By: Hans Themistode
The replay of Teofimo Lopez landing that one right hand that turned off the lights of Richard Commey was all that the former belt holder could see. Tonight however, while he didn’t erase the memory completely, he did place a new one in its place.
Commey’s newly found main event slot against Jackson Marinez turned out to be a one-sided showcase.
In no way shape, or form was the one-time belt holder looking to simply box his way to a unanimous decision victory. No, he intended on making a statement.
Mission accomplished.
Commey (30-3, 27 KOs) started things out fairly aggressively. He commanded the center of the ring and dared his opponent to exchange big shots with him. Marinez though, wanted no part of a slugfest and instead, opted to box on the outside. Although his slick approach allowed him to dodge a number of Commey’s bombs, he couldn’t keep up the pace for long.
The lack of power Marinez (19-2, 7 KOs) has displayed throughout the course of his career never appeared to be an issue for him before. Yet, the moment Commey realized that nothing Marinez connected with could place a dent in his armor, he grinned as the glancing blows bounced off his chin.
As for the shots landed by Commey, the difference in reaction was obvious. With each shot that the former titlist landed, Marinez grew more and more uncomfortable. The ring appeared to grow smaller as the pressure of Commey reached its breaking point.
As the midway point of round four rolled around, the damage being absorbed by Marinez was becoming more and more evident. Similar to how Lopez ended things between himself and Commey, the former titlist dropped and later finished Marinez in round six.
With the win, Commey officially becomes a player at the top of the lightweight division again.
