Kambosos is one that fits the phrase when you consider the out-of-the-ring purse bids, cancellations, promoter changes, and finally the stunning upset.

In the co-feature, Kenichi Ogawa knocked down Azinga Fuzile three times, twice in the final round to win the IBF junior lightweight title that was declared vacant after Joseph Diaz missed weight before a title defense against Shavkat Rakhimov.

I had Ogawa a winner at 117-108.

In the boxing challenge, Ramon Malpica and I missed on both fights from New York.

I will have the Browns loss in Baltimore next as I haven't had time to watch the Saturday fights from PBC and Showtime yet.