Former Ghanaian world champion Richard Commey has landed in Las Vegas to throw his support behind his former ring rival Teofimo Lopez ahead of Lopez’s blockbuster showdown with Rolando “Rolly” Romero on Saturday night.
Commey’s presence adds an intriguing twist to one of boxing’s biggest fights of the weekend, considering the history he shares with Lopez.
The Ghanaian once stood across the ring from Lopez as an opponent in a major world-title battle. In December 2019, Commey entered Madison Square Garden as the IBF lightweight champion, only for Lopez to produce a devastating second-round stoppage and capture his first world championship.
Years later, however, the rivalry appears to have given way to mutual respect, with Commey now in Las Vegas to support the very man who once took his world title.
Lopez faces another huge challenge Saturday when he steps up to 147 pounds to challenge Romero for the WBA welterweight world championship at T-Mobile Arena. A victory would make Lopez a world champion in a third weight division after previously winning titles at lightweight and junior welterweight.
The fight carries plenty of drama of its own. Lopez and Romero were longtime friends and sparring partners before agreeing to put their relationship aside for business inside the ring.
Romero enters the showdown as champion after his stunning victory over Ryan Garcia, while Lopez is attempting to bounce back following his defeat to Shakur Stevenson earlier this year.
But for Ghanaian boxing fans, Commey’s arrival has created an additional storyline.
The sight of a former champion traveling to support an old opponent demonstrates how dramatically relationships can change in boxing. Fighters may exchange punches when championships are at stake, but respect forged through competition can remain long after the final bell.
Commey knows firsthand just how dangerous Lopez can be when everything clicks. He experienced Lopez’s explosive power on one of the biggest nights of his own career.
Now, instead of standing in the opposite corner, Richard Commey will be watching and supporting his former conqueror as Teofimo Lopez attempts to write another chapter in his championship story in Las Vegas.
