Teofimo Lopez explodes on Richard Commey for TKO in 2

People questioned Teofimo Lopez in his first crack at a world title against Richard Commey, but he quieted his detractors with an explosive TKO.

Terence Crawford vs. Egidijus Kavaliauskas was the main event of Top Rank‘s card on Saturday, Dec. 14, but Richard Commey (29-3, 26 KOs) vs. Teofimo Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) was the fight that brought the most hype. The IBF lightweight title bout was short but explosive.

Commey won the IBF lightweight title in June when he stopped Raymundo Beltran in round 8. Commey’s right hand was feared throughout the division due to his 26 knockouts out of 29 victories. However, it was Lopez’s right hand that sent shockwaves around Madison Square Garden when the two met.

In round 1, Commey boxed well. His skills aren’t as refined as Lopez’s, but Commey showed an impressive jab that controlled most of the action. Lopez had a hard time getting inside of Commey’s 71-inch reach. Lopez flashed a fast counter-right hand, but he landed it sparingly. Commey owned the first half of the round, but Lopez finished strong.

Round 2 started similarly to round 1. Commey’s jab proceeded to set the pace of the fight, but Lopez began to time him. Once Commey’s jab became predictable, Lopez caught him with a left hook that sent him reeling backward.

Commey regained his balance and continued to box, but the fight didn’t go much longer. Lopez and Commey threw right crosses at the same time, but it was Lopez’s punch that connected first to Commey’s chin.

Commey wilted to the canvas. He tried to get to his feet quickly, but his legs were rubber as he crashed into the referee and back down to the canvas. Commey beat the count, but he was hurt, and his legs were gone.

Lopez jumped all over Commey. He swarmed Commey with left and right hooks and trapped him against the rope as he delivered a vicious assault. Commey couldn’t do anything except put his hands up in a lazy guard and absorb a beating. He never threw another punch, which forced referee David Field’s to stop the fight.

Commey’s reign as champion lasted a little under six months. Lopez is the new IBF lightweight champion and deserves a ton of credit. With Commey out of the way, the attention is now on WBA, WBC, and WBO champion Vasiliy Lomachenko. Lopez’s father has openly criticized Lomacheko, and that’s the fight fans want to see next.

In the ring after the fight, Lopez said, “You guys know who yall want man. 2020, it will all be going down, but right now, I’m going to finish the year enjoying life as we all should.”

Hopefully, Lopez vs. Lomachenko does go down in 2020. That could be the best fight of the new year.

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