Barring a draw, someone is going to make it two wins in a row.

The other man is going to walk away having lost two of their last three.

No one can say either man is shying away from the fire. Vasiliy Lomachenko is making his second start since a loss to Teofimo Lopez against a fighter widely regarded as top ten at lightweight. Going back to his win over lineal Jr. featherweight king Guillermo Rigondeaux, Richard Commey will be Lomachenko’s eighth straight opponent ranked from champion to top ten in their division by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and Ring Magazine. 

Richard Commey is also making his second start since a loss to Lopez, though his loss was more devastating. Commey showed he is still dangerous in stopping Jackson Marinez in his return contest and is in a must-win situation here.

Lomachenko-Commey comes on the heels of two wild weeks in the division. The winners in the last three major lightweight contests (George Kambosos, Devin Haney, and Gervonta Davis) are all under thirty. Lomachenko will be 34 in February. Commey will be 35 in March. Time might not be running out, but it’s not an ally either. Will both fight like it?  

Let’s get into it. 

Stats and Stakes

Vasiliy Lomachenko

Age: 33

Title: None

Previous Titles: WBO featherweight (2014-16, 3 Defenses); WBO super featherweight (2016-18, 4 Defenses); WBC lightweight (2019); WBA/Ring lightweight (2018-Present, 3 Defenses); WBO lightweight (2018-Present, 2 Defenses)

Height: 5’7 

Weight: 134 ¼ lbs.

Stance: Southpaw

Hails from: Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine

Record: 15-2, 11 KO (21-2, 11 KO including World Series of Boxing Contests)

Press Rankings: #2 (TBRB, Ring, ESPN, BoxRec)

Record in Major Title Fights: 13-2, 9 KO

Last Five Opponents: 113-10-3 (.909)

Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Orlando Salido L12; Roman Martinez KO5; Jason Sosa RTD9; Guillermo Rigondeaux RTD6; Jorge Linares TKO10; Jose Pedraza UD12; Anthony Crolla KO4; Luke Campbell UD12; Teofimo Lopez L12; Masayoshi Nakatani TKO9  

Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: Gary Russell Jr MD12; Nicholas Walters RTD7

Vs.

Richard Commey 

Age: 34

Title: None

Previous Titles: IBF Lightweight (2019, 1 Defense)

Height: 5’8  

Weight: 134 ¼ lbs.

Stance: Orthodox

Hails from: Accra, Ghana

Record: 30-3, 27 KO, 1 KOBY

Press Rankings: #5 (Ring), #6 (TBRB), #7 (BoxRec), #9 (ESPN), 

Record in Major Title Fights: N/A

Last Five Opponents: 106-20-1 (.839)

Notable Outcomes, Ring/TBRB Rated Foes: Robert Easter L12; Denis Shafikov L12; Raymundo Beltran KO8; Teofimo Lopez TKO by 2

Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None

The Pick: Lomachenko looked as good as he ever has against Nakatani but Commey is a better opponent with some physical attributes to help his cause. Commey is taller and longer than Lomachenko, extends his jab, and can have a harsh right hand. The problem for Commey is his offense can sometimes be predictable and Commey can be wide open in close quarters. Lomachenko’s ability to feint and step around Commey, away from Commey’s right, will create countering opportunities for the Ukrainian. Commey’s best chance may be to land something big early and force Lomachenko to slow down his offense to keep rounds close. The more likely outcome is Lomachenko’s greater diversity of offense and defense allows him to build a lead through the first half and keep it down the stretch. The recent run at lightweight has largely over delivered for fans and this one should have some moments but in the end the pick is Lomachenko by decision.  

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Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com