‘Lucky he’s not dead’: Teofimo Lopez ‘could have died’ during championship fight against George Kambosos

Doctors made a worrying discovery inside Teofimo Lopez’s chest following his championship fight with Australian George Kambosos.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 27: George Kambosos punches Teofimo Lopez during their championship bout for Lopez’s Undisputed Lightweight title at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 27, 2021 in New York, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Doctors have revealed that former undisputed lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez should have been in hospital rather than the boxing ring last weekend.

Australian fighter George Kambosos was awarded a shock split decision victory over Lopez, claiming the WBA, IBF, WBO and The Ring lightweight titles after a 115-111, 115-112 and 113-114 win at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

Both fighters were taken to hospital after the fight for precautionary reasons, but doctors made a worrying discovery inside Lopez’s chest.

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According to the 24-year-old’s medical records, Lopez was diagnosed with “pneumomediastinum” with “extensive air in the retropharyngeal space” during his post-fight visit to Bellevue Hospital.

“He could have died, for sure,” otolaryngologist Dr. Linda Dahl told ESPN.

”How he breathed, I can‘t even explain to you. It’s like somebody tied a 300-pound set of weights around his chest … like his neck and chest were in a vise.

“That‘s how he fought.”

Dahl continued: “The air was surrounding his chest wall and his heart and his neck – places where air is not supposed to be.

“If he was hit in the neck or the chest – a certain way, in a certain place – he could have developed a pneumothorax (collapsed lung).

“He would have instantly been down and unable to breathe and needing a chest tube.”

Teofimo Lopez was bloodied and battered during his bout against George Kambosos. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Dr. Peter Constantino, executive director of the New York Head and Neck Institute, told ESPN: “He‘s lucky he’s not dead. I mean, really lucky.”

Lopez began experiencing shortness of breath and swelling in the neck area more than 24 hours before the fight, but the American didn‘t divulge his symptoms to his manager or the athletic commission during Friday’s pre-fight examination.

“I thought it was just my asthma,” Lopez told ESPN.

“I fought through asthma before. If I told everybody, they would’ve cancelled the fight. But I chose not to, because of the amount of pressure I was under. I didn’t want to hear people say, ‘Oh, another postponement.’”

Teofimo Lopez punches George Kambosos during their championship bout. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Kambosos’ win had commentators on global combat sport streaming broadcaster DAZN declaring it the biggest victory in Australian boxing history.

The 20-0 Aussie has left the world in awe and full of admiration for the class he showed even before the judges’ scorecards were announced.

Meanwhile, Lopez was criticised for the moment he cut into Kambosos’ interview and declared he deserved to win the fight. Lopez and the outlying judge appeared to be the only people on the planet who believed his ridiculous claim.

“He’s a hell of a fighter, but I won tonight, man,” he said.

“Everybody knows that. The referee raised my hand. I won tonight. I don’t care what anybody says, I won tonight.

“I ain’t no sore loser. At the end of the day, I take my wins, I take my losses. I’m a true champion. I came out here. I did what I had to do.”

Originally published as ‘Lucky he’s not dead’: Teofimo Lopez ‘could have died’ during championship fight against George Kambosos