Richard Commey did not only announce his comeback in last Saturday’s brutal victory over Jackson Marinez but proved that he is among the elite fighters in the lightweight division.
The two big right hand which sent Marinez crashing to the canvas in the sixth round is a testimony of how powerful Commey is. It was indeed a massive statement by the Ghanaian.
This is the second time Commey has had a magnificent comeback against dangerous opponents after a painful defeat.
In 2018, he destroyed Alejandro Luna in an IBF world title eliminator after painful losses to Robert Easter Jnr and Denis Shafikov.
Commey’s defeat to Easter Jnr was his maiden world championship fight when he came close to becoming a titlist in 2016. He suffered a controversial split decision loss.
After his camp had protested the outcome of the bout, the Ghanaian was given another chance to earn a rematch with the American but he lost to Shafikov in an eliminator.
These two defeats were Commey’s first in his professional career and really affected his career. However, he managed to comeback quickly with a win back home in Ghana over Tunisia’s Hedi Slimani.
Soon after that win, he redeemed himself with a sixth round brutal knockout victory over Luna in six rounds and that gave him the nod to challenge for the IBF lightweight crown again in 2019, which he won.
Commey knew he needed this victory badly to stay in the division as one of the best, and he did just that.
With Marinez’s skill and craft, I was a bit nervous since the bout was announced last month. I took solace in the fact that Marinez hasn’t fought anyone like Commey throughout his career and that was proved by the Ghanaian last night. I feared ring rust but Commey showed class. The plan was to utilise his power against a well-composed opponent in Marinez and he did that in splendid fashion.
Potential opponents
Commey’s emphatic win against Marinez sent the boxing world into disarray, especially when he was coming back for the first time since losing his IBF belt in over a year.
So many names are being considered for his next fight but his camp must be firm in choosing the next opponent. His win leaves the lightweight division widely open with several big names.
The likes of former unified champion, Vasyl Lomachenko, WBC champion Devin Haney, George Kambosos, and Masayoshi Nakatani, among others, have been mentioned but Commey must be smart in agreeing on his next fight.
I expect him to go for a big pay day in his next fight and Lomachenko will offer him that. He has to take up the bout if the opportunity of slugging it out with the Ukrainian avails itself.
He needs that fight because age is not on his side. At 33 years, Commey’s career span in the division won’t be long and the more reason he must go for the big money.
There is also a possibility of challenging Haney and Kambosos, which will all bring home good money. I will be watching closely on his next move.
Commey ready
I think Commey is ready to embrace another shot at the world title after blasting out Marinez. I think the quest to be a two-time champion is on course but he has to work on his flaws.
The fact that he has a powerful right hand makes him a respectable opponent in the ring. Commey must work on his defence to be able to stand a chance against the big names in the division.
Watching most of his career losses, one could notice that letting his guard down whenever he attacks gives him out.
It happened against Easter Jnr and Lopez when he lost to them. Against Marinez, he made similar mistakes and was caught sometimes by the Dominican.
Aside that, Commey has whatever it takes to take on the best. I entreat his trainers to quickly work on his deficiency before accepting a bout with any of the elites in the division.
Until his next fight is announced, Commey has earned the respect of many boxing enthusiasts in the world and that Marinez display will go a long way to reward him.
By: Bernard Neequaye