New lightweight champion George Kambosos has called Teofimo Lopez “delusional” after their thrilling fight in New York.
Kambosos pulled off a dramatic upset to claim the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and The Ring belts, but the beaten Lopez was furious with the scorecards, insisting he won after recovering from a first-round knockdown.
“He’s very delusional and I think he was actually a little bit concussed,” Kambosos told Steve Bunce on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Boxing podcast.
It was the first loss of Lopez’s career and Kambosos – who won via split decision – had no sympathy for his rival. An indignant Lopez gatecrashed Kambosos’ interview in the ring to protest the result and was booed by his hometown crowd as he did so.
“He just showed his true colours,” Kambosos said.
“I believe he was concussed from round one – he changed very quickly. The shots that I landed were like knives, sharp knives, splitting him open and busting him up and breaking him down.
“He was getting busted up from that jab alone, let alone the right hand and body shots,” he continued.
“I believe he was concussed, very delusional. I’ve not got to sit here and justify my win – the world saw I won. His own fans booed him.
“If someone beats me fair and square, you beat me mate. That’s it, done and dusted, it’s a fight. It’s a sport, it’s going to happen. It is what it is. I’m never like that. I’m never a sore loser.”
Title defence down under
Kambosos moved to 20-0 with the stunning victory and plans to hold the first defence of his titles on home soil in Australia next year.
The 28-year-old will stay in America for another week so he can be ringside for Devin Haney’s WBC title defence against Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz in Las Vegas this weekend.
“I will sit there and scope it out,” he said. “I’m looking forward to what Haney does and hopefully we get that fight done.”
Haney called Kambosos out on social media after his win, but was not the only fighter to do so with lightweight Ryan Garcia and WBO junior lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson insisting they would be prepared to fight the new unified champion.
“When you are the one being hunted, that’s the way it is,” Kambosos said.
“The word on the back of my shorts means, ‘If you want it come and get it’. But if you want it be prepared to cop the same treatment that Lopez did. I just made Lopez look very ordinary.”
