By Jake Donovan

The 2019 Heisman Trophy race has only just begun but boxing is already planning one hell of an after party.

The Dec. 14 edition of Top Rank on ESPN threatens to carry a potent one-two punch in the form of a title fight doubleheader, including a brewing fight between defending lightweight titlist Richard Commey and unbeaten mandatory challenger Teofimo Lopez. Sources from both camps have confirmed to BoxingScene.com that all signs point to the fight taking place Dec. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The event—which the date and location is set from a network perspective, though the card itself still being finalized—will mark the third straight year the network will carry a live boxing card immediately following coverage of the Heisman Trophy awards show honoring the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football player of the year, which is held just one mile away in midtown New York City.

ESPN.com senior writer Dan Rafael was the first to report the development.

A mandatory title fight between Commey (29-2, 26KOs) and Lopez (14-0, 11KOs) was ordered by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) on August 9, with the two sides granted a 30-day free negotiation period to reach terms before being subject to purse bid hearing at IBF headquarters in New Jersey. While a deal has not yet been reached, all indications suggest that any lingering issues should be buttoned up well before the Sept. 7 deadline.

Ghana’s Commey claimed the title with a rousing 2nd round knockout of Isa Chaniev in February, which was followed up by a one-sided 8th round stoppage of former titlist Raymundo Beltran this past June. The bout came three weeks prior to his next challenger being named, when Lopez survived the toughest test of his career in outpointing Japan’s Masayoshi Nakatani.

The fight was ordered soon thereafter, though also surrounded by doubt as to whether it would happen straight away. Lopez—a Brooklyn-bred, Las Vegas-based knockout artist who represented Honduras in the 2016 Rio Olympics—revealed internal camp issues, in particular seeking harmony amongst his family before focusing on any future bouts. The 22-year old noted that his next fight would undoubtedly be for a major title but stopping well short of acknowledging whether it would come within the time frame as ordered by the IBF.

It appears we now have our answer to that question.

Should current plans hold up, it will mark Lopez’s second straight appearance on an ESPN boxing telecast following a Heisman show. The charismatic contender paid homage to his manager, David McWaters’ Oklahoma roots by entering the ring sporting a Kyler Murray jersey, in honor of the Oklahoma Sooners quarterback who claimed the Heisman Trophy award.

In the ring, Lopez capped his own award-worthy campaign, scoring a literal highlight-reel 1st round knockout of Mason Menard, topping the ESPN SportsCenter feed the next morning and also sewing up 2018 Prospect of the Year honors.

Three wins have already come of his 2019 run, while Commey has scored two knockout wins in as many fights this year. The winner will at least garner consideration for Fighter of the Year; at the very least it will serve as the centerpiece attraction on a card that could potentially also include another mandatory title fight.

Unbeaten welterweight titlist and pound-for-pound entrant Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford (35-0, 26KOs) is due to face undefeated number-one challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas (21-0-1, 17 KOs), in his first fight since scoring a 6th round stoppage of former 140-pound titlist Amir Khan this past April at MSG. The bout topped an ESPN Pay-Per-View event which performed poorly at the box office, although Crawford has remained one of the sport’s top televised draws.

A return on this date will give the unbeaten switch hitter his second straight MSG appearance and fourth overall since his first appearance at MSG’s Theater (now Hulu Theater) in Feb. 2016.

The Dec. 14 show will take place in the main room, as Hulu Theater is already booked for a Cirque de Soleil musical adaptation of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox