IBF Orders Richard Commey Vs Teofimo Lopez

The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has announced it has ordered a mandatory Lightweight title fight between defending champion Richard Commey against number one contender Teofimo Lopez. A fight is in place after Lopez defeated Japan’s Masayoshi Nakatani last month. The IBF has given Lopez 30 days to make the fight, but there could be some stumbling blocks in the way.

Many want to see a clash between champ Commey and rising star Lopez, with a bout likely to bring big box office. Betting is expected to be big on the fight should it be made, and a good place to start is the bet-tn.com for the latest hot tips. With just 30 days to maintain his place, why is Lopez dragging his feet? Well, he says he has personal and emotional issues to work through before he can move ahead and make a fight with Commey.

Free negotiations are expected to start and continue until the deadline on Sept. 7. If Lopez does not agree to the fight the IBF will conduct a purse bid auction to all registered promoters.

Lopez has confirmed he has family problems that are causing a strain on his career and needs some time out before committing to a fight with Commey. What those familial issues are remains to be seen. It is worth noting that Lopez is trained by his father, Teofimo, SR. and his mother is an important part of his support team.

Road to the Fight

Commey and Lopez are at opposite sides in terms of experience, but both would head into a clash with exciting recent histories. Reigning Lightweight champ Commey clinched the belt in February this year when he demolished Isa Chaniev within two rounds in Frisco, Texas. Ghanian boxer Commey (29-2, 26KOs) was joined on that fight card by Lopez, who stopped Diego Magdaleno in style.

That victory pushed Lopez (14-0, 11KOs) from someone most were keeping an eye on to a standout performer at contender level. Let’s not forget, the New-York native was name 2018 Prospect of the Year by BoxingScene and had a solid amateur career, including representing Honduras in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Since defeating Magdaleno, Lopez has enhanced his reputation with two more victories. The first was a clean knockout success over Edis Tatli in April, which gave him a choice of which title to pursue. After selecting the IBF, Lopez entered a title contender eliminator against Nakatani during the July 19 ESPN+ headliner. In his toughest test, Lopez defeated the Japanese fighter on a points decision.

While Lopez has been building up steam since joining Commey on the card in February, the champ has not been sitting idle. In June, he took to the ring in Temecula, California and stopped Rey Beltran in the 8th round. By fighting Beltran, Commey dodged a unification bout with Vasiliy Lomachenko, who holds the WBA, Ring, and WBO titles.

Lomachenko moved on and will contest with Luke Campbell on Aug 31. Commey has taken a title defense first, which would be against Lopez should the troubled fighter answer the 30-day call. Looking to the future, if Commey and Lomachenko win their fights, a unification bout would be expected from the pair some time in 2020.