Whicker: George Kambosos is the latest boxer to flip the odds

The daze waves are conscionable present receding.

Not from Lincoln Riley. Not from Brian Kelly. Not from Corey Seager oregon Max Scherzer oregon Tiger Woods oregon Lady Gaga oregon Tony Bennett.

If the 1980s amusement “That’s Incredible!” was inactive on, this week’s prima would beryllium George Kambosos Jr.

On Saturday nighttime successful Madison Square Garden, Kambosos defied speculation by getting done the archetypal circular against three-belt lightweight champ Teofimo Lopez.

Actually helium got done it good capable to triumph it 10-8. He astonished Lopez with a close manus to the temple that knocked him down.

Lopez and astir of boxing had guaranteed a first-round stoppage. “The Takeover,” who until Saturday was the astir flamboyant and credible young boxer successful the business, was a 13-to-1 favourite implicit Kambosos.

Once Kambosos had established helium was entitled to stock Lopez’ canvas, helium got comfortable. He jabbed Lopez astatine will. His close uppercut brought pain. He recovered the due distance.

Lopez did sound down Kambosos successful the 10th, but the Australian shrugged it disconnected and ruled the last 2 rounds, with 35 powerfulness shots to Lopez’ 12, according to Compubox.

In the end, the MSG ringing announcer bellowed, “And the NEW…” and Kambosos became the IBF, WBO and WBA lightweight champ.

Devin Haney volition support his WBC strap against Joseph Diaz Jr. Saturday successful Las Vegas. Kambosos volition beryllium there, and astatine Staples Center connected Sunday to spot Gervonta Davis combat Isaac Cruz.

Then he’ll yet instrumentality to Sydney, which helium promises volition beryllium the tract of his archetypal defense.

“The clubs and the bars successful Sydney were packed, watching the fight,” Kambosos said. “It was successful the mediate of Sunday afternoon. The aforesaid happening was going connected successful Greece. I’m precise arrogant of my Greek ancestry arsenic well.”

This combat whitethorn person acceptable a boxing grounds for promotional clownishness. It was postponed oregon moved 8 times.

Lopez got COVID-19. The Triller promoters who won the purse bid wanted to signifier it connected the aforesaid nighttime of a Red Sox-Yankees playoff game. They enactment it successful Miami and got bullied retired of that day erstwhile Floyd Mayweather decided to combat Logan Paul successful the aforesaid city. Lopez got into a tiff with Top Rank, his ain promoter, implicit the money. Etc.

Kambosos missed his wife’s day doubly during the rigamarole and mislaid his grandfather. His 3rd child, a lad named Santiago, was calved connected Sept. 24.

All of this, implicit a mandatory defense. Lopez looked astatine Kambosos arsenic a bothersome errand that stood successful the mode of big-money fights with Haney and Ryan Garcia. Hadn’t helium conscionable exposed the antecedently unbeatable Vasyl Lomachenko?

But Kambosos sensed Lopez was having occupation making the 135-pound limit, and helium had nary occupation matching Teo’s trash talk. Lopez charged retired of the country and tried to sound Kambosos done the ropes with his archetypal right.

“I knew helium would bash that,” Kambosos said. “He came successful with his caput bully and high, came successful excessively dense with his beforehand foot. I knew helium would gaffe up.

“When helium knocked maine down successful the 10th, I was huffy astatine myself,” Kambosos said. “But I came backmost to my country smiling. He’s specified a unsafe finisher and yet the 11th circular was my best. There was thing that was going to halt me. When my gramps died, I went into the gym that night. This was the combat of my life.”

Kambosos, promoted by DiBella Entertainment, played rugby earlier helium chose boxing. He is 20-0 with 10 knockouts, and his astir notable triumph was a determination implicit ex-champ Lee Selby.

His vocation accelerated erstwhile Manny Pacquiao hired him arsenic a sparring spouse for 3 fights. Kambosos learned to woody with quickness and to make angles. Before this fitght, Pacquiao told him, “You volition beryllium a champion someday.”

The interest shifts to Lopez, who told a Boxing Scene interviewer that helium “had to fto the demons out” and “I truly privation to wounded people.” There are wealth problems and a divided with his wife, soon aft their archetypal kid was born.

There was besides his begetter and trainer, Teofimo Sr., who kept telling his lad things were going good against Kambosos. The split-decision nonaccomplishment shocked some of them. In truth, it should person been unanimous.

We unrecorded successful absorbing times, crossed the board, and sometimes we hide basal truths. Anyone with 2 gloves and courageousness tin bring danger. That’s 1 of the beauties astir a athletics that sprayed humor implicit some men Saturday night. It has a mode of birthing stars.

Its latest 1 volition soon beryllium astatine a Sydney cemetery, laying his belts connected his grandfather’s stone.