By: Hans Themistode
Despite suffering defeat at the hands of Teofimo Lopez in October of 2020 and forfeiting his IBF, WBA, and WBC franchise lightweight titles, Vasiliy Lomachenko recently revealed that his desire to become an undisputed world champion hasn’t wavered.
Following a one-sided victory over Richard Commey tonight in New York’s Madison Square Garden, the Ukrainian star moved one step closer.
In front of a mostly jam-packed crowd, Lomachenko opted to play things safe in the opening bell. The pound-for-pound star and former titlist cautiously approached Commey in the middle of the ring. While there appeared to be openings for him to attack, he was content with getting the range and feel of his man.
With most of the first round now behind them, Lomachenko began opening up. He landed a stinging jab that momentarily knocked Commey off balance. Although the action was slow to kick things off, both men began engaging in a heated back and forth contest.
A much more confident Lomachenko appeared in the second half of the second round. He effortlessly evaded the missile-like right hand of his foe and began unloading with several shots of his own. In the waning seconds of the period, Lomachenko connected on a hard right hook which sent Commey into the ropes. As the bell rang to signal the end of the period, Lomachenko walked to his chair while pointing and shouting at Commey.
Over the next two rounds, Lomachenko found his rhythm. He seamlessly stepped around his much larger opponent in an effort to make him miss while making him pay. Things got lopsided in the fifth. Lomachenko routinely landed numerous punches while Commey appeared unable to see where they were coming from.
As things continued, Commey seemed to be on the brink of defeat in the seventh. Lomachenko ruthlessly attacked him with a barrage of punches. Shortly after, the durable former IBF world titlist hit the deck. Although he managed to crawl back to his feet, Lomachenko glanced over at the corner of Commey as if he was surprised that they allowed their contest to continue. Lomachenko would then go on to punish the brave Ghana native.
On several occasions, Commey stumbled into the ropes. An irate Lomachenko pointed and shouted at the corner of Commey again, urging them to wave the white flag. Despite his concerning words, Commey continued to battle and fight. However, things only got progressively worse.
Following three disastrous rounds for the hard-hitting Commey, Lomachenko began dissecting him once again in the tenth. A completely exhausted Commey stood his ground in the middle of the ring and attempted to mount a bit of his own offense. Nevertheless, Lomachenko peppered him with a seven-punch combination that was punctuated by a ruthless shot to the body.
While Commey proved to be durable enough to withstand Lomachenko’s relentless attack for the entirety of their contest, his efforts were not rewarded as he handed a wide unanimous decision defeat.
