America’s lightweight contender, Teofimo Lopez, is targeting a shot at Richard Commey’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) strap in July after his upcoming bout with Edis Tatli.
The undefeated American has called out the Ghanaian world champion to a fight in a bid to snatch the IBF strap in what could be Commey’s first title defence.
Commey (28-2, 25 KOs) has commenced training having been passed fit following a hand injury he sustained in his last bout with Isa Chaniev.
The 31-year-old Ghanaian could fight Lopez (12-0, 10 KOs) in his first defence should the IBF declare the American’s upcoming fight with Tatli a mandatory to Commey’s crown.
Speaking to DAZN, Lopez noted that he has planned three fights ahead of him which commences with Tatli on April 20 before slugging it out with Commey in July and then a possible unification against Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko.
“The reason I say we are going to fight for the world titles this year is because I’m going to make it that way,” Teofimo Lopez said to DAZN.
“Tatli, and then Richard] Commey, and then defend it against Lomachenko or Pedraza, Mikey, any of those guys,” Teofimo said when asked who he plans on fighting in his next three fights.
“I don’t know what Mikey is going to do in his next. In my next three fights after April 20th, I know I’m fighting again in July. Most likely it’s going to be against Commey. Hopefully we make that fight happen. I will defend the IBF title and hopefully we unify against Lomachenko,” he added.
Commey has returned to training camp in the United States after spending over a month in his native Ghana following his world title victory over Russia’s Chaniev on February 2.
He is yet to have an opponent for his first title defence after his scheduled unification fight with WBA and WBO champion, Lomachenko, on April 12, failed due to his hand injury which ruled him out for six weeks.
From Sammy Heywood Okine