Richard Commey has lost his IBF world lightweight title following a technical knockout defeat to American Teofimo Lopez on Saturday at the Madison Square Garden.
The Ghanaian lost his title in the second round when he was annihilated by Lopez.
Commey (29-3, 26 KOs) had previously suffered only two highly competitive decision losses — to Robert Easter Jr. in a world title bout and to contender Denis Shafikov. He had never been overwhelmed before, until facing Lopez.
The 32-year-old who was making his second defense, looked good in the opening round, touching Lopez with a couple of right hands. But then Lopez destroyed him in the second.
Lopez wobbled Commey with a left hook, then floored him seconds later with a right hand on the chin. Commey was unsteady when the fight continued, and Lopez stormed after him. Lopez landed numerous right-left combinations and had Commey in all sorts of trouble and backed into the ropes.
As Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs), 22, of Brooklyn, New York, who represented his parents’ native Honduras in the 2016 Olympics, continued to blast away, Commey was helpless. Referee David Fields finally stepped in and waved off the fight at 1 minute, 13 seconds of the second round.
Pound-for-pound king and unified lightweight champion Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs), 31, of Ukraine, was seated ringside to scout the fight because the plan called for him to fight the victor — Lopez — to further unify the 135-pound title in the spring.
