Lomachenko-Commey Final Presser Notes

Former lightweight champions collide as Vasiliy Lomachenko and Richard Commey close out the Madison Square Garden Saturday night, live on ESPN starting at 9 p.m. ET in what will likely be their highest watched fight card in 2021.

Speaking for the last time Thursday, Lomachenko spoke about how special it is to fight again at the Garden.

“Madison Square Garden is a special place for me during my professional career. It is an honor for me to fight at the Mecca of Boxing. I respect it and can’t wait Saturday night,” Lomachenko noted at the final presser Thursday. “I think will give an interesting fight for fans.”

Commey spoke on how he is embracing the fight and knows it won’t be an easy one.

I have the whole country behind me. It’s not an easy fight but I’m coming,” Commey said. “Well, I think losing in boxing is part of it. It’s all about coming back. I take it like a man and I needed to come back strong. There is a reason Loma chose me and we’ll see it Saturday.

“This is my second time (fighting at Madison Square Garden) and excited to be here,” Commey stated.

Should be a fun main event as both are at a crossroads and this fight we found out has bigger stakes attached to it. Arum spoke that the winner of this fight will be the WBO mandatory challenger slot which will get that ball rolling down the line.

Other news and notes from the presser:

Brownsville native and newest signee Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington was also introduced as the newest member to the stable and for Arum it felt good to sign someone from the old block of Arum’s Brooklyn’s stomping grounds.

“It feels good signing someone from the neighborhood,” Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said about Carrington who was in action on Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder 3 undercard in October.

“This means a lot to me. I’ve been in boxing for 17 years of my life and it is something you strive to. I look forward to keep going and creating my own legacy, ” Carrington said at the presser. He will be in action on the prelim card that airs on the streaming service ESPN+

The grand prize for both guys of course is new undisputed champion George Kambosos Jr., who spent the week before doing a well-deserved promotional victory lap here before flying back to Australia.

“It is good to sit with this man over here. Ninety f—— years old and still doing this.,” Lou DiBella, promoter of Kambosos and Commey to join in the belated birthday wishes for Arum.

That prompted a great story by him about a call he got from Don King during his birthday celebration.

“Me and Don (King) don’t agree on anything but we agree on one thing. We screwed the world by still being alive at age 90 and all of our predecessors have been gone and deceased,” Arum championed.

While Bob is back home for his 90th birthday week that rolls on, we’ll be interesting to see who will emerge from this on as the winner will want to be next in courting Kambosos.