Joseph Commey retains WBC lightweight title in dramatic Las Vegas rematch

Joseph Commey stopped Miguel Palomino in the tenth round at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night to retain the WBC lightweight world title in a fight that will live in the memory of everyone present for its sheer, unrelenting quality.nnCommey, twenty-six and the son of former IBF lightweight world champion Richard Commey, was dropped in the fourth round — his first knockdown as a professional — and spent the next two rounds processing the event before reasserting control with a jab that his trainer later described as “the best in the weight class right now.”nnThe knockout was preceded by the best round of the fight: Commey walked down Palomino through a combination of straight right hands, drawing the Colombian onto an uppercut that ended the contest at 2 minutes 41 seconds of round ten.nnHis father, ringside throughout, could be seen pumping his fist as the referee waved it off. “He is better than I was at twenty-six,” Richard Commey told reporters, which for anyone who followed his career is saying something quite substantial.nnThe win sets up a likely unification bout with IBF champion Vasyl Lomachenko, which promoter Bob Arum confirmed is under active discussion. A unification fight would likely be held in London, where both fighters have large followings.nnPresident Mahama sent a congratulatory message within minutes of the stoppage. The Ghana Boxing Authority called the performance “the finest by a Ghanaian boxer on American soil since Azumah Nelson.”