Commey poised to call Lopez’s bluff
Richard Commey, Ghana’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) lightweight champion, is confident he will pass his latest test tonight against Teofimo Lopez in a mandatory defence at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
Commey says he does not see himself losing to Lopez in their world championship fight as the champion aims at a dream unification fight with WBC, WBA and WBO titlist Vasyl Lomachenko next year.
Advertisement
The Ghanaian fighter is looking forward to proving his worth against the American of Honduran descent and has described as an “amazing feeling” his rise from humble beginnings in Ghana to becoming a world champion in 2019, having worked so hard over the years.
At a press conference ahead of the much-anticipated bout, the 32-year-old Commey said he was glad to be billed to fight at a venue like the Madison Square Garden in a co-main event.
“It [2019] has been a great year. I’ve worked so hard coming from Ghana. You know how it is. To get to this stage, man, it’s just an amazing feeling.
“How many boxers have come from Ghana with a chance to fight in [The Garden] the co-main event…? God bless us, and I’m ready to retain my title. There is no way I’m going to lose,” he noted.
The champion’s dream of becoming a notable name in the lightweight division will be put to test tonight in what he sees as a career-defining fight with Lopez as victory could land him a big fight against the dreaded, undefeated Lomachenko.
The stakes are high for him to deliver as the nation rallies behind him to ensure he maintains the status as Ghana’s sole world champion going into 2020.
Commey is undefeated in his last five bouts since losing two consecutive fights to Robert Easter Jnr and Denis Shafikov in 2016, with tonight’s title defence presenting him an opportunity to make it six wins on the trot.
Other Trending Stories
Meanwhile, Lopez is looking forward to making history for himself at age 22 by snatching Commey’s title and has noted that he is ready to seize his moment to finish the year as a world champion.
The challenger is undefeated and reckons the moment is right for him to deliver his first world title at a famous Madison Square Garden, one of boxing’s most hallowed arenas.
“It's a blessing. It's a breathtaking moment. It's just something I have to visualise and just know that at 22 years old, I have a great opportunity here to do a lot. I'm excited man. What better way to finish off the year than fight in the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden, for my first world title, in New York. This is a moment right here," Lopez told the media.
The fight is expected to be a thriller especially when both boxers have similar fight style with a strong reliance on their punching power to overpower their opponents.