Richard Commey Urged To Beat Lopez, Lomachenko If He Wants To Be Great

Joshua Clottey, Ghana’s former world champion, has described Richard Commey’s upcoming fight with Teofimo Lopez and a possible bout with Vasyl Lomachenko as an opportunity to rise to the top of the sport.

Clottey called on the IBF lightweight titleholder to take advantage of the two fights in order to be great, especially when wins over Lopez and Lomachenko would affirm his status as the best in the division.

The Ghanaian is preparing for his December 14 showdown with Lopez at the Madison Square Garden in a bout that could earn him a unification bout with WBC, WBA and WBO champion, Lomachenko early next year.

Commey will be making his mandatory defence against Lopez in a co-feature of the Terrence Crawford-Egidijus Kavaliauskas undercard in New York on December 14.

Clottey told the Graphic Sports in an interview that he was confident Commey would make the nation proud with an emphatic victory despite facing a tough test.

“Commey has two fights to make him great in boxing but they are not easy fights so I expect him to come out triumphant in those bouts.

“Looking at Commey train, you can see he is strong and well prepared for these fights and I believe he is ready to make the entire nation proud,” he said.

Commey has been preparing feverishly under trainer Andre Rozier in New York ahead of his much-anticipated fight with undefeated Lopez.

With five straight victories against Hedi Slimani, Alejandro Luna, Yardley Cruz, Isa Chaniev and Raymundo Beltran, Commey will hope to add the American to his victims when they slug it out next month.

The Ghanaian will be making his fourth world championship fight on December 14, having won twice and lost once in his previous three bouts.