NEW YORK — Fans in Brooklyn will have one less former champion to watch in action after the ten-round junior welterweight bout between Richard Commey and Nahir Albright has been pulled.
Commey’s trainer Andre Rozier confirmed the news to BoxingScene, saying that the fight actually fell out two weeks ago, with the Bronx-based Rozier citing “family issues” as the reason why Commey withdrew from the bout. Commey, 31-5-1 (28 KOs), a former IBF lightweight champion, was to be fighting for the second time in less than two months, following his second-round stoppage of William Jackson in Detroit this past August.
Albright, 17-2 (7 KOs), of Sicklerville, New Jersey says he’s “still a little bit pissed off” about the fight falling out, and says his team is working on getting another fight date for him. The 29-year-old Albright is coming off a career-best win in June, a majority decision win over the previously unbeaten Kelvin Davis in Davis’ hometown of Norfolk, Virginia.
“I know someone who trains with him. They were saying the fight was gonna be easy and they were overlooking me and the next thing I know, he pulls out of the fight,” said Albright.
“I would love to fight Commey. I’m not gonna say he was a step-up in competition because obviously I’ve fought top fighters but I feel like the name and the experience was definitely a step up. The fight would have definitely solidified my spot at the 140lbs division.”
Rozier says Commey’s spot on the Danny Garcia vs. Danny Gonzalez card at Barclays Center was filled by Avtandil Khurtsidze, 34-2-2 (23 KOs), the 45-year-old Brooklyn resident who will face Andres Martinez, 6-4 (3 KOs), of Equatorial Guinea in a six-round light heavyweight fight. Martinez is coming off his biggest win yet, a six-round upset split decision over Nadim Salloum just a month ago in New York City.
“We’ve been waiting to get in the ring for a year now so thank God,” said Rozier. “I didn’t want it to be as heavy a weight class as it is in but when you come in last minute you’ve gotta take what you can get and put it together. But I’m expecting him to do very well.”
