Richard Commey vs. Jackson Marinez became the main event tonight on ESPN after a bout between Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov fell out after the latter tested positive for COVID-19.
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RICHARD COMMEY (29-3, 26 KOs) VS.
JACKSON MARINEZ (19-1, 7 KOS)
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 13
- Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
- TV/Stream: ESPN
- Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)
- At stake: No titles
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: Commey 2½-1
- Also on the card: Adam Lopez vs. Jason Sanchez, 10 rounds, featherweights
- Prediction: Marinez UD
- Background: Both main event fighters are trying to bounce back from disappointments, although they came in different forms. Commey was brutally stopped in the second round by Teofimo Lopez in December 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York, which cost him his lightweight title and some respect in the boxing community. The 33-year-old puncher from Ghana, who is ranked by two of the four major sanctioning bodies, can’t afford a second consecutive setback if he hopes to remain an elite fighter. Marinez is a 30-year-old from the Dominican Republic who works with trainer Robert Garcia. He is coming off a disputed unanimous-decision loss to contender Rolando Romero for an “interim” title this past August at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. Many believe Marinez, a slick boxer, deserved the decision. A victory over Commey would solidify his position as a player at 135 pounds. He’s ranked No. 6 by the WBA.
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