By Shaun Brown

The probable fight of the weekend in Britain will take place amongst the heat and the history of the old York Hall in London but won’t be shown on television.

As some of British boxing’s A-Listers turn out at Liverpool’s Echo Arena during a Sky Sports broadcast, Richard Commey and Gary Buckland will square off in a potentially mouth-watering clash to decide if the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title will be going to Ghana or Wales.

In a show promoted by Steve Goodwin and to be screened live and free on www.boxingevolution.tv, Commey will be looking to make Buckland, a former British super featherweight champion, victim number 18 on his unbeaten record where none of the Ghanaian’s opponents have yet to go beyond eight rounds.

Boxing purists will know that Commey’s homeland has produced ring legends and world champions such as Ike “Bazooka” Quartey and Azumah “The Professor” Nelson. At the moment, the only thing Commey has in common with the two is that he too comes from the country’s capital city of Accra. But he vows that one day he will emulate his country’s boxing heroes.

“It is a dream and it will be a dream that comes true for me,” he told Boxing Scene.

“After I win this title, I will be going after world rankings to get that world title. I expect to have a world ranking this time next year. It’s something I would put my life on. I’m only happy if I’m moving forward. My sponsors have my back and support me fully and my manager and the rest of my team are working hard so I know I’m going to take a world title back to Africa.”

His lofty ambitions are equalized with an admission of where his development currently lies.

“This career of mine has taken off and it’s been wonderful but we always have our gameplan right. I’m progressing, I’m still progressing and I’m a baby in the sport and I’m still progressing. We’re looking forward to this fight and I’m going to prove on the night why I have an unbeaten record.”

To do so, Commey will have to do what the likes of Ben Murphy, John Murray, Stephen Smith and Gavin Rees have done and beat Gary Buckland 28-4 (9 KOs). The Welsh ‘Dynamo’ is rarely in a dull fight and loves nothing more to go to war with his opponent. A trait that Commey is only too happy to match.

“I know he loves to fight. If it’s a war that’s fine because I’m from Ghana! I don’t see a threat from him that he has for me. I know he’s a tough guy and I’m a tough guy but I don’t see a threat. I’m going to go into the ring and do what I love to do best; box, fight and do everything to win the fight. I’ll be giving 150% and it’ll be my win on the night.”

With Buckland having gone the 12 round distance four times during his career, Commey is aware that there is a question mark on whether he can do the same. But like most fighters who haven’t fought 36 mins of action, he says he’s ready to go as far as the fight needs to go.

“It’s not a worry at all because I’ve always been training and preparing for 12 rounds. Like I say, the knockouts always come by the grace of god. I’m ready to go 12 rounds, I’m ready. Fans shouldn’t expect a short fight. I’ll go as long as the ref allows it and if he wants it to continue I’ll go the distance, I’m ready.”

Shaun Brown is the UK Editor at Boxing Scene and a contributor to Boxing Monthly. He can be contacted at sbrownboxing@gmail.com with any news, views or stories you may have.