Former IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey says he has set his sight on regaining his status before the year ends as he plans a return to the ring in May.

The boxer, lost his world title to Teofimo Lopez on December 14, 2019, at the Madison Square Garden via a second-round technical knockout, the same way he won the title some months earlier against Isa Chaniev of Russia.

Commey, who was a guest on last Saturday’s Joy Sports Link on Joy FM, said his inspiration to return and reclaim his title comes from boxing great like Lennox Lewis and Anthony Joshua, who encountered similar curves in their respective careers

“It happened to many of the great champions and they bounced back strongly. My last camp was my most successful and toughest as well. I had some very good sparring and the mood was right as well but unfortunately, the result went the way it did,” he said.

Regarding the happenings on December 14 in the ring, Commey said he felt good in the first round. “I went into the first round and did what I had to do. I felt good and jabbed a bit moved and everything went well. My trainer asked me to repeat the performance. So I wanted to wake him up with my right in the second was ready with a right and stepped forward but unfortunately, he was also throwing same,” he recollected.

The former IBF champion also feels that Top Rank Promotions had it all planned to throw the attention on Teofimo Lopez because he (Commey) was not directly signed to their promotional outfit. “That’s the politics of the sport. It was all about Teofimo Lopez and one couldn’t even tell that I was the champion. The foreign media did not want to acknowledge that as well but this are

Commey is currently is Ghana taking a holiday and still does workouts at Ga Mashie Gym in the Bukom Boxing Arena where he won his WBC international title in 2017.

“I’m not the type who likes to party and go out. So I stay around, my family train a bit and hang out with my close friends. Right now I’m relaxing and reflecting while training bit by bit. I am hoping to hear from my management soon on the confirmed opponent then I can travel to the US to commence intensive training.

Current situation on ranking and possible options

Commey dropped to number 10 on the rankings due to the loss to Lopez. This has now put some names ahead of him who could also be opponents as he looks forward to pushing his way back to the top of the rankings.

Australian, George Kambosos Jnr, who is undefeated in 18 bouts and Lee Selby who is a former world champion at featherweight are among the options.

Another possible opponent on the IBF rankings is number five contender Gustavo Lemos, a 23-year-old Argentine who is also unscathed in 24 bouts.

On a place behind him is Commey’s compatriot Emmanuel Tagoe who previously held the IBO title.

Tagoe is yet to fight this year following a warm upstaged in July 2019 in Accra, Ghana.

There is also Isaac Cruz-Gonzalez, a 21-year-old Mexican who has a record of 19-1-1.

Japanese Masayoshi Nakatami is at number 8 and recorded his only career loss coincidentally to the current champion Tefimo Lopez.

Pavel Malikov of Russia has one loss in 17 fights and stand at number nine.

The Russian like all others could face Commey in the coming months depending on how negotiations go.

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