George Kambosos Gets Disputed Win Over Hughes

Former unified lightweight champ George Kambosos wanted to get his career back on track Saturday night. However, his British opponent Maxi Hughes out-fought him for most of their 12 round bout. Yet, Kambosos somehow got a gift majority 12 round decision in the Top Rank Boxing main event.

The scores read 114-114, but the last two had it amazingly, 117-111 and more believably, 115-113 for the Australian Kambosos, which drew jeers from the crowd in Shawnee, OK.

.@GeorgeKambosos gets it done via Majority Decision 🇦🇺 #KambososHughes pic.twitter.com/wrD8muaDwH

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) July 23, 2023

That’s because Hughes was the more effective puncher throughout the bout, using good right jabs and hard straight left hands to score repeatedly and befuddle Kambosos..He actually staggered Kambosos with a hard left int he fifth round.

Kambosos, now 21-2,  had his best round of the first half of the fight in the sixth, when hand landed a couple of combinations at distance and was backing Hughes up. Still, the Englishman, who had won seven straight fights, got things back together with his leading right jab and occasional good lefts behind it. And, Kambosos largely couldn’t solve it for the 12 rounds.

The Compubox stats from the fight further verified that Hughes, now 26-6-2, deserved to win, as he landed a 98-90 advantage in punches and Kambosos only landed more overall punches in a round five times in the 12 rounds.

Still the Australian got his hand raised.

“We won the fight by many rounds… He had a couple of good rounds, but a couple of good rounds doesn’t win you the fight,” Kambosos told ESPN in the ring. “Look, that’s the reason we chose him. It’s a hard test…I believe I won the majority of the 12 rounds. This is a good next step.”

Kambosos was back in the ring Saturday for the fist time since his back to back losses to undisputed lightweight champ Devin Haney. Haney beat the Australian twice by 12 round decisions in his home country last June and again, in October for his first two losses.

Even though he won the IBF 135 lb. eliminator, Kambosos was far from impressive and we’ll wait to see what his next bout will be?

Keyshawn Davis Impresses again

In the co-feature, former U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist Keyshawn Davis continued his rise in the lightweight decision with an easy unanimous decision win over Mexican Francesco Patera. Davis controlled the action with his jab and solid combinations throughout the 10 rounder and looked like he might end things in the eighth round by scoring a hard knockdown with a booming right hand counter to Pater’s chin. Patera got up and survived the round. Nonetheless, Davis won by scores of 100-89 on two cards and 99-90 on the third to improve to 9-0 with six KOs.