With names like Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia and Vasiliy Lomanchenko, the lightweight division has emerged as one of the hottest in the sport of boxing. And for Richard Commey (29-3) and Jackson Marinez (19-1), who both want their names added to the conversation, this weekend’s matchup is a must win.
Commey and Marinez are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Richard Commey, who is 29-3, previously held the IBF title and knows what it’s like to be at the top of the division. Unfortunately, he also knows what it’s like to lose the title. In 2019, Teofimo Lopez beat Richard Commey via TKO to capture his title. This was Commey’s last fight.
“It’s been over a year since I fought. I lost my {title} to Teofimo {Lopez}. It was a little bit hard for me to take it… It’s done, and I learned what I had to learn from it. I learned my lesson. It’s redemption time for Commey because I still got a lot in there, and I want to be a two-time world champion.”
Marinez’s last fight was also a loss. Technically. Marinez last fought Rolando Ramiro where, despite landing the cleaner shots and controlling the majority of the fight, he lost via unanimous decision, with scorecards of 116-112, 118-110, and 115-113. Prior to that, Marinez never had a professional loss. Jackson Marinez is looking for redemption after that decision.
On the Romero fight, Marinez commented “Regarding the experience of fighting {Rolando} Romero, the whole world saw what happened. Right now, I see myself as a king without a crown, and even though I lost in controversial fashion, it opened up bigger opportunities for me. I’m taking full advantage of them.”
While originally slated to be the co-main event, positive Covid testing has elevated Commey vs Marinez to the main event. Both men consider a statement win the opportunity to get their name in the mix at 135. This fight can be watched on Saturday on ESPN at 10:00 p.m. eastern time, 7:00 p.m. pacific.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf6hWycfYcA