From Ringside: Vasiliy Lomachenko, Richard Commey Face Off In Madison Square Garden

(Sarah Stier /Getty Images)

There’s been a lot of talk about the heavyweight and welterweight divisions in recent months, but no division is more exciting than the lightweight division right now. On the women’s end of the sport, Katie Taylor has recently defended her title and is looking for a super fight against Amanda Serrano in April. On the men’s end, it is complete chaos. Anybody can beat anybody, but one man has all of the belts. Coming out of nowhere, George Kambosos took out Teofimo Lopez in November. Weeks later, Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney both scored wins. Not to mention, Ryan Garcia is still in position to challenge for a title.

In the midst of the lightweight division’s chaos, one man is looking to reclaim what he considers to be “his” championship belts. After losing to Teofimo Lopez 14 months ago, Vasiliy Lomachenko has been on a mission to become the undisputed lightweight champion yet again. His journey began with getting surgery done on his shoulder. Then, he began rehabbing and working his way toward a fight against Masayoshi Nakatani in June. Looking as incredible as he ever has, Lomachenko stopped Nakatani for the first time in his career. Now, he’s looking to continue his comeback tour with a fight against former world champion Richard Commey in Madison Square Garden.

Round One

Ryan’s Score: Commey leads Lomachenko (10-9)

Analysis: Lomachenko is a notoriously slow starter. Often times, he’s “downloading” information about his opponent and learning about their game plan. As a result, he often gives away early rounds. In this fight, he’s started slow, but his opponent did as well. Commey landed only four punches in comparison to Lomachenko’s six. With that said, Commey is finding success with his right hand to the body.

Timeline Talk

Round Two

Ryan’s Score: Tied (19-19)

Analysis: Lomachenko is starting remarkably fast, considering how he’s approached previous fights. The speed, footwork and elusiveness that has been on display throughout his entire career is apparent tonight. He’s touching Commey to the body and head. He also managed to buzz Commey toward the end of the round and began to taunt him afterward. With that said, Commey is still finding some success to the body.

Timeline Talk

Round Three

Ryan’s Score: Lomachenko leads Commey (29-28)

Analysis: What can I say? Everything that we’ve known about Lomachenko is true. He’s tough. He’s technical. He’s smart and he’s hard to hit. How is all of that possible? It’s his footwork. Lomachenko makes himself a tough target to hit when he’s throwing punches because he’s never in the same place. As a result, he’s just drilling Commey in the head and the body repeatedly. To his credit, Commey is taking all of Lomachenko’s toughest shots and firing back with some success. Commey isn’t out of this fight by any means.

Timeline Talk

 

Round Four

Ryan’s Score: Lomachenko leads Commey (39-37)

Analysis: Lomachenko is working Commey to the body by landing that left hand repeatedly. If Commey is going to find success, he needs to get his foot on the outside of Lomachenko’s and continue to circle him. Standing in range with little movement is the easiest way to get hit by any boxer, especially one as skilled as Lomachenko. Commey isn’t getting beat up all that bad, but it looks like his spirit is being systematically taken apart.

Timeline Talk 

Round Five

Ryan’s Score: Lomachenko leads Commey (49-46)

Analysis: Commey found a little bit of success tying Lomachenko up and hitting him in the body. Unfortunately for Commey and his team, those moments of success were few and far between. Lomachenko’s first step allows him to get out of a lot of those tough, tight situations with ease. In other words, speed kills.

Timeline Talk

Round Six

Ryan’s Score: Lomachenko leads Commey (59-55)

Analysis: Lomachenko is winning the fight in two ways. He’s winning while fighting the style that he wants to fight and he’s also winning while fighting the way that Commey wants to fight. Commey is only having success when aiming at Lomachenko’s body. If he is going to make a comeback, he needs to land something that makes Lomachenko respect his power.

Timeline Talk

Round Seven

Ryan’s Score: Lomachenko leads Commey (69-64)

Analysis: Commey was hurt not once, but twice in this round. Lomachenko pushed Commey against the ropes and caught him with a pair of right hands. Then, Lomachenko followed up by pressuring Commey as his legs buckled. Still, Lomachenko is patient and respectful of Commey’s right hand. Some way, somehow, Commey made it through the round.

Timeline Talk

Round Eight

Ryan’s Score: Lomachenko leads Commey (79-72)

Analysis: Miraculously, Commey made it out of the seventh round and into the eighth round. Through three minutes, Commey didn’t appear to be all the way back to where he was in the early rounds, but he is able to hold his own. However, he appears to be looking for one big shot instead of committing to the body as his corner has instructed him. To his credit, he’s not falling for the obvious traps that Lomachenko is setting. Also, it looks like Lomachenko took his foot off the gas a bit and let Commey get comfortable.

Timeline Talk

Round Nine

Ryan’s Score: Lomachenko leads Commey (89-81)

Analysis: Commey is desperately looking for a knockout blow. As a result, he’s failing to circle to his left and leaving himself open to punishment. Meanwhile, Lomachenko appears to be looking for a left hand that can end the night. Commey is hanging tough, but he needs a knockout to win.

Timeline Talk

Round Ten

Ryan’s Score: Lomachenko leads Commey (99-90)

Analysis: Much like the two previous rounds, Lomachenko doesn’t appear to be going at the speed he was in the seventh round. Towards the end of this fight, he appears to be cruising and not forcing a knockout. Considering Commey’s right hand, that may be for the best.

Timeline Talk

Round Eleven

Ryan’s Score: Lomachenko leads Commey (109-99)

Analysis: Not much to see here, Lomachenko is the sharper and more efficient fighter. Commey is not moving enough and he’s only surviving at this point.

Timeline Talk

Round Twelve

Ryan’s Score: Lomachenko leads Commey (119-108)

Analysis: Surprisingly, the fight went the distance. After a disastrous seventh round from Commey, he managed to keep Lomachenko off of him at certain points by throwing his powerful right hand. With that said, he wasn’t able to do much else. Lomachenko landed early and often in this round, but he didn’t do enough to hurt Commey.

Timeline Talk

 

 

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