WBO Africa titlist, Emmanuel ‘Gameboy’ Tagoe, denies challenging newly-crowned IBF world lightweight champion, Richard Commey, to a fight. However, Tagoe was quick to add that Commey cannot run away from him since they are all in the same weight category.
Commey recently won the vacant world title with an eye-opening, second-round KO is Isa Chaniev in Frisco, Texas on February 2nd.
Some members of the media reported that Tagoe had called out Commey immediately afterward. Team Commey immediately shot the idea down.
“Have you seen two Ghanaians fighting for the same world title?” Commey asked in an interview with EIB Network. “No. I wouldn’t even want to fight him. Ghana needs more world titles and so there is no point fighting him for my title. I worked so hard for this and if he really wants this, he should also go through the hard way just as I did.
“I know he is good and thankfully he is also signed to DiBella Entertainment so he can do it,” Commey continued. “Ghanaian boxers are known for winning world titles so I pray he also gets another title for Ghana.”
Commey manager Michael Amoo-Bediako of Streetwise Management echoed his boxer’s sentiments.
“At the moment, they are on a totally different paths,” said Amoo-Bediako. “No disrespect to Emmanuel Tagoe, but he is not on the level of Richard Commey at this moment. And that’s no disrespect to him whatsoever. That’s just my opinion. He has not reached the height of Richard Commey yet. He might well do and when he does, we can look at that, but at this moment in time Richard Commey is a world champion.”
Naturally, Tagoe fired back. In an interview with Happy FM’s Wamputi Sports,he said the new lightweight world champion cannot run away from a fight with him.
“I never challenged Richard Commey to a fight but we are all in the same weight category, so he cannot run away from a fight with me,” said Tagoe.
Tagoe further went on to say that his main target is a bout with unified world lightweight champion, Vasyl Lomachenko.
“Lomachenko is my target now not Richard Commey. I am focused and aiming at a fight with Vasyl Lomachenko,” the WBO African champion said.
Commey was set to face Lomachenko on April 12th to unify three world titles. But a hand injury suffered during the Chaniev bout curtailed that as “RC” will be sidelined 6-8 weeks. Lomacheno is expected to face Anthony Crolla in his place.
‘Gameboy’ was slated to defend his continental title against Russia’s Vyacheslav Gusev on January 26. After suffering an arm injury during training, Tagoe pushed the bout back to February 23 at Bukom Boxing Arena.
