The King is back.
Vasiliy Lomachenko earned a spot back on the lightweight throne on Saturday with a masterful performance in an 11th-round TKO of former titleholder George Kambosos to win the vacant IBF 135-pound world title before a sellout crowd of 14,147 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, a record for any sports event at the 12-year-old arena. In his first fight since losing to former undisputed lightweight king Devin Haney last year, Lomachenko reasserted himself as one of the best 135-pounders in the world.
The 30-year-old Kambosos (21-3, 10 KOs), who upset Teofimo Lopez by split decision to become a unified lightweight world champion in November 2021, was stopped for the first time in his 11-year pro career. He also suffered defeat for the third time in his last four bouts. Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs), a southpaw, won for the first time in 19 months, dating back to his 12-round unanimous decision triumph over Jamaine Ortiz in October 2022 at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York.
Lomachenko didn’t face any adversity from Kambosos in the opening round. He downloaded data while marching forward and keeping Kambosos on the back foot. With 45 seconds to go in the frame, he connected with a three-punch combination that sent Kambosos into the ropes.
In the second round, Kambosos managed to land a right to the body, but Lomachenko swiftly countered with a precise southpaw jab that caught Kambosos off guard. In the final moments, Lomachenko executed a flawless three-punch combination that left Kambosos against the ropes. Despite Kambosos’s desperate attempt to retaliate, Lomachenko had already evaded the attack, showcasing his impeccable timing and agility.
Round three was another one-sided round for Lomachenko. He consistently backed up Kambosos with combinations and hard left hands. However, in the final moments of the third, both fighters exchanged shots, but Lomachenko got the better of Kambosos with a left hand to the jaw that knocked him back on his feet.
Loma flat-out embarrassed Kambosos in the fourth round, outlanding his opponent 21-1 in punches landed. He drilled Kambosos with jabs, combinations, right hands, and left hooks as a bewildered Kambosos appeared to have no idea what was coming at him and from what direction.
Lomachenko was in complete control in round five. He clipped Kambosos with a sharp left hand that nearly sent the former world champion to the canvas with 16 seconds remaining in the frame. The slow burn commenced as Lomachenko continued to work on dissecting his adversary. Kambosos had his most spirited round of the night in round six. He connected with a left hook and a right hand to the body with just under a minute left in the round. However, Lomachenko rallied down the stretch and outlanded him 19-7.
Loma began to invest to the body heavily in round seven, and it paid dividends. He hurt Kambosos with a slew of lefts. On the last body shot of the round, he snuck a shot around the right elbow of Kambosos, further wounding his prey. Just before the end of the round, an accidental headbutt opened a small cut above Kambosos’ right eye.
The one-sided display continued in the eighth round. Late in the action, Lomachenko opened up a nasty cut around Kambosos’ right eyelid with a left hand. Â As they approached the one-minute mark in round nine, Loma re-opened the cut on the eyelid and continued to pounce on Kambosos, whose face had been reconfigured into a Jan van Eyck painting.
Lomachenko floored Kambosos twice in the 11th round, first from a left hand to the body and a second from hard left to the head that sent him down to a knee. Immediately following the second knockdown, Kambosos’ father, Jim, threw in the towel to save his son from further punishment.
And The Winner Is… Or Not?
In the co-main event, Cherneka Johnson (16-2, 6 KOs), a former junior featherweight world titlist, moved down in weight and defeated reigning WBA world bantamweight world titleholder Nina Hughes (6-1, 2 KOs) by majority decision to become a 118-pound world champion. Hughes was initially announced as the winner after ring announcer Lt. Dan Hennessey read the scorecards improperly.
Andrew Moloney Announces Retirement After Split Decision Loss To Pedro Guevara
Pedro Guevara (42-4-1, 22 KOs) upset Andrew Moloney (26-4, 16 KOs) on his home turf to win a 12-round split decision. Moloney announced his retirement following the fight, stating, “I want to say thank you to Top Rank, thank you to my team for everything you’ve done for me. But I’m done with this sport. That’s all I have to say. I want to thank my sponsors for backing me over the years because I’m retired. I’m out. I love you all, but sorry, f*** that.”
Discover more from Fights Around The World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
