Richard Commey vs. Ray Beltran - June 28, 2019

[Ruthless-RKO]

Former WBO lightweight champion Ray Beltran (36-8-1 22KO) will get another crack at a world title when he challenges IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey (28-2 25KO) at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. The winner of this bout is expected to face the winner of the July 19th clash between undefeated phenom Teofimo Lopez and Masayoshi Nakatani.



Boxingtalk has been informed that terms have been agreed to for this two fight deal which Top Rank hopes will conclude with the IBF title around Lopez's waist to set up a mega-fight with Vasiliy Lomachenko.

[Ruthless-RKO]

The fight, in the works for the past few weeks, will take place on June 28 (ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET with full card streaming on ESPN+ beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET) at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

"I'm honored to be headlining an ESPN show as a world champion and to be fighting former world champion Ray Beltran, whom I have the utmost respect for," Commey said. "This is an opportunity for me to show the American public that I'm here to become the undisputed lightweight champion of the world. The path is set, and come June 28, I'll be ready to rock 'n' roll."

Lou DiBella brought on Top Rank to co-promote Commey hoping to help him land a title fight and high-profile bouts.

"We're thrilled that his first defense will be a high-profile fight against tenacious former world champion Ray Beltran," DiBella said. "Richard wants to be a unified champion and a star. On June 28, he has an opportunity to raise his profile worldwide."

"I'm excited about this fight with Richard Commey," Beltran said. "I've been the WBO champion, and I intend to be the IBF champion on June 28. I expect a tough fight, but that's the kind of fight I like. We are both very experienced, so it will come down to who is willing to lay his heart on the line that night. After losing my title to Jose Pedraza, I think some people thought I was done, but I always come back and prove that I belong."

Beltran, a former longtime sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao, will go into the fight having reunited with trainer Freddie Roach.

"I'm excited to announce that Freddie Roach is back in my corner after all these years. When I was working with Manny Pacquiao, I saw what Freddie can do, both in camp and in the corner," Beltran said. "I'm grateful to Top Rank and ESPN for having me back. The only thing I want for my birthday (on July 23) is the IBF world title."

In the co-feature, junior middleweight contender Carlos Adames (17-0, 14 KOs), 25, of the Dominican Republic, will fight Patrick Day (17-2-1, 6 KOs), 26, of Freeport, New York, in a 10-round defense of his regional belts.

"This fight represents a big step in the right direction for me and my career," said Adames, who is coming off a dominating fourth-round knockout of Frank Galarza on Terence Crawford-Amir Khan card on April 20. "I am thrilled with this opportunity, and as I have always promised to my people of the Dominican Republic I will be the next world champion from the island and the new face of Dominican boxing."

Day has won six fights in a row and is aiming for No. 7.

"Time to show the world who Pat Day is," he said. "These are the fights I dreamed of on my way to top 10 contention. Now that I am here, I intend to advance to a world title. I respect what Carlos brings to the table, but he has never fought a guy like me. I am focused on winning and looking good doing it."

Also on the card on the ESPN+ stream of preliminary bouts:

• Junior lightweight Saul Rodriguez (23-0-1, 17 KOs), 26, of Riverside, California, will take on Miguel Angel Gonzalez (24-4, 21 KOs),2 4, of Mexico, in a 10-rounder.

• Middleweight Tyler Howard (17-0, 11 KOs), 25, of Crossville, Tennessee, will face the Manny Woods (16-8-1, 6 KOs), 32, of Saint Petersburg, Florida, in an eight-rounder.

• Junior welterweight Ruben Rodriguez (6-0, 2 KOs), 22, of Indio, California, will fight Vicente Morales (2-2-2, 1 KO), 19, of Mexico, in a six-rounder.

• Lightweight Raymond Muratalla (7-0, 5 KOs), 22, of Fontana, California, will face Javier Martinez (4-6, 3 KOs), 36, of Laredo, Texas, in a six-rounder.

• Junior lightweight Christopher Zavala (4-0, 2 KOs), 19, of Bellflower, California, will fight Prisco Marquez (4-0-1, 1 KO), 25, of Austin, Texas, in a four-rounder.

• Middleweight David Kaminsky (4-0, 2 KOs), an 18-year-old Israel native fighting out of Tarzana, California, will face Los Angeles native Osbaldo Gonzalez (6-4, 4 KOs), 29, in a four-rounder.

• Middleweight Daniel Lewis (1-0, 1 KO), 25, a 2016 Australian Olympian, will make his Top Rank debut in a six-rounder against an opponent to be determined.

• Junior welterweight Elvis Rodriguez (2-0, 2 KOs), 23, of the Dominican Republic, will face an opponent to be named in a four-rounder.

[Best Coast]

Should be an action-packed matchup!! I've got Commey winning by decision.

[THESURESHOT]

Tank, d. Haney, teofimo, r. Garcia, shakur, berchalt...so many well deserved fighters and they’re going with beltran with all those losses? What a bunch of BS boxing politics, favors, whatever u wanna call it..

