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6 months ago
23
The future of George Kambosos Jr is up in the air after the Australian suffered a technical knockout loss to Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko in their IBF lightweight world title showdown in Perth.
Lomachenko controlled Sunday's bout in front of 14,147 fans from start to finish, with the fight brought to a halt with 21 seconds remaining in the 11th round after Kambosos suffered a battering in the corner.
Kambosos had hit the deck seconds earlier following a powerful hook to the body.
When the referee resumed the bout, Lomachenko finished the job with a flurry of punches.
Vasiliy Lomachenko outclassed George Kambosos on his way to collecting the IBF world lightweight title in Perth
The Ukraine boxing legend was awarded the victory with 21 seconds left in the 11th round
Kambosos shot to international fame 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 win over Maxi Hughes - meant Sunday's fight against Lomachenko was make-or-break.
The devastating nature of the defeat raises questions about where to next for the 30-year-old Kambosos.
'This guy is one of the best of all time,' Kambosos said after the bout.
'We tried 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 ain't dead.'
There was plenty of theatre in the lead-up to the fight, with the pair engaging in a three-minute staredown on Thursday, and a lengthy reprise at Saturday's weigh-in.
After a cagey start to the bout, Lomachenko landed a few crucial head blows after trapping Kambosos in the corner.
Kambosos said that his opponent deserved the belt and told the crowd that he tried his best
Lomachenko outlanded the Aussie by a 175-40 margin according to Compubox’s punch stats
Lomachenko landed some more key punches late in the second round, as Kambosos replied with a flurry of punches that failed to land.
Kambosos received several more lusty blows in the third, but he at least got some back late in the round.
The fourth round was particularly brutal for Kambosos as he wore a series of powerful jabs and left hooks from Lomachenko.
Kambosos momentarily rattled Lomachenko in the sixth with a strong jab, but it was a fleeting moment in a bout the Ukrainian was controlling.
Lomachenko's powerful left hook left Kambosos with blood streaming from near his right eye in the eighth round, and an the onslaught continued the Australian was left a bloodied mess by the end of the ninth.
Whether Kambosos could see out the fight was the main question from that point on, and Lomachenko gave an emphatic answer in a brutal 11th round.
English (US)