- Lomachenko defeated the Australian by technical knockout in the eleventh round
- Lomachenko claimed IBF lightweight world title
- Kambosos said the Ukrainian legend deserved the belt
George Kambosos Jr’s future is up in the air after the Australian suffered a technical knockout loss to Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko in their IBF lightweight world title showdown in Perth.
Lomachenko controlled Sunday’s fight in front of 14,147 fans from start to finish, and the fight was stopped with 21 seconds left in the 11th round after Kambosos suffered a beating in the corner.
Kambosos had fallen to the ground seconds before after a powerful hook to the body.
When the referee resumed the fight, Lomachenko finished the job with a flurry of punches.
Vasiliy Lomachenko outclassed George Kambosos on his way to the IBF lightweight world title in Perth.
The Ukrainian boxing legend was victorious with 21 seconds left in the eleventh round.
Kambosos rose to international fame in 2021 when he won the IBF, WBA and WBO lightweight belts against the stunning Teofimo López at Madison Square Garden.
But back-to-back losses to Devin Haney, combined with last year’s unconvincing and controversial victory over Maxi Hughes, meant Sunday’s fight against Lomachenko was decisive.
The devastating nature of the defeat raises questions about the 30-year-old Kambosos’ next step.
“This guy is one of the best of all time,” Kambosos said after the fight.
“We did our best, but he’s a good champion.” He deserves that belt. I gave it my all.
‘I’m still alive, I’m still standing. I’m not dead.
There was plenty of theatrics in the lead-up to the fight, with the pair taking part in a three-minute stare-down on Thursday and a lengthy replay at Saturday’s weigh-in.
After a cautious start to the fight, Lomachenko landed some crucial blows to the head after trapping Kambosos in the corner.
Kambosos said his opponent deserved the belt and told the crowd that he did his best.
Lomachenko beat the Australian by a margin of 175-40 according to Compubox striking statistics
Lomachenko landed a few more key shots late in the second round, while Kambosos responded with a flurry of punches that failed to land.
Kambosos took several harder hits in the third, but at least recovered some by the end of the round.
The fourth round was particularly brutal for Kambosos, as he utilized a series of powerful punches and left hooks from Lomachenko.
Kambosos momentarily shook Lomachenko in the sixth with a sharp jab, but it was a fleeting moment in a fight the Ukrainian was controlling.
Lomachenko’s powerful left hook left Kambosos with blood running near his right eye in the eighth round, and if the attack continued, the Australian was left a bloody mess at the end of the ninth.
Whether Kambosos could finish the fight was the main question from then on, and Lomachenko gave an emphatic answer in a brutal eleventh round.
