Both men each coming off a loss, meet in a crossroads clash this Saturday night at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, as two-weight world champion Jose Pedraza takes on former world lightweight champion Richard Commey over a scheduled ten rounds at super lightweight.
Top Rank promote Pedraza vs Commey, and the action can be seen on Sky Sports in the UK, and ESPN+ in the USA.
Pedraza (29-4, KO14)has been a mixed bag at 140 pounds after spells as world champion at super featherweight and lightweight from 2015 to 2018, and is still searching for a shot at world honours at his current weight.
The Puerto Rican has only lost in good company, shipping his IBF super featherweight title to Gervonta Davis in 2017, and then his WBO lightweight belt to Vasyl Lomachenko in December 2018.
He has fought five times at super lightweight, winning three. The 33-year-old ‘Sniper’ lost on debut at 140 to Jose Zepeda, and then won three in a row before dropping a decision to former WBC and WBO champion Jose Ramirez in his last fight back in March.
New York based Ghanaian Commey (30-4, KO27) makes a debut at super lightweight, having been at lightweight for most of his career.
One week later… re-live that vicious @VasylLomachenko left hand slowed all the way down 🤯 pic.twitter.com/lisXnPHMLz
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 19, 2021
The 35-year-old first became world champion in February 2019, stopping Isa Chaniev in two rounds in February 2019, and made one defence before being crushed by Teofimo Lopez in two in December of the same year.
A comeback win led to a meeting with Vasyl Lomachenko, and the Ukrainian wizard dropped Commey in the seventh on the way to a wide points win in December last year.
Prediction: Both men are at a key stage of their careers, and a loss for either could well signal the end of the road. Pedraza seems the fresher, and is consistent in his performances, and I favour him to overcome early questions to take a clear points win by the conclusion of the contest.
Anderson returns
Heavyweight hope Jared Anderson (11-0, KO11) heads the undercard, and the American should stop former European title challenger Miljan Rovcanin (24-2, KO16) before the end of their scheduled ten rounder.
Remaining Undercard
Also at heavyweight, Richard Torrez (2-0, KO2) continues his education, and the Californian can defeat Marco Antonio Canedo (4-2, KO2) inside the distance of their contest set for six.
There are plenty of six round contests on offer. Delante Johnson (4-0, KO3) may need all six rounds to defeat Harry Gigliotti (8-3, KO3) at super lightweight, and at welterweight, Kelvin Davis (5-0, KO4) can score a stoppage win against Sebastian Gabriel Chaves (5-4, KO2).
Frevian Gonzalez Robles (5-1, KO1) should get the better of his lightweight affair with Gerardo Esquivel (3-2-1, KO1), and at heavyweight, Jeremiah Milton (5-0, KO4) should halt Nick Jones (9-4, KO6).
The final six rounder is at featherweight, where Haven Brady Jr (7-0, KO4) should be able to score a stoppage win over Manuel Guzman (8-6-1, KO5).
In four round action, Abdullah Mason (3-0, KO3) can take the battle of unbeatens at lightweight on the cards against Angel Rebollar (5-0, KO3), and light heavyweight Dante Benjamin (3-0, KO2) should take a points win against Leandro Silva (3-6, KO2).
