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.