On a riveting Sunday at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, in front of a packed house, former two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko faced off against IBO World Lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF World Lightweight title.
The bout started with strategic maneuvering as Lomachenko, using his southpaw stance, outpointed Kambosos with sharp jabs in a tactical first round. As the match progressed, Lomachenko's mastery in outboxing his opponent shone through, especially in the crucial last thirty seconds of the second round when he absorbed a body shot from Kambosos but maintained control. By the third round, the intensity escalated as Lomachenko cornered Kambosos and delivered a powerful left uppercut to the chin, engaging in a heated exchange at the bell.
As the rounds advanced, Lomachenko's dominance became even more pronounced. He landed a series of jabs and punches from various angles, particularly in the fourth and fifth rounds, clearly disorienting Kambosos. The turning point was palpable in the eleventh round when Lomachenko unleashed a precise left to the body, knocking Kambosos sideways and securing an 8-count from the referee. Not relenting, Lomachenko continued his assault, bringing Kambosos to his knees with another body shot, prompting the referee to end the fight as Kambosos' corner threw in the towel, signaling a conclusive victory for Lomachenko.
The intense matchup ended in the eleventh round when Lomachenko secured a decisive stoppage at 2:49, with judges heavily favoring him 99-91 and 98-92 up until that point.
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With titles on the line on the Loma-Kambosos undercard, former WBC Light Flyweight Champion Pedro "Jibran Pedrin" Guevara secured a split decision victory over WBO Global Super Flyweight Champion Andrew Moloney for the vacant WBC Interim World Super Flyweight title.
The fight stretched over twelve intense rounds. Guevara displayed a strategic body attack from the second to the fifth rounds, gaining the upper hand over Moloney. Although the latter mounted a comeback in the ninth and tenth rounds, the final rounds were tightly contested with little to separate the two fighters.
The judges scored the fight 115-113 and 115-113 for Guevara, and 116-112 for Moloney. Following the bout, Moloney announced his retirement from boxing.
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In another closely contested match at the WBA World Bantam championship, Nina Hughes faced a split decision defeat to Cherneka "Neekz" Johnson.
Early on, the taller Johnson effectively used her jab, controlling the first two rounds. However, Hughes found her rhythm by the third and fourth rounds, managing to get inside Johnson's reach and outscoring her. Hughes made a comeback into the fifth through seventh rounds, but Johnson regained a slight advantage in the eighth. The final two rounds were crucial, with Johnson appearing to secure the win, although a draw seemed possible until the final bell.
The scores read 95-95, 96-94, and 98-92 in favor of Johnson.
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Additionally, light heavyweight Imam Khataev continued his undefeated streak by knocking out Ricards "The Lion" Bolotniks at 1:34 of the sixth round in a scheduled 10-round fight.
Image Credit: Top Rank