Australia's latest boxing superstar Geroge Kambosos Jr stunned the sporting world on Sunday earning a split decision win over lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.
Despite entering the ring as a huge underdog, the undefeated Sydneysider dropped Lopez in the first round, survived a ninth-round wobble and a late knockdown himself to earn the right side of the scorecards.
Lopez was coming off a stunning victory himself when he beat the seemingly unstoppable Vasily Lomachenko in October last year to retain his WBO, WBA and Ring Magazine lightweight titles.
But speaking to Newshub ahead of the bout, Kombosos felt his speed and movement would cause fits for Lopez and he was proved right.
Kambosos bossed the early rounds, pulling a big enough lead on two of the judges' scorecards to withstand Lopez's late fight comeback, winning 115-112, 115-112, 113-114 and claim the unified world lightweight titles.
There was widespread congratulations for the popular Kambosos with boxing great Manny Pacquiao among several personalities to laud the Australians performance.
But it was the post-match actions of a disgruntled Lopez that has labelled the New York native a sore loser with his home crowd even turning on him as a chorus of boos rang out inside the Hulu Theatre.
"He's a hell of a fighter, but I won tonight, everybody knows that," Lopez assessed.
"The referee raised my hand. I won tonight, I don't care what anybody says yo, I won tonight. At the end of the day, I've been here, I done that, I want to thank God, I want to thank everybody that came out tonight, look, I ain't no sore loser, I take my wins like I take my losses.
"At the end of the day man I'm a true champion, I did what I had to do, and I went out there and did my best. I don't care what anybody says man, I am as real as they come, and this is the takeover man, we don't stop, we keep coming.
"Yo, at the end of the day man, I love you all, I won this fight."
Kambosos meanwhile brushed off the comments, calling Lopez delusional and proclaiming himself an Aussie great.
"Have I changed all week? Have I changed all career? Never... I'm not the king, because you've got four kings. I'm the emperor," he said.
"Every day I got better and better and better and better.
"It's my night tonight and it's gonna be my night for a very long time
"I'm the Emperor. I got myself back up, what a warrior.
"I am the greatest Australian boxer in history."