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tank, d. Haney, teofimo, r. Garcia, shakur, berchalt...so many well deserved fighters and they’re going with beltran with all those losses? What a bunch of BS boxing politics, favors, whatever u wanna call it..

It’s just so he can have a successful defence.

[SenorPipino]

Just setting it up so Commey (or Beltran) can drop the belt to Lopez in November.

Beltran seems to be an ESPN favorite, so he gets the call. Tough but always very vulnerable.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Junior Fa vs. Dominick Guinn on Commey-Beltran Card

Heavyweight contender Junior Fa has finalized a fight with very faded veteran Dominick Guinn.

According to News Hub, the 17-0 Fa will square off with Guinn on the undercard of the IBF world lightweight title fight between challenger Richard Commey and challenger Raymundo Beltran in Palm Springs, Florida on June 28.

Guinn, now 44-year-old, has been in the sport now for 19 years. Despite his twelve defeats, Guinn has never been stopped.

Guinn was a highly regarded prospect in the early 2000s.

He was never the same after a close decision loss to Monte Barrett in 2004, but he still took a lot of punchers the full distance.

It would be an accomplishment if Fa was able to stop him. Guinn has won two in a row, while Fa is fighting for the fifth time in 15 months.

"I just need to keep myself tidy and do the small things right, because he's very experienced," Fa told Newshub. "Which basically means he brings a lot of skill and he's seen a lot of different styles.

"He knows how to take fighters into deep water, so I have to make sure I've got myself physically fit and mentally fit to go the 10 rounds, if I need to. If I take him out early, I'm the first guy to do that. If he lasts 10 rounds, then I have those 10 rounds underneath my belt.

"I've got something more specific that I can work on, so it makes things a bit more real. It changes the intensity of training just a little bit, because I'm a bit more focussed on what I can actually do in a fight. I think, in a couple of years, there will be much more exciting fights. I'm going to be really tested and I can't wait, because I'm training hard for those kinds of fights. I'm ready for whoever."

[Ruthless-RKO]

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets for this world championship event priced at $149, $129, $79, $59, and $29 are on sale now and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or in person at the Pechanga Resort Casino box office.

[Best Coast]

Just setting it up so Commey (or Beltran) can drop the belt to Lopez in November.

Beltran seems to be an ESPN favorite, so he gets the call. Tough but always very vulnerable.

Agreed...I'd be really surprised if Commey stopped him. Beltran hasnt been stopped in over a decade but Commey should outbox him in an entertaining fight.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight week.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ray Beltran won’t get another chance to win a lightweight world title Friday night after all.
The former WBO 135-pound champion came to the scale Thursday afternoon in Temecula, California, significantly overweight for his fight against IBF champion Richard Commey. Phoenix’s Beltran stepped on the California State Athletic Commission’s scale at 136½ pounds, a pound-and-a-half over the lightweight maximum.

The 38-year-old Beltran could’ve taken two full hours to try to squeeze down to the lightweight limit, but the Mexican veteran didn’t try to do that. He’ll still fight Commey on Friday night, but he can’t win the IBF lightweight title even if he upsets the heavy-handed champion.

However, the fight will only go forward if Beltran weighs 146.5-pounds on the morning of the fight.

Ghana’s Commey, who would not lose the title if Beltran beats him, met his contractual obligation by officially weighing in at 134¼ pounds.

In order to keep his title, Commey would have to weigh no more than 10-pounds above 134¼ for the IBF's second day weigh-in.
Their ESPN main event was supposed to represent an opportunity for Beltran (36-8-1, 22 KOs, 1 NC) to become a two-time lightweight world champion.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Junior Fa Will Be Aiming To Stop Dominick Guinn at Pechanga

Heavyweight WBO # 7 Junior Fa is ready to put on a show on ESPN + against tough veteran Dominic Guinn at the Pechanga resort and casino in Temecula, California June 28.

Fa, who has a perfect record 17-0 (10 KO's) faces the experienced and never stopped Dominick Guinn 37-12 (26 KO's) says he wants to capitalise on the ESPN + exposure and be the first man to stop Guinn.

"I know Guinn has been training hard and is in great shape but I'm looking to stop this guy! I'm not here for a conservative points win. I'm coming here to stop him!" stated Fa. "I'm not going to say in the media I'm not looking for the stoppage, that would be a lie."

Fa is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and is part of the Top Rank card featuring IBF world lightweight champion Richard Commey 28-2 ( 25 KO's ) making his first defence against former champion Ray Beltran 36-8-1 ( 22 KO's ).

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tonight at 10 pm ET on ESPN

In the ESPN co-feature, unbeaten 154-pound prospect Carlos Adames takes on Patrick Day as Top Rank continue to move Adames along slowly but surely, hoping to maximize his potential.

The prelims start at 7 pm ET on ESPN+, with 130-pound prospect Saul Rodriguez, heavyweight prospect Junior Fa, and several more in action.

