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Mike CoppingerESPN
Vasiliy Lomachenko defeated Richard Commey via unanimous decision with scores of 117-110, 119-108 and 119-108, Saturday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Lomachenko (16-2, 11 KOs), 33, of Ukraine, looked healthy and ready to take on the other top lightweight fighters.
Commey (30-4, 27 KOs), 34, of Ghana, was a lightweight champion until he lost his belt to Teofimo Lopez in 2019. A TKO victory over Jackson Marinez in February put Commey on the verge of another title shot, but now has to start over after losing to Lomachenko.
Lomachenko floored Richard Commey hard in Round 7, leaving his opponent on wobbly legs and in big trouble. He pleaded with Commey’s corner to stop the contest, but they allowed the fight to continue.
The stoppage never materialized for Lomachenko, but he still won in dominant fashion under the sport’s spotlight, a unanimous-decision victory that continued his march.
The fighters did not seem surprised when the decision was announced, and they exchanged friendly words with some smiles along the way as Lomachenko, draped in a flag, waved to the crowd.
Commey began the fight with some momentum, landing some body work in the opening frame. He pushed the pace and used his superior strength to win the round. Lomachenko, often a slow starter, didn’t seem fazed.
It was a different story in Round 2, and the tide turned quickly. Lomachenko snapped Commey’s head back with a big left hand to end the frame and then told him to walk back to the corner, allowing precious moments to tick off the clock. Lomachenko was sharp with his shots, landing several quality body punches.
