View Full Version : Calzaghe is out to make Lacy pay
Calzaghe is out to make Lacy pay
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/4760828.stm
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41386000/jpg/_41386868_calzaghe_lacy_presser203.jpg
Calzaghe v Lacy is seen as a classic in the making
Joe Calzaghe is ready to punish Jeff Lacy on Saturday after the IBF super middleweight king accused the Welshman of slapping rather than punching. "Lacy has said I can't hit," said Calzaghe, who is putting his WBO title on the line at Manchester's MEN Arena. "Many have claimed that and I hope he comes over with a sense of security because he'll get hurt, believe me. I'm confident that the hand I broke in my last fight is fine. It's a hazard of boxing, but it's been OK in training."
I don't think it will go over three rounds either way, with my money on Calzaghe (Ex-British and Commonwealth champion Nicky Piper)
Nicky Piper, the ex-British and Commonwealth light heavyweight champion, feels his countryman's notoriously frail hands could have an impact on his fight tactics. "It's a weakness of Joe's and it could be on his mind that the hands will go again," Piper told BBC Sport Wales. "He could throw caution to the wind and try to get Lacy out early. I see it as a re-run of Calzaghe's meeting with Byron Mitchell - Lacy is better than Mitchell, but Joe is ready for that. It has all the makings of a classic. I don't think it will go over three rounds either way, with my money on Calzaghe."
But Calzaghe has hinted at a more sophisticated game-plan, saying he did not make enough of his superior boxing skills in his classic slug-fests with Mitchell and Charles Brewer. "If I stand toe-to-toe and fight Lacy's fight it becomes more his scene," he said. "Although the crowd loved the Brewer and Mitchell bouts I could have won more comfortably, I have to keep a cool head."
Newbridge-man Calzaghe says he has a fresh motivation for the bout. "Lacy's a good champion, undefeated - but not for much longer." The Welshman is the longest reigning current world champion at any weight, having made 17 defences of the WBO belt since dethroning Chris Eubank in 1997. But the 33-year-old is excited at getting his hands on another title.
"I've something to win. Normally I'm defending my crown but now I'm after Lacy's belt," said Calzaghe. "This will put me on another level. Unifying the title is what I've wanted to do for years. Lacy might be known as 'Left Hook', but I've got one of those, plus a right hook, an uppercut, a jab. I've got everything. He's a good champion, undefeated, but not for much longer. I'm 100% confident, it'll be explosive, so don't blink."
Although he will be fighting on foreign soil, Florida's Lacy, 28, will have the advantage of staying on his own time-scale, an 0200 GMT start being tailored to the US television audience. Calzaghe has re-trained his body clock to meet the American, who is undefeated in 22 fights, 17 coming by way of knock-out.
"I'm training late," said Calzaghe. "Normally I train in the morning then the afternoon, so now I train in the evening then at one or two o'clock in the morning and try to adjust that way. It's a real pain, but my weight is good, I'm in great shape and feel good within myself."
Calzaghe, who has a 100% record from 40 fights (31 KOs), has been doing his roadwork in the middle of the night, running in the Welsh countryside with father and trainer Enzo. "He follows me in the car with the lights on to make sure I can see where I'm going," he said. "It's nice and quiet, quite surreal actually. I've seen a few badgers!"
wordt een mooie partij, Lacy gaat altijd gelijk in de hoogste versnelling dus Calzaghe moet wel mee gaan.
Calzaghe is een ondergewaardeerde bokser waar Lacy het lastig mee gaat krijgen. de winnaar is het publiek :wink:
Lacy Goes into Calzaghe's Backyard
By Steve Kim (March 1, 2006)
http://www.maxboxing.com/Kim/Kim030106.asp
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Jeff Lacy doesn't mind that in order to unify his IBF super middleweight crown against long-time WBO titlist Joe Calzaghe on Saturday night, he'll have to do so on the Welshman’s UK home turf at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England.In fact, he seems to relish the opportunity to go into Calzaghe's backyard and take care of business.
http://www.maxboxing.com/Media/Lacy02_Main_Everlast.jpg
"It's that throwback thing," Lacy told MaxBoxing a few weeks back, before taking the international flight to the U.K. "I'm a throwback fighter, so it doesn't matter. The chants that are coming from outside that ring, they're not going to help you. I mean once you're in that ring it's you and me and that's it. It gives you the boost to continue to go but that's what I want. I want him to fight me; that's when the best comes out of me. When fighters don't come to fight, I don't look good."
