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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 4070135, member: 289"] The Lopez-Kambosis fight had just ended when I got home from the SU game. I re-watched it today and here are my observations. Lopez became one of the top stars in boxing with his single-minded pursuit of Vasiliy Lomachenko' crown and reputation as the best pound-for-pound fighter. he achieved that by winning a decision over Loma 13 months ago. He'd been inactive since while Australia's George Kambosos started his own single-minded pursuit of Lopez. Lopez refused to give Loma a rematch because "everybody [in Lomachenko’s camp] was being a dick to me" and didn't want to fight Kambosos because he wanted bigger money fights: this was a mandatory defense. he was out-growing the division and it was tougher to make the lightweight limit. He had an attack of Covid that postponed the fight but more importantly, he had no respect for his opponent and predicted a first-round knockout. This caused Lopez to fight as if his next punch was going to end it. he didn't jab enough to se tit up and that also left him open for counter-shots. He hit Kambosos with at least four right hands in the first round and Kambosos was still standing there. George timed Lopez's shots and hit him flush with a counter-shot that knocked him down. it was like when Rockey decked Apollo Creed in the first film. Lopez's father gave him contradictory instructions in his corner: "Calm down, take your time" and "finish him. already". Lopez had a confused look on his face for much of the fight. Kambosos retreated, counter-punching along with a stiff jab and showing some lateral movement while Lopez walked after him, using his own jab less and less. Eventually Kambosos got braver and stopped retreating, resulting in several powerful exchanges. But both men could take a punch, although Lopex rolled his eyes and seemed unsteady as he went back to his corner after the fourth round. Kambosos piled up the points, (I gave him four rounds in a row at one point). Lopez finally started to connect in the 9th round and then downed Kambosos with a double right hand. George took much more punishment in this round than Lopez did in the first, even though both had to be 10-8 rounds in the scoring. Everyone expected that Lopez would seal the deal in the 11th - but he didn't. Maybe the impact of not having fought in 13 months or the struggle to make the weight impacted him, but Teo seemed to lose energy all at once. Kambosos survived and was rallying strongly by the end of the round. Lopez, clearly behind, was a bit more energetic in the 12th but George still had more left than he did. I graded it 116-111 for Kambosos, who I gave 8 rounds to 3 with one even. Two judges had it 115-111 and 115-112. the other one somehow found ti for Lopez 114-113 and Lopez acted as if he had been robbed. I think he robbed himself. he could get the rematch he denied Lomachenko but I think his future is to move up for some big-money fights among the welterweights. the color man suggested that he'd gain 10-12 pounds after the weigh-in for this one. What he needs to gain is some humility and his old determination. Fights are won in the real world, not the one you imagine. [/QUOTE]

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