Kambosos steals show in ’21, Tszyu sets sights on 2022 coronation

Australian boxing barely took breath in 2021. From the New York City heroics of George Kambosos Jnr to the continued rise of Tim Tszyu and what Paul Gallen has added to the heavyweight ranks, there’s been plenty for fans of the traditional combat sport.

WORD OF THE YEAR

Ferocious. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Ask George “Ferocious” Kambosos Jnr, the previously unheralded fighter from Sydney who now sits atop the lightweight division after his famous decision victory over Teofimo Lopez in New York City in late November.

Lightweight Boxing Champion George Kambosos returns to Sydney.Credit:James Alcock

Kambosos will feature multiple times throughout this recap and for good reason. Every part of his story and the subsequent toppling of one of the most-hyped names in world boxing is remarkable. At 28, the proud Greek-Australian was installed at bolter’s odd to dethrone the supremely cocky Lopez in his own backyard.

He took some hard shots, then sat Lopez squarely on his rear end with a roaring overhand right. From there, barring a stumble in the later rounds, he bossed the fight to record one of the great wins for any homegrown fighter of any era and one of the best moments in Australian sport for 2021.

THE WINNERS

Tim Tszyu. The super welterweight contender made all the right moves in 2021, fighting three times to put himself on the cusp of a world title shot in 2022. He beat Dennis Hogan, Steve Spark and Takeshi Inoue to manoeuvre himself closer to a shot at WBO champion Brian Castano, although the Argentine isn’t exactly falling over himself to take the fight, preferring a rematch with Jermell Charlo in an attempt to unify the division. No matter; Tszyu can wait and could potentially warm up with his first gig in the US on the undercard of that fight. His time is coming.

Harry Garside. A rare boxing medal for Australia was just the start of the story for Harry Garside, who is dipping his toes into the professional ranks after bronze in Tokyo broke a 33-year Australian Olympic drought. But that wasn’t the sole reason Garside why was able to charm the Australian public. A quirky character who uses ballet dancing as part of his training and paints his fingernails, Garside set out to challenge the ultra-macho stereotypes of combat sport and succeeded. The Victorian is his own man and we are the better for his example.

Paul Gallen. Stick with me here. The rugby league great turned boxer has found a natural home in the ring and unlike some other to make that transition, he treats the fight game with respect. He’s been in with some good ones this year, easily beating Lucas Browne, who once held a regular WBA belt, and then losing no fans as he took a beating from Justis Huni, the young national heavyweight champion (more on him later). He loves the silliness of the pre-fight chat and has banked plenty of cash along the way.

THE LOSERS

Justis Huni. The young Queenslander was set to be one of the best stories of the Tokyo Games. If only he had made it there in one piece. Huni had so desperately wanted to be an Olympic champion but was trying to juggle his professional commitments at the same time, at one point fighting three times in as many months. But a hand injury would break his heart ahead of the Games and keep him sidelined for the remainder of the year. He will return to the ring early in the New Year but so much momentum has been lost.

AIBA. The governing body of the amateur arm of the sport has been beset by corruption and governance issues to the point that it now risks its very slot in the Olympic Games. A report from respected Canadian lawyer Richard McClaren found bouts were rigged at the 2016 Olympic Games and then right up until the 2021 Youth World Championships in Poland. The International Olympic Committee had already put the sport on notice but that hit home when both boxing, and weightlifting, were removed from the program for the Los Angeles Games of 2028. There is a path back if the sport undergoes massive reform. Don’t hold your breath.

Teofimo Lopez Snr. The father of Teo Jnr seemed to spend as much time in front of the camera as his son ahead of his bout with Kambosos. A Tiger Dad who pushes his son relentlessly, he made any number of ridiculous predictions before the fight and even tried to get into a stoush with Jim Kambosos, the father of George. That ended badly as well. During the bout, as Kambosos took control early, he gave his son zero useful advice in the corner and told him he was winning clearly lost rounds, a cardinal sin for a top-flight trainer. The sooner he leaves his clearly talented offspring to fight his own battles, the better.

CONTROVERSY CORNERED

We can’t go past the Kambosos-Lopez fight, which was on, then off amid an endless series of disputes and health scares as Lopez contracted COVID-19. All the while, the temperature between the camps only increased as Kambosos infuriated his rival with his confidence and swagger. All of a sudden, a fight few in boxing wanted to see became one of the most-anticipated of the year. It was played to perfection by Kambosos, who had Lopez wound up like a coiled spring by the time the fight started.

MAN OF THE YEAR

Manny Pacquiao. The 42-year-old legend hung up the gloves late in the year to bring to an end one of the greatest careers in the history of the sport. He’s the only eight-division champion in history and finished with a record of 62-8-2. One of those defeats was to Australia’s Jeff Horn but in his prime, Pacquaio was almost untouchable. He will now focus on his politics career in his native Philippines.

WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Claressa Shields. A double Olympic champion from 2012 and 2016, the American superstar became the only fighter in the four-belt era to be an undisputed champion across two divisions. Then, for good measure, she tried her hands at mixed martial arts and won her debut. At only 26, Shields has much more to achieve.

VIRAL MOMENTS OF THE YEAR

The punch heard around the world. Under a withering attack from Teofimo Lopez, George Kambosos Jnr returned fire to drop Lopez with a pinpoint right hand. Hook it to your veins.

Tyson Fury’s ring walk for his third bout with Deontay Wilder. Fury has all the money in the world but looked like he had just nicked up to the local costume shop for his grand entrance. It really was a thing of wonder.

Pocketing a medal in Tokyo. British fighter Ben Whittaker took that very literally after his lopsided defeat in his gold medal bout at the Olympics against Cuba’s Arlen Lopez. Instead of wearing his medal with pride, he quickly took it off and stuck it in his pocket. He later regretted his display.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR

“I am not a king. I am the emperor.” – George Kambosos Jnr after his lightweight victory.

CRYSTAL BALL FOR 2022

Tim Tszyu gets his world title shot and wins, adding another champion to Australia’s ranks after George Kambosos Jnr defended his belts and added one more as he hosted Devin Haney at a sold-out Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. Liam Paro emerges as the next genuine star of the Australian fight scene and Justis Huni makes steady progress as he seeks a fight to put him on the world stage.

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