Lacy, a representative of the 2000 US Olympic team, has often referred to his title-winning performance versus Syd Vanderpool as his gold medal. Since then he's successfully defended his belt against Omar Sheika, Rubin Williams, Robin Reid and Scott Pemberton. But this bout here, trumps all that.
"It's the biggest one, this is for all the marbles," he said. "This fight, I recognize as the start of my career. Everything I've done up until then really means nothing and this is the fight that every fighter in boxing looks to have. This is the eyebrow raiser. This is the fight of all fights, to unify the titles and to fight the best in the division."
Lacy, whose mark stands at 21-0, doesn't have that many more fights than Calzaghe has title defenses of his WBO crown. Since winning the vacant belt by decisioning Chris Eubank in October of 1997, he has turned away 17 challengers to his throne. But it could be argued that this is every bit the defining moment for Calzaghe as it is for Lacy. Despite his vast number of title defenses and skill, many believe Calzaghe has squandered much of his prime with a string of meaningless title defenses, numerous pullouts and his reluctance to come to the States. A win over Lacy will legitimize his title reign; a loss and he's a left-handed Sven Ottke - a protected European titlist with no defining moment. But in reading some of the quotes from Calzaghe, it seems that the Welshman believes that in Lacy he is taking on a green, inexperienced fighter.
"I hope he does," says Lacy. "I hope he does because y'know what? Everybody that was on their way up, they had to get that chance from somewhere, no matter what. I credit Calzaghe for having the title defenses that he has, BUT, I think it's more disappointing to him to have 17 defenses and this be his career defining fight."
Lacy-Calzaghe, which is perhaps the most significant super middleweight showdown since the Roy Jones-James Toney bout in 1994, was supposed to have taken place last fall. But Calzaghe suffered an injury in his last defense against Evans Ashira in September, putting this bout in jeopardy.
"I really didn't focus on if me and Calzaghe were going to do it," Lacy claimed. Of course, given Calzaghe’s history of pulling out of bouts, he probably should've been. "It's something I wanted to do and to prove to everybody who's the number one guy in the super middleweight division. But I'm not going to lose my hair over chasing him and getting him in the ring. If he wants to fight, he'll fight. If he doesn't, he won’t. So I was just focused on my career. I had other options to become a superstar. I could've moved up or I could've moved down, it doesn't matter. I have options."
But this is the fight he needed. And if he should come out victorious and stake his claim as the world’s best 168-pounder, he goes to the next plateau of stardom. Throughout his career, 'Left Hook' has been a Showtime staple; beat Calzaghe and he transforms himself into a guy that is a legitimate pound-for-pound practitioner and a guy who will be in the mix of the major pay-per-view shows in the upcoming years.
"I believe Jeff is a big star now," says his promoter, Gary Shaw. "All it means is he took out the gatekeeper at 168-pounds and that opens up a whole new vista for him." There is a lot of conjecture if Showtime - which has done a masterful job in showcasing him since 2001 – can afford to keep Lacy on their airwaves should he defeat Calzaghe this weekend. In the past, the network has introduced boxing fans to performers like Evander Holyfield, Naseem Hamed and Felix Trinidad, only to see them go to the greener pastures of HBO. You could say that they were the greatest farm system this side of the Montreal Expos in the 1990's.
"Look, Tyson fought on pay-per-view and Tyson fought a lot on Showtime," pointed out Shaw, who enjoys a close working relationship with the network. "So I don't think it's an HBO or Showtime issue. I believe Showtime has been terrific with Jeff since he got into boxing and that Jeff is a loyal guy. So he knows how much Showtime cares about him. So look, there are other fights that we can do. I'd like to fight Markus Beyer, I'd like to get some other belts."
