IBF Commends Commey

New Lightweight Intercontinental Champion (I/C), Richard Oblitey has been commended by the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

He stopped boxer Bahadir Manadjanov in the 8th round of their scheduled 10-rounder tourney in Las Vegas last week.

IBF Chairman of Championship Committee,Lindsey Tucker wrote to Richard Commey: “Congratulations on your win over Bahadir Manadjanov for the vacant IBF I/C Lightweight Championship last Friday night, May 22, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. We wish you all the best for a long and illustrious career as the IBF I/C Lightweight Champion.”

According to Tucker’s congratulatory message to Commey, “Your mandatory defense will be due on or before November 23, 2015. The IBF will notify you approximately 60 days prior to November 23, 2015, as to whom the mandatory challenger is and you will be required to negotiate the mandatory at that time. In the event you are unable to negotiate the mandatory the IBF will call for purse offers to determine who will promote the fight, when and where”.

Commey has been on the rise ever since and last week be set his foot to the MECCA of boxing in the world, Las Vegas where the famous Fight of the Century between Floyd Maywheather and Manny Pacquiao took place.

Meanwhile,Joseph King Kong Agbeko believes he will return into the ring a better fighter and the former 2-time IBF Bantamweight champion credits it all to the vast army of experienced boxing aficionados he works with these days ahead of his fight against Juanito Rubillar come Saturday night in the US.

Agbeko has been training mostly in Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather’s gym in Las Vegas under the tutelage of the undefeated pound-for-pound king’s uncle, Roger Mayweather and King Kong who is also on a 3-year promotional deal with former world champion, Roy Jones Jnr’s RJJ Promotions, says he’s learning a lot from both future Hall of Famers.

“I have trained with Roger Mayweather for some time and I have learnt from him,” Agbeko told a Ghanaian radio station from his US base.

“And working with Roy Jones has been a good experience too. Roy is one of the best in this sport and he knows a lot in boxing. He has enlightened me in many areas,” added King Kong who confesses that Roy Jones was his childhood idol.

The fight against Rubillar at the El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas will be the first for Agbeko since his Super Bantamweight world championship defeat to unified champion, Guillermo Rigondeax back in December 2013 and the Ghanaian is fully aware of the risks in facing 78-fight Filipino veteran.

“Rubillar has a lot more fights than I do and he’s very experienced,” Agbeko acknowledges.

“He is a southpaw too and fighting a southpaw is not an easy task compared to fighting an orthodox boxer. I believe he will also come in to prove a point,” King Kong explained.

Source: Ghanaian Times