Richard Commey is on course for another world championship chance after knocking out Dominican contender Jackson Marinez in the sixth round.
The fight happened Saturday evening from the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble.
It was certainly a case of welcome back, Mr. Commey.
Fourteen months after losing his IBF lightweight world title to Teofimo Lopez, Commey made an emphatic statement.
Commey (30-3, 27 KOs) knocked down Marinez (19-2, 7 KOs) twice in the sixth round of a competitive fight that had the judges split at the time of the stoppage.
The second knockdown, courtesy of a right hand, prompted Kenny Bayless to call off the fight.
Sitting (and standing) ringside cheering on Commey was Lopez, the undisputed lightweight champion.
RICHARD COMMEY THOUGHTS
Richard Commey said, “When I first started, I started very slow because I’ve been away for more than a year, so I had to take my time a little bit to get my rhythm.
“My corner was telling me to do something. They saw that punch that took him down.
The support wasn't just in the locker room before the fight.@TeofimoLopez is looming ringside, encouraging @RichardCommey in the middle rounds of this main event.#CommeyMarinez | LIVE NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/VUQVXN7yVU
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) February 14, 2021
“After our fight, I saw {Teofimo} in the lobby, and we chatted and hugged. He always liked me, and it’s pure love.
“For him to come down to my corner, it was motivating. It showed tremendous love, and that’s how it’s supposed to be.
“We gotta love each other, regardless of where you’re from or who you are. I appreciated {his support}.
Lopez Edges Sanchez
Adam Lopez is known for his all-action slugfests, but this time, he boxed, moved, and ultimately picked up his career’s most significant victory.
After dropping the first three rounds on all three judges’ scorecards, Lopez adjusted and edged former world title challenger Jason Sanchez (15-3, 8 KOs) via majority decision (95-95, 96-94 and 97-93) over 10 rounds to retain his NABF featherweight title.
Lopez (15-2, 6 KOs) has now won two straight since a controversial TKO loss to Oscar Valdez, while Sanchez dropped his second consecutive Bubble bout.
Lopez said, “I was 100 percent confident that I had won the fight. I felt l won most of the rounds. I noticed he tried to get the momentum, and I picked it up and got back to what was working. {Trainer} Buddy {McGirt} had to snap it out of me and get me back to my game plan, and once I did, it was like butter. It was easy.
“I know I have a defense. Furthermore, I can box, and I wanted to show that tonight. Jason is certainly a tough opponent, but I wanted to show I could control things by moving and boxing more.”
