Newly crowned IBF lightweight champion, Richard Oblitey Commey has set an ambitious target of becoming the first Ghanaian to unify titles in the lightweight division.
Commey, who recently improved his fight record to 30 with 28 wins; 25 by way of knockout with two losses, won the IBF lightweight crown after defeating Isa Chaniev of Russia in round two and believes he would be the first Ghanaian to unify the titles in the division.
But for a hand injury he suffered in that win over Chaniev, Commey would have been in line for a unification bout against the WBO and WBA champion Vasyl Lomachenko from Ukraine on April 12.
Commey, who was at ringside on Saturday to lend support to his fellow division fighter Emmanuel Tagoe who won the WBO global and IBF international titles after a 12 round decision win over Russian Vyacheslav Gusev at the Bukom Boxing Arena, said he was capable of making history in that direction and would stop at nothing to achieve it.
Strapped with the IBF world lightweight title, Commey mounted the ring and told the gathering he was ready to walk the path of history which appears to have been delayed by the injury he sustained.
“I wanted to unify the lightweight division and become the first Ghanaian to achieve this feat but injury to my hand meant the dream is delayed but definitely not off totally. it would surely happen soon.”
“I will be the first Ghanaian to achieve this feat. It will then open the gate for other boxers to follow because we have many other talented boxers out there who when given similar opportunities can perform creditably,” he added.
In the absence of the Streetwise signee, Lomachenko will now face 31-year-old Manchester based boxer Anthony Crolla at the Staples Center in LA on April 12, a bout the Ghanaian is hoping would go the way of the Ukrainian to keep alive their match.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
