Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Richard Commey | Sky Sports - 11 December 2021

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Vasiliy Lomachenko and Richard Commey land coveted time slot for Dec. 11 bout at Madison Square Garden, sources say

Vasiliy Lomachenko and Richard Commey have agreed to a deal for a Dec. 11 fight at Madison Square Garden, multiple sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

The clash of former lightweight champions will air following the Heisman Trophy presentation, one of the most coveted dates and time slots on Top Rank's programming schedule.

Lomachenko, the former three-division champion, lost his three 135-pound titles to Teofimo Lopez in October in a closely contested fight for the undisputed championship. Lomachenko (15-2, 11 KOs) underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff following the bout and returned in June with a ninth-round stoppage of Masayoshi Nakatani.

The 33-year-old Ukrainian was hoping to land a rematch with Lopez later in the year, but Lopez's June 19 title fight with mandatory challenger George Kambosos was postponed after the champion tested positive for COVID-19.

Lopez and Kambosos still don't have a date or location for their fight following a dispute with Triller that involved numerous date changes.

The date for Loma's second bout of 2021 has always been the same, though, and it's a familiar one. He's competed on Heisman night twice: a 2017 TKO victory over Guillermo Rigondeaux and a 2018 decision win vs. Jose Pedraza. The two-time Olympic gold medalist is ESPN's No. 2 lightweight and No. 8 pound-for-pound boxer.

Commey, ESPN's No. 6 lightweight, has fought on Heisman Trophy night as well. In a December 2019 bout at MSG, Lopez scored a second-round TKO of Commey to win the only 135-pound title Lomachenko didn't hold.

The 34-year-old Ghanaian rebounded with a sixth-round KO of Jackson Marinez in February and will now seek to become a two-time champion. The pressure fighter won the title in his second bid, an eighth-round KO of Ray Beltran in June 2019. In 2016, Commey (30-3, 27 KOs) dropped a disputed decision to Robert Easter in his first title shot.

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Lomachenko-Commey Talks In Advanced Stages For December 11 At Madison Square Garden

Vasiliy Lomachenko will resume a familiar role.

The former three-division titlist is due to headline the December 11 edition of Top Rank Boxing on ESPN, to air live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Lomachenko will likely face Richard Commey in a battle of former lightweight title claimants that has been in talks for months.

“That’s done,” Bob Arum, Lomachenko’s Hall of Fame promoter and founder/chairman of Top Rank insisted to IFL TV of the fight. “December 11 at Madison Square Garden. Done.”

Boxing Scene has learned from multiple parties involved in negotiations that the fight is not yet formally signed, though far enough along to where any lingering issues are not expected to hold up the event. Once all terms are agreed to and contracts are submitted, the fight will top an event to air immediately after ESPN’s presentation of the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the top college football player and with the ceremony also taking place in New York City.

Both boxers will fight for the second time in 2021, both returning to the ring earlier this year following title reign-ending losses to current lineal WBA/IBF/WBO lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12KOs).

Ukraine’s Lomachenko (15-2, 11KOs) enters the fight on the heels of a dominant ninth-round stoppage of Japan’s Masayoshi Nakatani this past June at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The bout was the first for the two-time Olympic Gold medalist and former three-division champ since a twelve-round, unanimous decision defeat to Lopez in the same town last Halloween, ending his two-plus year lightweight title reign where he collected three belts along the way.

Lomachenko also previously served as a featherweight and junior lightweight titlist. The final fight of his junior lightweight reign saw Lomachenko dominate then-unbeaten Guillermo Rigondeaux en route to a seventh-round corner stoppage in a rare matchup of two two-time Olympic Gold medalists. The bout took place at MSG’s

Hulu Theater in December 2017, immediately following the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

The same coveted slot went to Lomachenko one year later, outpointing Jose Pedraza in their WBA/WBO lightweight title unification clash also at Hulu Theater. Lomachenko will now make his third appearance on such a fight card.

Commey (30-3, 27KOs) returned to the ring this past February, claiming a sixth-round knockout of Jackson Mariñez at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

The fight was his first in 14 months, the previous occasion coming in his IBF title-losing second round knockout to Lopez in their December 2019 clash at MSG. Commey reigned as IBF champ for ten months, his run beginning with a 2nd round knockout of Isa Chaniev earlier that February on the eve of the Super Bowl. One successful defense followed for Commey, an eight-round stoppage of former WBO lightweight titlist Rey Beltran in June 2019.

The proposed fight will take place during an active period for the lightweight division. Lopez will have hopefully faced IBF mandatory challenger George Kambosos (19-0, 10KOs) by that point, as the oft-postponed championship fight is being targeted for mid-to-late November.