But first things first. Lacy must get past Calzaghe, who has been considered the premier super middleweight for at least the past six or seven years. The Welshman has the tools to riddle Lacy: quick hands, fast feet, confidence, championship experience and perhaps most important of all, a southpaw stance. But Lacy says he's come a long way since the days when Arthur Palac gave him fits in the amateurs, with the help of elite trainer Dan Birmingham.
"I'm very comfortable with southpaws," he says."I started boxing by sparring with one of the best southpaws out there in the business, that's Winky Wright. I learned how to fight fighting a southpaw before I learned how to fight a right-hander." For Lacy, the real battle comes before ever stepping in the ring with Calzaghe.
"The thing is, it's the preparation," he explains. "Me having my focus and believing in my trainers and in my condition. As long as I know I'm 110-percent shape, physically and mentally, I don't worry about the fight. The fight is easy for me as long as I know I do
all the training that I have to do.
"The fight should be easy."
reken maar dat er behoorlijk gezongen wordt door het publiek! altijd prachtig net als bij Ricky Hatton zijn partijen en vroeger bij Eubank, Benn etc. topsfeertje.
Calzaghe gaat er aan let maar op. Een maat van mij uit engeland zei dat het gevecht om 01.00 uur 's nachts of zo staat gepland. Beetje laat toch? volgens mij had kosta tsyu er ook last van tegen hatton.
Het klopt dat de wedstrijd pas midden in de nacht begint; heeft te maken met uitzenden van de wedstrijd in VS.
Calzaghe gaat er aan let maar op. Een maat van mij uit engeland zei dat het gevecht om 01.00 uur 's nachts of zo staat gepland. Beetje laat toch? volgens mij had kosta tsyu er ook last van tegen hatton.
voor Tszyu was het natuurlijk dubbel zwaar omdat hij uit Australie komt. Calzaghe komt uit Engeland dus ik denk dat het voor hem wel meevalt, kwestie van slaapritme aan passen....
The great imponderable
By Ben Dirs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/4719782.stm
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41339000/jpg/_41339476_lacy270.jpg
"Joe's quite prepared to sit there and bang with you - he's not going to tip-toe to the championship " Jeff Lacy
In Manchester on Saturday night, one of two fashionable theories of modern boxing is likely to be exploded. Theory one, common among the American boxing fraternity, is that WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe is a paper tiger who has ducked more folk than a swimming pool bully.
Theory two, prevalent among British boxing writers, is that IBF super middleweight champion Jeff Lacy is over-hyped, untested and will be given a boxing lesson by his more experienced opponent.
For his part, Lacy reckons both schools of thought will be shredded amid a bona fide tear-up at the MEN Arena. He believes it could pan out like Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns in 1985 - both men covering themselves in glory for a few anarchic rounds before Calzaghe, as Hearns, disintegrates. "I give him credit for his 17 defences, but this is going to be his toughest," the Floridian, who is undefeated in 22 fights (17 KOs), told BBC Sport. "A true champion rises to the occasion and that's what I'm looking for Joe to do. Joe has fought spectacularly in the past and if he does again, that will bring out the best in me. I'm anticipating him moving, but I don't think he'll be able to do it for long. Joe's quite prepared to sit there and bang with you - he's not going to tip-toe to the championship. Neither one of us is going to back-pedal, and when you look at our styles, someone is going to go down before 12."
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41357000/jpg/_41357324_hearns_hagler203.jpg
Could it be Hearns-Hagler all over again?
Like middleweight legend Hagler, the 28-year-old Lacy is an imposing specimen and a rampaging pressure fighter. He will look to drill into Calzaghe's chest like a giant mole. Like multi-weight world champion Hearns, Calzaghe is spry, quick-fisted and packs a serious punch. But Lacy, who is not called "Left Hook" for nothing, is confident he will not come under Calzaghe's spell.
"I certainly hope he stands toe-to-toe," said Lacy, who won the IBF belt in October 2004 and has defended it four times since. "But if not, I've been working on some moves. I'm not scared of his speed and if he thinks he's going to mesmerise me, he's got another think coming."
