George Kambosos’ great win opens the lightweight division to more exciting possibilities

A year ago, light boxing seemed poised for a big boom. Teofimo Lopez, 23, dethroned longtime £135th king Vasiliy Lomachenko to unify three of four recognized world championships in what appeared to be the final match that ushered in a youth moment with the featuring Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia and Gervonta “Tank “Davis. Then came .” George Kambosos to create a bit of chaos in the mixture.

The light division landscape is still fascinating after the Kambosos great disappointment of Lopez last Saturday in New York City. However, the texture of the map has changed significantly.

After the battle, Lopez, along with his father and trainer, Teofimo Lopez Sr., began conspiring talk suggesting he deserved to win but was tricked by a system that was working against back to him. Ignoring the absurdity that the boxing powerhouse wants a young, glamorous, American heavyweight star to lose to an Australian with little brand value, the biggest thing for the future is that Lopez and his father say that the The plan is now. to move up to 140 pounds. It was a logical decision and likely win or lose as Lopez has struggled to lose weight as she continues to grow into a man.

Suddenly, the lightweight division was left with three of the four world championships in the hands of Kambosos, a man who had never been in the discussion about light’s bright future.

Kambosos now holds most of the power, as the man in the belt usually does. It was unprecedented for the Kambosos to fight a lower ranked opponent in the next fight, rather than Haney, Garcia or Davis. Kambosos said after his match that opponents could come see him in Australia. It is unlikely that any of the top names at £135 – or their promoters – will agree to those terms and Kambosos will likely have to accept it in the future. First, however, could be a match in Australia against an opponent with a “proper” ranking in the WBA, WBO or IBF. The December 29 fight between Shuichiro Yoshino and Masayuki Ito for a lightweight WBO title was one to keep an eye on for the potential to produce the Kambosos’ first challenger.

Haney and Davis are both set to take the next steps in their careers next weekend. Haney will defend her WBC lightweight belt Saturday, against Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. It was an unusual match as Diaz was set to take on Ryan Garcia before Garcia was forced out of the match due to a hand injury that required surgery. Despite being the champion, Haney began publicly demanding that Diaz face him.

Haney is undeniably a talented boxer but one who has struggled to take down big-name opponents, even when the tournament is already filled with them. Victory over Diaz put Haney in a potential four-ring unification fight with the Kambosos, the exact kind of big fight that Haney has insisted he’ll thrive on. Of course, boxing would be nothing without the year-end disturbances and Haney was badly kicked by Jorge Linares in their May clash. A Diaz win takes down another name in the tournament while setting up the previously unverifiable Diaz vs. Kambosos with four world titles.

As for “The Tank” Davis, a potentially thrilling fight with Isaac Cruz will take place Sunday night. Davis danced around the tournaments late, showing that his immense strength – the strength that has made him a rising star in the sport – can carry the weight. While there’s been a lot of talk about the belts Davis has collected, his titles in light and light heavyweight are just side belts, not actual world championships.

If he does as expected and sends another legitimate opponent in Cruz, Davis could finally start the hunt for a real world championship at £135. Or maybe three of them, if he wins the Kambosos sweepstakes.

Garcia is also still a young superstar with high skill and incredible marketability because he is one of the few boxers who can fully utilize the power of social media. His most recent win, knocking out Luke Campbell in which Garcia had to lift himself off the frame, was the best win of his career. However, subsequent efforts to build on that victory stalled when Garcia switched to fighting Haney and took time off the ring to deal with mental health, a decision fair or not. was heavily criticized by a boxing department. basis. His planned fight with Diaz will be a huge one, but his injury has once again slowed his return.

Of course, Garcia was quick to point out that he wants to face Kambosos after recovering from a hand injury, further proof that Kambosos’ true lightweight king status is seen by his peers as temporary. .

All talk about the young core of the stars ignores the potential return of the former king. Vasiliy Lomachenko will face former world champion Richard Commey on December 11. Lomachenko was once a dominant force and was undeniably one of the biggest boxers in the sport before the clash. Lopez in October 2020. Lopez fought for his life that night to score the winning goal, but Lomachenko returned with a dominant performance against Masayoshi Nakatani in June, easily handling a martial Doctor gave Lopez the right fit.

Lomachenko wouldn’t be on anyone’s most wanted opponent list, with elite skills that truly allow him the chance to make anyone look bad on any given night. But with the win over Commey, it was hard to deny him a chance to once again take his place on the throne.

While the Kambosos’ discomfort has certainly shaken things up with its light weight, which even supposedly pops the Lopez to 140 pounds, the unit is healthy, attractive, and full of potential. Now is the best time to get things sorted in the ring, starting with Haney and Davis this weekend.