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (25-0, 24KOs) returns to lightweight for a grudge match with unbeaten Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero (14-0, 12KOs) atop a Showtime Pay-Per-View event December 5 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. One week prior, Ryan Garcia (21-0, 18KOs) and Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz (31-1-1, 15KOs) will meet at a venue to be determined in the greater Los Angeles area. The winner will be named mandatory challenger to WBC lightweight titlist Devin Haney (26-0, 15KOs), who is in the process of finalizing an opponent and fight date for a planned title defense in December.

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Lomachenko-Commey Confirmed For December 11 At Madison Square Garden

Top Rank is finally ready to move forward with a past tradition.

The long-discussed lightweight showdown between Vasiliy Lomachenko and Richard Commey is officially set for December 11 on ESPN from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event was formally announced during a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ telecast Saturday evening, fittingly on a night when the company presented a show from MSG’s Hulu Theater—its first on site since the pandemic.

Lomachenko-Commey represents the best non-title fight that can be made at lightweight. It will headline a boxing event to air immediately after ESPN’s presentation of the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the top college football player and with the ceremony taking place a few city blocks away.

The December 11 show will mark the fourth such occasion, with Lomachenko (15-2, 11KOs) having headlined the first two since Top Rank and ESPN began the tradition in 2017. The two-time Olympic Gold medalist and former three-division titlist topped the December 2017 edition in a seventh-round corner stoppage of fellow two-time Gold medalist and then-unbeaten lineal junior featherweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux at the venue now known as Hulu Theater. The fight marked the final defense of the WBO junior lightweight title for Lomachenko, who moved up to lightweight where he survived his first career knockdown to drop and stop Jorge Linares in their May 2018 WBA lightweight title fight in MSG’s main room. He returned to the Theater for the December 2018 post-Heisman card, outpointing Jose Pedraza in their WBA/WBO lightweight title unification bout.

Lomachenko went on to add the WBC lightweight title in an August 2019 win over Luke Campbell in London, only to exchange the belt for the WBC “Franchise” title. Efforts to add another belt fell short when Lomachenko dropped a twelve-round decision to IBF champ Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12KOs), who unified the WBA/IBF/WBO titles in their October 2020 unification bout at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

Lomachenko rebounded with a dominant ninth-round stoppage of Japan’s Masayoshi Nakatani in a near-flawless performance this past June at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

Commey (30-3, 27KOs) returned to the ring this past February, claiming a sixth-round knockout of Jackson Mariñez at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

The fight was his first in 14 months, the previous occasion coming in his IBF title-losing second round knockout to Lopez in their December 2019 clash at MSG. Commey reigned as IBF champ for ten months, his run beginning with a 2nd round knockout of Isa Chaniev earlier that February on the eve of the Super Bowl. One successful defense followed for Commey, an eight-round stoppage of former WBO lightweight titlist Rey Beltran in June 2019.

Lomachenko-Commey comes during an active time in the lightweight division.

The oft-postponed lineal/IBF/WBA/WBO lightweight championship between Lopez and IBF mandatory challenger George Kambosos (19-0, 10KOs) takes place November 27 at Hulu Theater. Eight days later, Gervonta “Tank” Davis (25-0, 24KOs) will defend his WBA “World” lightweight title atop a Showtime Pay-Per-View from Staples Center in Los Angeles, most likely versus Isaac Cruz though the opponent still being finalized following the removal of Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero from the show.

WBC lightweight titlist Devin Haney (26-0, 15KOs) is currently working to finalize terms for a planned title consolidation clash with interim beltholder Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz (31-1-1, 15KOs). Should the two sides finally reach a deal, the fight is expected to take place December 3 or 4 in Las Vegas.

[margaret thatcher]

commey isnt bad at all, the teo fight made him look a lot worse than he is. last fight he laid out a guy who schooled rolly romero (and then was badly robbed)

thing is though , there is absolutely no way loma can look as good as teo did vs commey, so it's kinda a no win fight in that regards, at least in terms of lomas campaign to get a rematch. makes it harder to hype too

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Press Release | Undercard Information - Anderson vs. Teslenko, Nico Ali Walsh, Zayas Added

Three-weight kingpin Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko, the Ukrainian virtuoso who saves his best for the New York City spotlight, hopes his next oversized challenge is not a bridge too far. Lomachenko returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Dec. 11 for a 12-round lightweight showdown against former world champion Richard “RC” Commey.

Lomachenko-Commey marks boxing’s return to the “Big Room” at Madison Square Garden for the first time in nearly two years, when Terence Crawford defended his welterweight title with a riveting knockout over Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas. In the 10-round co-feature, undefeated heavyweight sensation Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson will battle Oleksandr Teslenko.

Lomachenko-Commey and Anderson-Teslenko will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT following the 2021 Heisman Ceremony. Puerto Rican junior middleweight standout Xander Zayas and middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of Muhammad Ali, will also see action on this special New York City fight night.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets starting at $56 go on sale, Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 12 p.m. ET and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or MSG.com.

