Welcome to The Red Corner, a brand new boxing and MMA column brought to you by the Amarillo Pioneer, covering the world of boxing and mixed martial arts. This column will bring you news, opinions, and quick facts that you need to know about the fights that make the sports world pay attention.
Undefeated unified lightweight titleholder Teófimo López will defend his titles against undefeated challenger George Kambosos, Jr. in a bout live on Triller pay-per-view this weekend. The odds are wide in favor of the champion, with López (16-0, 12 KOs) sitting as a -1200 favorite to cruise past Kambosos (19-0, 10 KOs), who comes back as a +600 underdog. Still, the challenger presents what could be a difficult test for the newly minted unified titleholder.
With that being said, it is worth asking, could George Kambosos do the unthinkable this weekend and upset the man who is coming off a victory over the sport’s former pound-for-pound king Vasyl Lomachenko?
Kambosos has been sporting a rather confident persona over the past week days as both fighters have prepared to step into the ring. And Kambosos certainly has a lot to be confident about, with good cardio and fast hands. However, his opponent’s supporters have pointed out his rather light resume, with Kambosos having won three of his last five fights by decision — two of them coming as majority decisions over outgunned competition.
On the other side of the ring, Kambosos is being greeted by a man who has been hailed as the future of boxing by many pundits. Coming off his decision win over Lomachenko last year, López has put together a string of impressive performances, including his knockout win over former IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey in 2019. With a series of impressive knockouts on his resume, López has created a name for himself with his big power and fantastic head movement.
Most pundits are picking against Kambosos, expecting López to win his Triller debut in route to a possible pay-per-view rematch with Lomachenko that could be big business for Top Rank. If Kambosos wants to spoil these plans, he must avoid López’s big power this weekend and outbox the man who just dethroned arguably the sport’s best boxer.
It’s a tall order, even for a skilled boxer like Kambosos.
If the odds are to be believed, López should make short work of Kambosos and cement his place among the sport’s top attractions. However, don’t be shocked if we see a little extra drama in the ring on Saturday. Major upsets, while infrequent, can and do happen. Just ask Anthony Joshua.
Triller Fight Club: Teófimo López vs. George Kambosos, Jr. takes place Saturday, June 19, at 8pm CST on Triller pay-per-view. The event is available to watch for $49.99 through FITE.tv.