Fresh off his eighth-round TKO win over Ray Beltran, IBF World Lightweight Champion Richard Commey will be an interested observer in the Teofimo Lopez-Masayoshi Nakatini matchup on July 19.

 

Lopez-Nakatani is a title eliminator for Commey’s belt. The expectation is that Lopez (13-0, 11 KOs), the rising 21-year-old boxer-puncher from Brooklyn, New York, will defeat Nakatani to set up the all-action showdown versus Commey. Sources close to the situation believe the bout could occur as early as November, perhaps at Madison Square Garden.

 

Commey (29-2, 26 KOs) did his part on Friday night, dropping former world champion Beltran four times in total. But Beltran was a tough out. Commey scored two knockdowns in the first. Beltran game rose from both and worked his way back into the fight. Ultimately, the Ghanaian’s firepower proved to be too much. A left hook in the eighth sent Beltran crashing to the canvas. He made it to his feet, but referee Edward Hernandez Sr. decided he had taken enough punishment, calling it off at 0:54 of the frame.

A big Counter-Left from Gonzalez knocks out Rodriguez! ?#CommeyBeltran | @ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/J7rMRND6C4

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 29, 2019

Afterward, Lopez joined Commey in the ring, enticing fans who want to see the two hard-hitters go to war.

 

So what’s next for Richard Commey? If all goes well, another treat for boxing aficionados.