George Kambosos Jr. certainly made a splash in 2021 thanks to his victory over Teofimo Lopez on November 27. A triumph that made him the undisputed lightweight champion and was enough to be awarded the World Boxing Association (WBA) Revelation of the Year award.

When the year began, the Australian was just another challenger in the division, but he had earned the right to face Lopez. Few gave him a chance because Lopez was one of the strongest fighters at the weight and had just beaten Vasyl Lomachenko in his previous fight.

The bout was postponed a couple of times, first because of Lopez’s positive Covid result and then because of a promotional issue. However, on November 27 they finally stepped into the ring in New York on a great night for Kambosos and boxing in general.

The 28-year-old fighter not only put on a great display, but it was also a fight to remember. Kambosos gave the first warning in the first round itself with a straight right hand that knocked Lopez down. 

Although he had come out in a calm style and was not carrying the initiative in that round, that punch helped him turn the tide, gain confidence and realize that he was capable of defeating Teofimo.

He fought a much more confident fight as the rounds went by, he fought Lopez toe to toe and even recovered from a knockdown in the tenth round to win the fight by split decision.

It was a great year for Kambosos, who is now the 135-pound king and has put himself among the best pound-for-pound fighters today. The WBA congratulates him for such an excellent year and for his award as the Revelation of 2021.