The judges allow Gearoge Kambosos Jr to shock Lee Selby!
At 33 years-old, former IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby is at a cross-roads in his career. After reigning as champ for over two years with four title defenses, he would lose his belt to current IBF champ Josh Warrington in 2018.
Selby would immediately move up two weight classes with aspirations of becoming a two-division champion. He picked up two wins with one over former three-division champ Ricky Burns in the process. Now ranked #4 by the IBF, he finds himself in a title eliminator against the younger and fresher #3 ranked Australian challenger George Kambosos Jr.
RELATED: Lee Selby Edges Ricky Burns in London!
Kambosos is more known for being an active sparring partner for WBA welterweight champion/active legend Manny Pacquiao. Although, he showed he is much more than that with a win over former IBF lightweight champion Mickey Bey in 2019.
CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE
Understanding he had a major experience edge against a fighter that is extremely hungry to make a name for himself beyond being a glorified sparring partner, Selby chose to box smart than to allow his opponent to dictate the pace of the fight.
Kamobosos has extremely fast hands and can explode into a lighting combination at anytime! However, he needs is opponent to be stationary before he can let his hands go. Selby knew this and at the start of the bout, immediately kept a jab in his opponent’s face while moving laterally.
The idea is to keep the Australian at the end of his jab while keeping his feet moving. If Kambosos tries to rush in, unload that signature straight right-hand to stop him in his tracks, step back and circle to the right.
The game-plan is a dangerous one since most judges don’t credit fighters for just throwing a jab and moving regardless of how effective it is. Additionally, if Kambosos is able to effectively get inside of the jab before Selby can move, that would leave the former champion susceptible to a combination.
Nevertheless, Selby did an excellent job of executing the game-plan. He often rendered the less-experienced opponent chasing him around the ring while in range for and not defending a piston jab. Early on, each time Kambosos executed a plan off attack, Selby had already landed several jabs a circled his way out of danger.
Additionally, when the Australian did have Selby in-range, he would get caught by a counter check left hook or straight-right mid-combination.
ADJUSTMENT NEEDED!
Kambosos rarely saw success in this fight because he had no plan-B! The former champion found what was working and never strayed from that game-plan. After a few rounds, fans could see the Australian visually frustrated because he could not cut the ring off effectively.
The Australian did have his moments. At times he would slip the jab as Selby was on his front-foot and return a nice counter shot before his opponent could move. A few times the former champion ate some big counter rights that had fans remembering how good of a chin he has.
However, the biggest problem was that Kambosos did not jab enough to setup any of his shots. Instead of waiting to see how he could counter, he should have jabbed with Selby, especially since he has the faster hands. He also needs a lesson or two on how to cut off the ring against a moving fighter.
By the championship rounds it was clear Kambosos needed a knockout! He sensed this as he came out explosive in the twelfth round and momentarily stunned Selby with a overhand right. This wouldn’t last very long though as the Australian tried desperately to land something big again…but to no avail!
WAIT…WHAT?!
A fight that seemed to clearly be a win for Selby would of course end in another black-eye of a decision for boxing. After a long delay from the judges, the scorecards returned 115-114 for Selby, 118-110 and 116-113 Kambosos Jr?!
Alright, there were enough swing rounds where a 115-113 scorecard for Kambosos is acceptable. Unlikely but acceptable. However, 118-110 and 116-113 is absurd!
3kingsboxing.com scored this fight 116-112 for Selby.
Now undeservedly, Kambosos has set himself up to face newly crowned unified champion Teofimo Lopez. Let’s hope instead of mandating that fight, one the Australian has zero chance of winning, we get the deserved rematch with Selby with more competent judges!
By: EJ Williams
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