Ghana’s former IBF lightweight champion Richard Oblitey Commey moves up for the a first fight at Super Lightweight when he faces also former world champions, Jose ‘Snipper’ Pedraza in a 10-round main event Saturday, August 27 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Commey (30-4, 27 KOs) is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision defeat against Vasyl Lomachenko last December.
The 35-year-old was fortunate not to be knocked out in that fight, considering Lomachenko had him badly hurt during one instance and chose to back off rather than finish him.
Commey’s four losses have come against Teofimo Lopez, Vasyl Lomachenko, Robert Easter Jr, and Denis Shafikov.
“I am grateful to DiBella Entertainment and Top Rank to be fighting on ESPN as I begin my quest to become a two-weight world champion,” Commey said.
“Pedraza is a gentleman and a great champions, and I will have to be at my best to earn the victory.”
🇵🇷 JUST ANNOUNCED 🇬🇭@Sniper_Pedraza will battle @RichardCommey in the 10-round Junior Welterweight main event Saturday, Aug. 27 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
🎟 https://t.co/W7OwTrQW3J pic.twitter.com/J8HNqT6A0e
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) July 14, 2022
This should be an exciting fight for as long as it lasts, as both fighters are all-action boxer/punchers.
Pedraza has the boxing skills to defeat Commey, but it’ll depend on if he can stay out of the way of his big shots. Commey is a huge puncher, and he can knockout Pedraza if he nailed him cleanly.
It would be better for Commey & Pedraza to return to the 135-lb divisions, as neither matches up well against the top guys in the 140-lb weight class.
However, with former undisputed light welterweight champion Josh Taylor expected to move up in weight in 2023, he’ll be vacating his IBF & WBO 140lb titles, allowing the Pedraza-Commey winner to challenge for one of them potentially.
Former two-division world champion ‘Sniper’ Pedraza, 33, lost a narrow 12-round unanimous decision against former WBC/WBO light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez last March in an entertaining fight in Fresno, California.
Ramirez was the busier guy with the superior power, which enabled him to impress the judges enough to win by the scores 116-112, 116-112, and 116-112. Pedraza has captured world titles at 130 and
