Champion, Joshua Clottey has cautioned Ghana’s newest world titleholder, Richard Oblitey Commey, about unifying his title against Ukranian dreaded WBA and WBO lightweight champion, Vasiliy Lomachenko on 12 April 2019.
The title unification bout with Lomachenko was part of the fight contract Commey signed to contest defeated Isa Chaniev.
But Clottey who is also known as ‘Hitter’ wants Commey to defend his belt rather than unify it.
“The fight I don’t want Oblitey to take now is Lamochenko…The guy, Lamochenko is too much for now. I think Oblitey has to enjoy the title, not that he can’t beat Lamochenko,” Clottey said.
He added: “Oblitey is so huge that when he stands in front of Lamochenko, he is going to give Lamochenko a lot of problems. But the issue is, he has to enjoy the title. He has to defend the title.”
Commey, 31, is expected to undergo an x-ray on his right hand after sustaining a knuckle pop from the punch that flattened Isa Chaniev for a second-round knockdown.
This injury could determine whether the April 12 bout fight comes off as planned.
In another development, newly crowned world’s IBF Lightweight Champion, Richard Oblittey Commey, has kicked against a possible future clash with former IBO champion, Emmanuel ‘Game Boy’ Tagoe for his title.
Ghana’s 10th World Boxing Champion who won in style at the Ford Center at the Star in Dallas, Frisco,Texas last Saturday as he stopped his Russian opponent Isa Chaniev via a TKO decision has his own plans being directed by his managers.
There were possible opponents being thrown out before last Saturday’s bout in the event that he wins.
Chiefly amongst those names were Vasyl Lomachenko and Emmanuel Tagoe (currently ranked number 12 by the IBF and 4th by the WBO) from same DiBella stable.
But Commey, in his post fight interview kicked against fighting his Ghanaian counterpart.
“Have you seen two Ghanaians fighting for the same World Title? No. I wouldn’t even want to fight him. Ghana needs more World titles and so there is no point fighting him for my title. I worked so hard for this and if he really want this he should also go through the hard way just as I did.
“I know he is good and thankfully he is also signed to DiBella entertainment so he can do it. Ghanaian boxers are known for winning World Titles so I pray he also gets another title for Ghana,” Commey stated.
His manager Michael Amo Bediako also alludes to the fact that it is not a possibility worth considering now.
“At the moment they are on a totally different paths. No disrespect to Emmanuel Tagoe but he is not on the level of Richard Commey at this moment. And that’s no disrespect to him whatsoever. That’s just my opinion.
He has not reached the height of Richard Commey yet, he might well do and when he does we can look at that but at this moment in time Richard Commey is a World Champion,” the manager stressed.
Commey is expected back home in Ghana to a heroic welcome. Die Hard Supporters Union and Ghana Boxing Supporters Union (GBSU) have prepared new songs to welcome him.
By Sammy Heywood Okine (Dep. Communications Director, GBA