Vasiliy Lomachenko returns to Madison Square Garden for the fifth time on Saturday night to headline a Top Rank Boxing card against Richard Commey (ESPN/ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET).
Lomachenko (15-2, 11 KOs), 33, of Ukraine, was the lightweight champion until he lost a decision to Teofimo Lopez in October 2020. After recovering from a shoulder injury that required surgery, Lomachenko rebounded with a dominant ninth-round TKO victory over Masayoshi Nakatani in June.
"I am 100 percent healthy and ready for Saturday night," Lomachenko said on Tuesday. "So many great moments in my career have taken place at Madison Square Garden. I won the lightweight title against Jorge Linares in that arena, so returning there brings back many great memories."
Commey (30-3, 27 KOs), 34, of Ghana, also lost to Lopez in 2019 in an IBF title bout. After almost two years away from the ring, Commey returned to score a sixth-round TKO victory over Jackson Marinez at The Bubble at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. A victory over Lomachenko would put Commey back into the title picture.
"I'm feeling good. I'm very excited. This is my second time coming here," Commey said during Thursday's news conference in New York. "The last time didn't work out well for me [against Teofimo Lopez], so I have the opportunity to right the wrong.
"Losing is part of boxing, so regardless of how you lose, it's all about coming back. So whatever happened with the Teofimo Lopez fight, it is what it is and I took it as a man. I knew I needed to come back and I came back very strong, and that is the reason why Loma chose me, and Saturday we are going to see what happens."
Can Lomachenko look like the dominating fighter he was before losing to Lopez? Or will Commey get the upset and position himself for a title shot in 2022?
We asked former opponents and boxing insiders for their insight and predictions.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Timothy Bradley Jr., former two-division champion and current ESPN boxing analyst
How Lomachenko wins: He's fighting against a serious puncher in Commey. Punchers usually have to find their feet, have to be able to sit down on their punches, so Lomachenko has to turn him and use angles. He's really good at doing that, he's one of the best at it.
There's a couple of other ways to defeat a guy that can punch. One is concentration -- be focused throughout the fight, see the punches coming and avoid them -- and the other is that you have to be able to move. Lomachenko needs to move laterally and make it difficult for Commey to see the punches. Also, use feints. If you feint, you make your opponent off balance, and what you want to do against a power puncher is keep them off balance. Lomachenko does all that very, very well.
How Commey wins: Timing. Commey is longer and has about a 4-inch reach advantage. He's a bit taller than Lomachenko, too.
Lomachenko is an aggressive fighter, he likes to be at midrange. Commey likes to press forward, but what Commey has to do is set up traps on Lomachenko. Lomachenko sometimes gets carried away and he'll get relaxed and he will walk right in, just as he did against Jorge Linares. That would be a perfect time for Commey to throw that right hand down the middle and catch Lomachenko. That's a game-changer for him if he can do that, because he has some punching power in his right hand and also with the left hook.
It's going to be about timing, positioning, patience and when at midrange, he's gonna have to let his hands go -- make sure he doesn't throw it at the head, because Lomachenko's head won't be there. Commey has to throw his punches towards the chest, because when Lomachenko dips, Commey would be able to hit him in the chin. If he does that he will have a chance of upsetting the highly favored Lomachenko.
X factor: I think Lomachenko respects Commey and his power. I understand that Lomachenko actually thought Commey was going to beat Lopez, knock him out. Lopez ended up knocking out Commey. I think Lomachenko is smart enough to know that he's facing a dangerous opponent and think, "If the KO comes it comes, and I need to be smart and avoid the serious punching power of Commey."
Prediction: Lomachenko. I always say battles are won, of course, with force, but for me is how smart a fighter or a soldier is. It's about intelligence, that's how battles are won. Sometimes you get lucky with a bomb, but the intelligent fighter inside the ring typically can do a lot more than just punch. I'm gonna go with Lomachenko. I think Lomachenko is going to figure Commey out, put the pressure on midway towards the back end of the fight and he's going to start pounding on him, and I think Commey's corner will step in to save him. I see Lomachenko getting the stoppage, a late-round TKO victory.
Terence Crawford, welterweight champion, former lightweight and undisputed junior welterweight champion
How Lomachenko wins: Be himself. Use his movements and move away from Commey's right hand. I think Lomachenko's movements and skills are going to be too much for Commey to handle.
How Commey wins: Commey should punch with him, go to the body, force Lomachenko to think more. Be first and be last, finish the combinations.
Prediction: Lomachenko takes that fight. I can't see a stoppage for Lomachenko, but he should win.
Orlando Salido, former featherweight champion, defeated Lomachenko by split decision in 2014
How Lomachenko wins: Lomachenko shouldn't wait too long to decide what he wants to do in the fight because he has a lot of tools in his bag. Lomachenko sometimes waits until the middle of the fight to be aggressive and then the fight goes away, which is what happened against Teofimo Lopez. Lomachenko is a great body puncher. He must utilize the hook to the liver -- that blow is very strong. He caught me several times with it in our fight, and almost knocked me down in the last round.
How Commey wins: He should fight smart, move, try to be faster in throwing punches, don't let Lomachenko get in rhythm. And more importantly, he needs to be perfect, because Lomachenko has many resources. You can't make mistakes against Lomachenko. He will see them and take advantage. Commey tends to lower his left hand. That's an advantage for Lomachenko, but I hope Commey has corrected that mistake. If he hasn't, it could be a bad night for him.
X factor: For Commey, he needs to start fast. From the start of the fight to the last second, Commey must try to win round after round. Do whatever is needed, be active. That's the only way he can get a win.
Prediction: Lomachenko wins a KO or decision. I'm not sure if he can knock Commey out, but Lomachenko gets the victory.
Aureliano Sosa, trainer to Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller, Peter Quillin and Chris Colbert
How Lomachenko wins: Lomachenko has to be Lomachenko. He can't make the same mistakes he made against Salido, he can't make the mistakes he made against Teofimo Lopez. He has to be "The Matrix," be aggressive and elusive. Use angles -- he's amazing using angles. He can't give out rounds like he did against Lopez, and don't get overconfident like he did against Salido or Jorge Linares. Commey has been training in my gym and we became good friends. He's aggressive and a great puncher, but because of his style, I do think he's tailor-made for Lomachenko.
How Commey wins: Commey is going to have to be aggressive, but at the same time, he has to be smart with his feet. He can't stay in one spot, putting pressure and just being flat-footed. He needs to put pressure and take little steps back, using angles, and that could be hard for Richard.
But he can make it a dirty fight, like Salido did. Lomachenko throws a lot of jabs, and Commey has heavy hands, so hopefully he lands. But the angles that Lomachenko uses, sometimes you don't think he is human because of the stuff he does. One of the mistakes Commey did against Lopez was dropping the left hand, and Lomachenko is going to be throwing those right hooks and that right overhand. If Commey doesn't fix that, Lomachenko is going to be touching him all night.
X factor: Fundamentals. Commey needs to keep that left hand up. And he needs to put pressure, throw a lot of shots and hope one catches Lomachenko. But again, look at my prediction for Lopez against George Kambosos Jr. I thought Kambosos had no chance and look what happened.
Prediction: Unanimous decision for Lomachenko.