Two former world champions will resurface in Detroit, as Sadam Ali and Richard Commey end long layoffs on a card at the Wayne State Fieldhouse. The spotlight falls on Ali, who returns more than six years after his last fight, headlining against Cody Wilson.
Ali (27-3, 14 KOs), 36, shocked the sport in 2017 by outpointing Miguel Cotto for the WBO super welterweight title, sending the Puerto Rican legend into retirement. His reign ended in his first defense against Jaime Munguia, and his last appearance was a May 2019 stoppage loss to Anthony Young. “As time went by, the hunger grew more and more; I really missed being in the ring,” Ali said of his comeback.
His opponent Wilson (14-5, 9 KOs), 31, enters off an April decision loss to Ivan Dancha. While not a marquee name, Wilson represents a realistic test for Ali’s timing and sharpness after years away. The fight was originally scheduled for February in Brooklyn but was delayed due to an Ali training injury and later relocated to Detroit.
Also on the bill, former IBF lightweight champion Commey (30-5-1, 27 KOs) fights for the first time since March 2023, when he was stopped in the 11th round by Jose Ramirez. The Ghanaian, 37, has gone 1-3-1 in his last five, a stretch that includes losses to Teofimo Lopez and Vasiliy Lomachenko as well as a draw with Jose Pedraza. His opponent has yet to be confirmed.
For fans, the intrigue lies less in titles and more in curiosity: what does Ali have left after six years, and can Commey steady his late career? Both men once held belts at the highest level.
Fight card:
▪️Sadam Ali vs. Cody Wilson, 10 rounds, super welterweight
▪️Giovanni Cristian Scuderi vs. Demetrius Banks, 8 rounds, heavyweight
▪️Khalid Twaiti vs. Francisco Gomez Sanchez, 8 rounds, bantamweight
▪️Husam Al Mashhadi vs. Abraham Afful, 8 rounds, welterweight
▪️Richard Commey vs. William Jackson, 6 rounds, welterweight
▪️Marcos Paz vs. Kenneth Agnew, 4 rounds, lightweight
▪️Sardius Simmons vs. Randolph Shaw, 4 rounds, heavyweight