Prelims (ESPN+, 7:00 pm ET)

10 Round Super Featherweight Bout
Saul Rodriguez (23-0-1, 17 KO) vs. Miguel Angel Gonzalez (24-4, 21 KO)

4 Round Junior Welterweight Bout
Elvis Rodriguez (2-0, 2 KO) vs. Joaquin Chavez (9-18-3, 2 KO)

4 Round Lightweight Bout
Dmitry Yun (debut) vs. Jose Antonio Meza (6-3, 1 KO)

4 Round Middleweight Bout
David Kaminsky (4-0, 2 KO) vs. Osbaldo Gonzales (6-4, 4 KO)

6 Round Super Featherweight Bout
Christopher Zavala (4-0, 2 KO) vs. Prisco Marquez (4-0-1, 1 KO)

6 Round Lightweight Bout
Raymond Muratalla (7-0, 5 KO) vs. Agustine Mauras (6-5-3, 3 KO)

6 Round Welterweight Bout
Ruben Rodriguez (6-0, 2 KO) vs. Vicente Morales (2-2-2, 1 KO)

10 Round Heavyweight Bout
Junior Fa (17-0, 10 KO) vs. Dominick Guinn (37-12-1, 26 KO)

Main Card (ESPN, 10:00 pm ET)

NABF & WBO NABO Super Welterweight Titles
Carlos Adames (17-0, 14 KO) vs. Patrick Day (17-2-1, 6 KO)

IBF World Lightweight Title (Title on the line for Commey only - Beltrán 1.8 pounds over lightweight limit.)
Richard Commey (28-2, 25 KO) vs. Ray Beltran (36-8-1, 22 KO)

[oogiebe]

Beltran misses weight. Title won't be on the line.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Beltran misses weight. Title won't be on the line.

Covered. I read somewhere it said belt only on the line for Commey, but the same article said Commey CANNOT lose belt if he loses.

[SenorPipino]

Covered. I read somewhere it said belt only on the line for Commey, but the same article said Commey CANNOT lose belt if he loses.

Isn't that different than usual?

In the past the champion could lose the belt if he lost to the overweight fighter. The title would become vacant.

It never made sense to me because why should a fighter lose his championship if he's defeated by a man who's in a different weight division?

[DrDuke]

Commey by easy UD.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ray Beltran made weight Friday morning and will move forward with his fight against Richard Commey on Friday night.

The 38-year-old Beltran was overweight Thursday for their 12-round, 135-pound championship match, which disqualified him from fighting for Commey’s IBF lightweight title. Beltran paid a $20,000 penalty to Commey for failing to make weight, but he also wasn’t allowed to weigh more than 146½ pounds at the IBF’s second-day weigh-in Friday morning.

The IBF’s rule states that a champion and a contender cannot weigh more than 10 pounds over a division’s limit at a second-day weigh-in. Representatives for Commey and Beltran negotiated a deal Thursday that restricted Beltran from coming in 10 pounds more Friday morning than the 136½ pounds he weighed Thursday on the California State Athletic Commission’s scale.

[diddy]

Commey is +400 to win by DEC. Thats a must bet. Value is too good. -1600 favorite against a guy who hasnt been stopped in over a decade and went the distance with Bud Crawford and Pedraza? Commey could get him outta there but at 4-1 odds I'm taking the chance he doesnt.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Lightweight Dmitry Yun (1-0) made his pro debut with a four round unanimous decision over Jose Antonio Meza Quinonez (6-4). All three judges saw it 39-36.

At times the action was close, but Yun was busier and more accurate, with Yun losing a point in the final round after numerous warnings for hitting behind the head and other fouls.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Middleweight prospect David Kaminsky (5-0, 2KOs) was pounding Osbaldo Gonzalez (6-5) over four rounds to pick up a four round unimous decision. All three judges were in agreement with identical scores of 40-36.

[SenorPipino]

Commey is +400 to win by DEC. Thats a must bet. Value is too good. -1600 favorite against a guy who hasnt been stopped in over a decade and went the distance with Bud Crawford and Pedraza? Commey could get him outta there but at 4-1 odds I'm taking the chance he doesnt.

My book only has Commey at -1000. And +300 to win by decision. He's -250 to win by KO.

Although I favor Commey in this fight, I'm surprised that he's such a lopsided choice.

I thought he didn't sparkle overall in losing to Easter. He doesn't strike me as so talented that he should be more than maybe -300.

Beltran might be slowing down but he's a tough out. I expect it to be competitive with the younger Commey taking control late.

[diddy]

Commey is too slick for Beltran IMO. As Beltran slows down Commey will pick him apart I suspect.

[diddy]

I'm interested to see the big Aussie puncher Junior Fa against Guinn. Not because he might lose because alot of people are tipping him to the first to stop Guinn. I doubt that HIGHLY.

[armageto]

The over here at 5.5 rounds (-205) and Commey rounds 10-12 (+1200) both didn't seem too bad. Beltran seems like he should at least make it half way, regardless of how old he is. He might just be old enough to continually fade off a cliff by the final rounds.