Identical to the music enterprise, boxing has had its fair proportion of one-hit wonders. George Kambosos Jr. goals to keep away from having his title be part of the checklist of those that have gained a world title solely to rapidly lose it and fall from grace, when he faces Vasiliy Lomachenko for the vacant IBF light-weight title in Perth, Australia, on Sunday morning (Saturday, 10 p.m. ET within the U.S., ESPN /ESPN+).
For some, turning into champion is the start of the top as they lose the belt in a primary protection and their careers then nosedive. However it’s too quickly to place Kambosos, 30, of Sydney, in that ignominious class simply but.
Kambosos (21-2, 10 KOs) silenced Teofimo Lopez’s house crowd in New York when he gained a break up choice to say three light-weight world titles in November 2021. Simply over a 12 months earlier, Lopez had produced the efficiency of his life to nullify the dazzling expertise of Lomachenko. However as a 7-1 betting favourite in opposition to Kambosos, Lopez was caught chilly and despatched to the canvas within the opening spherical, and Kambosos then received off the canvas himself within the Tenth spherical to take the break up choice.
Kambosos did not have lengthy to take pleasure in life as champion. Seven months later in Melbourne, the Australian misplaced his belts in a primary protection to Devin Haney by unanimous choice. To show it wasn’t a fluke, Haney did an excellent higher job in one other choice win later in 2022 again in Melbourne.
A controversial majority choice win over Maxi Hughes final 12 months arrange Kambosos for his fourth world title battle in his final 5 fights.
Let’s check out some fighters that have not carried out a lot after profitable a world title.
Heavier falls
Andy Ruiz Jr. pulled off a giant shock when he stopped Anthony Joshua in Spherical 7 to win three world title belts in 2019 as a late substitute. Six months later, Ruiz confirmed up for the rematch weighing 15 kilos greater than of their first battle, and misplaced convincingly to Joshua’s jabbing sport by unanimous choice.
Ruiz has registered two unanimous choice wins since, however each Luiz Ortiz and Chris Arreola are over the age of 40. Ruiz (32-2, 22 KOs) weighed 268¾ kilos when he scored three knockdowns in opposition to Ortiz in September 2022. The Californian is because of face Jarrell “Large Child” Miller on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles, his first battle since beating Ortiz, and is a way off a world title shot.
Joshua additionally ended the transient reign of Charles Martin, who entertainingly walked to the ring to face the Englishman in London sporting a large crown in 2016. However he was removed from majestic within the ring that night time, as Joshua disposed of him in simply two rounds to win the IBF heavyweight world title. Martin crumbled as quickly as Joshua began touchdown.
When Vyacheslav Glazkov injured his knee within the third spherical in opposition to Martin in January 2016, the American was topped champion. Martin, now 38, has thus far did not regain the identical lofty standing and has suffered three additional setbacks.
Deontay Wilder first turned champion when he outpointed Bermane Stiverne in January 2015. Stiverne succeeded in turning into the primary skilled opponent to withstand Wilder’s energy and take him the space, however he misplaced a unanimous choice in a primary protection of the WBC belt he had gained by stopping Chris Arreola within the sixth spherical in Could 2014. Stiverne’s profession then fell aside, and he was obliterated in a spherical by Wilder in a rematch in 2017. That was the primary of 4 successive defeats, three by stoppage, and he has not fought since January 2023.
Different notable heavyweight champions who misplaced the title in a primary protection, and whose careers by no means recovered, embrace Hasim Rahman (2001). The world was left shocked when Lennox Lewis — boxing’s final undisputed world heavyweight champion within the three-belt period — underestimated and underprepared for the altitude in Johannesburg and was subsequently knocked out by Rahman in 5 rounds. Lewis rapidly made amends in a rematch seven months later, and Rahman was by no means world champion once more regardless of preventing the likes of Evander Holyfield, James Toney, Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin.
Lighter falls
Manny Pacquiao will go down as considered one of boxing’s all time greats, however in the direction of the top of his profession he misplaced to fighters who couldn’t maintain their success on the elite stage.
Kambosos’ fellow Australian Jeff Horn (20-3-1, 13 KOs) was additionally a quick custodian of world titles. Horn profited from an off-night by Pacquiao, top-of-the-line boxers lately, when he gained a unanimous choice to take the WBO welterweight title in Australia in 2017. Pacquiao complained concerning the controversial end result, however there was by no means a rematch. Horn gained a primary protection versus little-known Gary Corcoran however was then stopped by Terence Crawford to convey his reign to an finish lower than a 12 months after it began. Horn by no means fought for a world title once more.