Lomachenko (15-2, 11 KOs) has authored many of his most memorable moments under the MSG lights. He’s fought three times at the adjoining Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, knocking out Roman Martinez in 2016 to become a two-weight world champion, forcing fellow two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux to quit in 2017, and unifying lightweight world titles in December 2018 with a unanimous decision over Jose Pedraza. Lomachenko had a memorable bout against Jorge Linares at Madison Square Garden in May 2018, becoming a three-weight world champion when he knocked out the Venezuelan star the 10th round with a body shot. He bounced back from his 2020 undisputed lightweight title defeat to Teofimo Lopez with June’s ninth-round stoppage over Japanese stalwart Masayoshi Nakatani.

As has become his lightweight custom, Lomachenko will enter the ring as the smaller man. Commey (30-3, 27 KOs) has a nearly two-inch height advantage and 5.5 inches in reach. The New York City resident held the IBF lightweight world title in 2019, but in December of that year, he was stopped in two rounds by Lopez at Madison Square Garden. Commey took nearly 14 months off, returning in February to knock out Jackson Marinez in six rounds. One of the division’s most dangerous punchers, his other two losses have come via split decision to Robert Easter Jr. and Denis Shafikov. The winner of this fight becomes a logical world title challenger in 2022.

Anderson (10-0, 10 KOs), from Toledo, Ohio, rose to prominence due to his highlight-reel knockouts and status as heavyweight champion Tyson Fury’s most trusted sparring partner. He has scored three knockouts in 2021 and had his most high-profile assignment Oct. 9 on the Fury-Deontay Wilder III PPV undercard. Anderson opened the PPV telecast with a second-round blitzing over the previously undefeated Vladimir Tereshkin. Teslenko (17-1, 13 KOs), a 6’4, 220-pound prospect from Ukraine, built a 16-0 record before being knocked out in five rounds by Shawndell Winters in December 2019. He rebounded in fine form, knocking out Cesar David Crenz in three rounds in June 2021.

Anderson said, “I’ve made my mark in Las Vegas over the last two years and now it’s time to steal the show in my Madison Square Garden debut on December 11. The Mecca of Boxing holds so much history, and I can’t wait to add my name to list of legends who’ve fought there.”

Zayas (11-0, 8 KOs) can wrap up the 2021 Prospect of the Year award with an impressive showing at Madison Square Garden. The San Juan native is 5-0 in 2021, most recently knocking out Dan Karpency in four rounds on the Jamel Herring-Shakur Stevenson card Oct. 23 in Atlanta.

Ali Walsh (2-0, 2 KOs) turned pro Aug. 14 with a first-round knockout and makes his debut in the building where his grandfather fought some of his most legendary fights, including “The Fight of the Century” against Joe Frazier in 1971 and the 1974 Frazier rematch. Ali Walsh shined alongside Zayas in Atlanta, notching a third-round stoppage over James Westley II.

[oogiebe]

Decent sort of step up for Anderson. Teslenko used to be on my watch list, but he hasn't progressed enough to keep him there, especially considering his loss to winters who lost like 3 of 4 after beating him.

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Keyshawn Davis, the lightweight star who earned a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, has a golden chance to shine on one of boxing’s biggest platforms. Davis (3-0, 2 KOs), in his first fight since signing a long-term deal with Top Rank, will face Mexican veteran Jose Zaragoza (8-3-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round bout Saturday, Dec. 11 on the undercard of the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Richard Commey lightweight main event.

Middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh (2-0, 2 KOs), grandson of “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali, will fight fellow unbeaten Reyes Sanchez (6-0, 2 KOs) in the four-round televised opener.

Lomachenko-Commey, an eight-round heavyweight showdown between Jared Anderson and Oleksandr Teslenko, Davis-Zaragoza and Ali Walsh-Reyes will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT following the 2021 Heisman Trophy Ceremony.

Davis, one of boxing’s most sought-after promotional free agents, signed a long-term contract with Top Rank last month. His notoriety soared following the Tokyo Olympics, a run that included a knockout win over France's Sofiane Oumiha and a close loss to Cuban legend Andy Cruz in the gold medal match. Zaragoza has won three straight fights and has never been knocked out as a pro.

The full undercard will stream live on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT and is scheduled to include the following bouts:

Xander Zayas (11-0, 8 KOs), the rising Puerto Rican star and frontrunner for 2021 Prospect of the Year, will fight Italy’s Alessio Mastronunzio (9-1, 3 KOs) in a six-round junior middleweight clash. Zayas is 5-0 with three knockouts in 2021, including a fourth-round drubbing of Dan Karpency in October on the Shakur Stevenson-Jamel Herring undercard. Mastronunzio, who is making his American debut, is 4-0 in 2021.