Calzaghe, owner of a 40-0 record with 31 knockouts, is often ridiculed for the quality of his opponents, but the history books show he has fought five world champions to Lacy's one. The biggest name on Lacy's record is Runcorn's Robin Reid, the former WBC champion who was floored four times last August having stayed upright in his previous 43 fights. Reid, who dropped a split decision against Calzaghe in 1999, looked spent, even though you had to be impressed by Lacy's power.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41353000/jpg/_41353494_calzaghe203.jpg
Calzaghe is a legend in Wales - and often ridiculed in America
Worryingly for Calzaghe, he has been floored twice in recent fights and his 33-year-old body is starting to creak. As a result, some feel he has left this career-defining fight a few years too late. As for Lacy, an Olympic bronze medallist at Sydney 2000, how he will cope with the voracious Manchester crowd is another unknown factor. He was in the MEN Arena to see Ricky Hatton wrest the IBF light welterweight crown from Kostya Tszyu last June - but Lacy thinks the effect of 20,000 vocal fans was negligible.
"When I was at ringside for the Hatton-Tszyu fight, the atmosphere was electric, the crowd was going crazy. I was like 'wow!', this is a great fight town," said Lacy, a native of St Petersburg, near Tampa.
"But the fans can't help Joe in the ring. It all comes down to our trainers pushing us into the middle and us fighting to keep our titles. It will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure."
Lacy is a self-confessed homebody who talks wistfully of the "St Pete" in him. He moved to Los Angeles in 2003 but lasted less than a year, admitting that the "vibe of the city put me on edge". Back in his home town, Lacy rejoined the man who trained him in his amateur days, the venerable Dan Birmingham, and within a year he had beaten Syd Vanderpool for the vacant IBF belt.
His four defences have been against middling opposition in the relatively comfortable surroundings of Las Vegas casinos or, against Reid, back in "St Pete". Manchester's "hair-dryer" treatment could come as a shock. With so many imponderables in the mix, this fight, the most eagerly-anticipated at 168lb since Nigel Benn met Gerald McClennan on a tragic night in 1995, is almost impossible to pick - unless you are Jeff Lacy.
"It's not a case of 'if' I beat Calzaghe, it's a case of 'when'," said Lacy. "I'm very confident and I will walk away with the world title."
Calzaghe brands Lacy 'pathetic'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/4768404.stm
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41395000/jpg/_41395990_calzaghe_lacy_203.jpg
Jeff Lacy has suddenly found a love for English football
Joe Calzaghe derided super middleweight opponent Jeff Lacy after the American wore an England football shirt for Thursday's media conference. Welshman Calzaghe said Lacy's attempts to win over some fans ahead of Sunday's WBO-IBF unification fight in Manchester were "pathetic". But Lacy's promoter Gary Shaw said: "When we go into the ring we are going to be defending English people. All you ever hear from Joe Calzaghe is about Italy and Wales." Shaw even waved a St George's flag as the two fighters squared up to each other, and predicted his man would win the respect and hearts of the fans in Manchester.
"It is the sort of fight all boxers dream of and I cannot wait to unify the titles" WBO super middleweight champions Joe Calzaghe
He said: "We expect over 19,000 people to be booing us when we get up into that ring, but when we leave the ring after the fight those same 19,000 will be cheering Jeff Lacy." Unbeaten IBF title-holder Lacy let Shaw do most of the talking on Thursday, but spoke up when pressed about his previous disparaging remarks that WBO champion Calzaghe slapped rather than punched. "I never said Joe Calzaghe slapped," claimed the 28-year-old. "I respect what he has done and I see myself as the underdog. But I am just focused and ready for the fight."
Despite the 0200 GMT start on Sunday morning to accommodate American television, the MEN Arena has increased its usual 16,000 capacity for the fight. And Calzaghe said he is determined not to let his loyal fans down as he gets his first opportunity to unite two super middleweight titles.
"I have been waiting eight years for this fight and I can't wait," said the 33-year-old. "It is the sort of fight all boxers dream of and I cannot wait to unify the titles."
Anonymous
03-03-2006, 11:16
Het klopt dat de wedstrijd pas midden in de nacht begint; heeft te maken met uitzenden van de wedstrijd in VS.
ja precies begrijp ik. Maar blijft toch zwaar
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