In his last bout, Pacquiao suffered a unanimous choice defeat to late substitute opponent Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas in August 2021. At 35, Ugas was deemed a secure opponent for the eight-weight world champion to step nearer to a last huge battle. However Ugas spoiled the get together. Impressed by the chance on 11 days’ discover, and maybe benefiting from 42-year-old Pacquiao’s dwindling powers, Ugas gained as a +350 underdog. Pacquiao had been making ready to face Errol Spence Jr., and the change of opponent, going through a fellow southpaw, maybe contributed to the defeat. Ugas’s double jab proved decisive to win the WBA title. However Spence stopped Ugas in a unification title battle two years in the past, and the Miami-based Cuban was then outpointed by Mario Barrios in September 2023.
Pacquiao was at his peak when the Filipino ended the transient reign of Chris Algieri. The New Yorker had survived two first-round knockdowns to pluckily battle again and earn a break up choice win over Ruslan Provodnikov for the WBO junior welterweight title in June 2014. He stepped up a division 5 months later and was floored six occasions in a large choice loss to Pacquiao. Algieri suffered additional losses to Amir Khan, Spence and at last, at age 37, Conor Benn in 2021.
Miguel Cotto was one of many standout stars of the period, however like Pacquiao he ended his profession in a shock loss. His got here in opposition to Sadam Ali in December 2017. Ali, who had been stopped by Jessie Vargas for the WBO welterweight title the 12 months earlier than, was not fancied to beat the Puerto Rican Corridor of Famer, however produced an impressed show in a unanimous choice upset. Ali by no means hit the identical heights once more as he misplaced the title in a four-round defeat to Jaime Munguia, and was then stopped in his final battle by Anthony Younger 5 years in the past.
Cotto ended Yuri Foreman’s brief time as WBA junior middleweight champion by ninth-round stoppage in June 2010 at Yankee Stadium within the Bronx, seven months after Foreman gained the belt in opposition to Daniel Santos. Foreman did not win one other world title belt regardless of 10 years of making an attempt.
Sergio Mora, who sprang to fame on NBC’s “The Contender” actuality TV present, gained a majority choice to elevate the WBC junior middleweight title from Vernon Forrest in June 2006. However three months later in Mora’s first protection, he misplaced the belt to a a lot improved Forrest by a large unanimous choice. Mora did not capitalize on later alternatives, as Daniel Jacobs stopped him in two rounds after which within the rematch in seven rounds for the middleweight title in 2015 and 2016.
Additional again
James “Buster” Douglas, overcoming enormous 42-1 odds to finish Mike Tyson’s rampage via the heavyweight division by a seismic Tenth-round knockout in 1990, is maybe the obvious one-hit surprise in latest boxing historical past. Douglas, whose mom died 23 days earlier than the battle, was impressed whereas Tyson was distracted. Douglas was chubby for a primary protection in opposition to Evander Holyfield, who punished him in three rounds to win all of the belts eight months later. Douglas was by no means remotely the identical as he was that night time in opposition to Tyson on Feb. 11, 1990, in Tokyo.
One other one-hit surprise was Montell Griffin, who had a five-month reign as WBC mild heavyweight champion in 1997. Roy Jones Jr. was in excellent type, with a talent set that made him appear untouchable on the time. Jones appeared on the point of one other win when Griffin sank to a knee in Spherical 9, just for Jones to be disqualified for hitting his fellow American when he was down. Jones made Griffin pay within the rematch, delivering a savage first-round KO. Griffin misplaced two extra world title fights.
Leon Spinks might have been the 1976 Olympic gold medallist, however in 1978 smart opinion was Muhammad Ali wouldn’t be threatened by the challenger, who could be going for the world heavyweight title in simply his eighth skilled battle. Spinks, shockingly, gained by break up choice. however Ali was again in possession of his belts 5 months later after profitable a rematch on factors. Spinks misplaced two extra world title fights and completed with a document of 26 wins, 17 losses and three attracts.
Going again additional, Randy Turpin’s punch-perfect show to outpoint the nice Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951 in London for the middleweight world title was one other enormous shock. However the Englishman misplaced a rematch simply 64 days later to the imperious Robinson on the opposite facet of the Atlantic, and by no means regained the title.