Vasily Lomachenko defeats Australian George Kambosos in world title showdown: ‘He deserves the belt’
- Lomachenko defeated Aussie by TKO stoppage in the 11th round
- Lomachenko claimed the IBF lightweight world title
- Kambosos said the Ukrainian legend deserved the title
The future of George Kambosos Jr. is up in the air after the Australian suffered a technical knockout loss to Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko in their IBF lightweight world title fight in Perth.
Lomachenko controlled Sunday’s fight in front of 14,147 fans from start to finish, with the fight brought to a halt with 21 seconds left in the 11th round after Kambosos took a battering in the corner.
Kambosos had landed on the deck seconds earlier after a powerful hook to the body.
When the referee resumed the fight, Lomachenko finished the job with a flurry of punches.
Vasiliy Lomachenko defeated George Kambosos on his way to capturing the IBF lightweight world title in Perth
The Ukrainian boxing legend was awarded the victory with 21 seconds left in the 11th round
Kambosos rose to international prominence in 2021 when he won the IBF, WBA and WBO lightweight belts by stunning Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden.
But back-to-back losses to Devin Haney – combined with last year’s unconvincing and controversial victory over Maxi Hughes – made Sunday’s fight against Lomachenko a decisive factor.
The devastating nature of the defeat raises questions about the future for 30-year-old Kambosos.
“This guy is one of the best of all time,” Kambosos said after the fight.
‘We did our best, but he is a good champion. He deserves that belt. I gave everything.
‘I’m still alive, I’m still standing. I’m not dead.’
There was plenty of theater in the lead-up to the fight, with the pair doing a three-minute stardown on Thursday and a lengthy reprise at the weigh-in on Saturday.
After a cagey start to the fight, Lomachenko landed a few crucial head blows after trapping Kambosos in the corner.
Kambosos said his opponent deserved the belt and told the crowd he did his best
Lomachenko defeated the Australian by a margin of 175-40 according to Compubox’s punch statistics
Lomachenko landed some key punches late in the second round, while Kambosos responded with a series of punches that didn’t land.
Kambosos landed some more solid punches in the third, but at least he didn’t get a few back until late in the round.
The fourth round was particularly brutal for Kambosos, as he bore a series of powerful jabs and left hooks from Lomachenko.
Kambosos rattled Lomachenko briefly in the sixth with a strong jab, but it was a fleeting moment in a fight the Ukrainian was in control.
Lomachenko’s powerful left hook left Kambosos with blood pouring from his right eye in the eighth round, and as the attack continued, the Australian was left a bloody mess by the end of the ninth.
Whether Kambosos could see the fight through was the key question from then on, and Lomachenko provided an emphatic answer in a brutal eleventh round.