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Tampa’s Awesome Threesome
This past summer Tampa, Florida has been treated to some awesome boxing and not just from a few anonymous boxers in the fight game, but from their very own favorite sons. IBF/IBO Super Middleweight Champion Jeff Lacy and IBO Light Heavyweight Champion Antonio Tarver, just two of the area’s three world champions, have come back home and lit a flame under Tampa Bay boxing. And if all goes to plan this December, middleweight kingpin Winky Wright will add to the tremendous amount of action Florida has already seen this year.
Lacy started things off on August 6th, defending his IBF title against IBO Champion Robin Reid. In forty-three professional fights, Reid, the “Grim Reaper” of Runcorn, England, had never been dropped. “Left Hook” Lacy quickly disposed of that record by flooring Reid four times and sending the more than 15,000 fans at the St. Pete Times Forum into a frenzy! On October 1st, in the same building, Antonio “The Magic Man” Tarver successfully defended his IBO title against Roy Jones, Jr. In front of 21,000 fans, he unanimously defeated the once invisible Jones and proved to the boxing world that he deserves to be recognized as the man to beat in the light heavyweight division.
After systematically dismantling Felix Trinidad, Winky Wright will treat the Tampa fans who have been anxiously awaiting his ring return to an early Christmas present by bringing textbook boxing back to the bay! These three are truly awesome fighters and deserve to be respected by all in the sport, but the road hasn’t been easy for any of these fighters. Tarver battled drug abuse early on in life as well as tough breaks in his boxing career before becoming successful. Lacy came from the hardship scrambles of Florida as one of nine siblings raised by his father, and Wright laboring for years in the sport, taking fights all over the world for little or nothing just to make a name for himself and to be respected. These men have true love for the sport while showing heart and dedication but most of all wanting to please the fans every step of the way. Tampa supports Tarver, Lacy and Wright and so should the rest of the boxing world. The awesome three, true champions of the sport.
