Former IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey 29-3 (26) will return to the ring for the first time in 14 months when he takes on Jackson Marinez 19-1 (7) over 10 rounds at ‘The Bubble’ at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday night.
The fight will be the main support bout to the clash between Joe Smith Jr 26-3 (21) and Maxim Vlasov 45-3 (26) for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title live on ESPN.
The 33-year-old Bronx-based Ghanaian hasn’t pulled on the gloves in anger since his second-round knockout loss to now undisputed 135-pound champion Teofimo Lopez 16-0 (12) at New York’s Madison Square Garden in December 2019.
His previous two losses were both by split decision to world-class opponents Robert Easter Jr and Denis Shafikov.
Commey, who has won 81 per cent of his fights by the short route, refused to be drawn on whether he thought Marinez would hear the final bell against him.
“Throughout my entire career I have always said I never intend to go in a ring to knock my opponents out,” Commey told BoxingTalk. “I go in there working on what I have worked in the gym. If a knockout comes, it comes as a bonus.
“This is a 10-round fight and I am ready to fight all 10 rounds. Whatever comes before or after, in the end, it’s all about winning. Whichever way it comes, I am going to win. That’s all.”
Marinez, a 30-year-old from the Dominican Republic, is perhaps best known to American fight fans for his close and somewhat controversial loss to Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero 13-0 (11) for the interim WBA lightweight title at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut last August.
Fighting on the undercard of the WBC super middleweight title fight between David Benavidez 23-0 (20) and Roamer Alexis Angulo 26-2 (22) live on Showtime, Marinez put up a very spirited challenge to the undefeated American before eventually losing a close decision by scores of 113-115, 112-116 and 110-118.
You can count Commey among the number who thought Marinez was hard done by.
“I also felt that Marinez won that Romero fight. Styles make fights, but Marinez did what he had to do,” he said.
“But now, it’s all about me and no longer about Romero. I feel like it’s the right time for me. It’s all about winning, to work on what to do in the gym in order to win.
“On February 13, 2021, I am definitely going to show that I belong there and that win will be mine.”