Undefeated welterweight Pablo “Pretty Boy” Valdez (5-0, 4 KOs), the popular New York City ticket-seller from the Lower East Side, is scheduled to fight Julio Cesar Sanchez (11-3, 6 KOs) in a six-rounder. Valdez fought Oct. 30 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, outlasting Alejandro Martinez in a toe-to-toe crowd-pleaser.

Kelvin Davis (2-0, 1 KO), the older brother of Keyshawn Davis, will clash with Bryan Emmanuel Ramirez (1-1-1, 1 KO) in a four-rounder at welterweight. Kelvin Davis also signed with Top Rank last month.

In an eight-round battle of unbeaten junior welterweights, John “El Terrible” Bauza (15-0, 6 KOs) will face Michael “Boy Wonder” Williams Jr. (19-0, 12 KOs). Bauza is coming off June’s second-round blitzing of Christon Edwards, while Williams seeks to tally his sixth victory of 2021.

Staten Island-born featherweight prospect James “Crunch Time” Wilkins (9-2, 6 KOs) hopes to thrill the home city fans in an eight-rounder against Texas native Juan Tapia (10-3, 3 KOs). Wilkins, who was homeless on the streets of Staten Island early in his pro career, makes his Madison Square Garden debut with hopes of graduating to contender status.

Former Irish amateur superstar “Mighty” Joe Ward (5-1, 2 KOs) looks to make it six wins in a row against Britton Norwood (10-3-1, 7 KOs) in a six-round light heavyweight tilt. Ward suffered a freak knee injury in his October 2019 pro debut against Marco Delgado and lost via second-round TKO. He avenged the loss with a one-sided decision over Delgado in March. As an amateur, Ward was a three-time European Championships gold medalist, a three-time World Championships medalist, and a 2016 Olympian.

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Fight Week!

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Watch Top Rank’s profile on Vasiliy Lomachensko: Relenteless

[magnus]

All the talk at the start of the year was about the young "Four Kings".

If Loma beats Commey convincingly there's a good argument to say that he's had the most accomplished 2021 of the Lightweights.

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All the talk at the start of the year was about the young "Four Kings".

If Loma beats Commey convincingly there's a good argument to say that he's had the most accomplished 2021 of the Lightweights.

Yeh, Garcia had one fight at the start of year and sat on that.

Tank fought at 140 and 135

Teo just fought the once and lost.

Haney has beaten Linares and Diaz.

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Date: Saturday December 11, 2021
Location: Madison Square Garden - New York City , NY
TV: ESPN | Sky Sports (UK)

Start Times
ESPN+: 5:30 pm ET | 2:30 pm PT | 10:30 pm GMT (Preliminary Card)
ESPN | Sky Sports: 9 pm ET | 6 pm PT | 2 am GMT (Main Card)

Promoted by: Top Rank

Main Card

12 Round Lightweight Bout
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Richard Commey

8 Round heavyweight Bout
Jared Anderson vs. Oleksandr Teslenko

6 Round Lightweight Bout
Keyshawn Davis vs. Jose Zaragoza

4 Round Middleweight Bout
Nico Ali Walsh vs. Reyes Sanchez

Preliminary Undercard

6 Round Super Welterweight Bout
Xander Zayas vs. Alessio Mastronunzio

6 Round Welterweight Bout
Pablo Valdez vs. Julio Cesar Sanchez

4 Round Welterweight Bout
Kelvin Davis vs. Bryan Emmanuel Ramirez

8 Round Super Lightweight Bout
John Bauza vs. Michael Williams Jr.

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Loma will be at 4am

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Loma really is something else.

Could have finished it.

He see’s boxing more of an art than anything else doesn’t he?

Pleading with Com’s corner to stop it a couple of times.

[mickey1975]

Tyson really has cracked America. I can't believe he flew there to sing happy birthday to Bob.

[DrDuke]

Lomachenko outclassed Commey in style. Bring on Kambo, the hottest LW fight.

[milpool]

I admire the compassion that Lima showed but at the end of the day Commey is as tough as old boots and when you get the chance to finish him, you should go all out.

[milpool]

Tyson really has cracked America. I can't believe he flew there to sing happy birthday to Bob.

Exactly what I said, he’s definitely become a big star but maybe he should curb his language

[mickey1975]

Tyson really has cracked America. I can't believe he flew there to sing happy birthday to Bob.

Exactly what I said, he’s definitely become a big star but maybe he should curb his language

Bob was stood there with what I presume are his great grandchildren and Tyson shouts "join in motherfuckers"!.

[DrDuke]

Tyson really has cracked America. I can't believe he flew there to sing happy birthday to Bob.

Exactly what I said, he’s definitely become a big star but maybe he should curb his language

Bob was stood there with what I presume are his great grandchildren and Tyson shouts "join in motherfuckers"!.

Fury is a helluva performer.