Gabriel Montoya's Quick Combo Jeff Lacy Mailbag

This article is a follow-up on Montoya’s interview:

Jeff Lacy: “I am coming back to dominate”
Interview by Gabriel Montoya (Aug 8, 2006)

http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Gabrie...oya_080806.htm

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Gabriel Montoya's Quick Combo Jeff Lacy Mailbag
By Gabriel Montoya (Aug 15, 2006)

http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Gabrie...oya_081506.htm


168 lb Tyson?

Jeff Lacy should never be mention is the same sentence as Mike Tyson. Mike was the king of the Heavyweights in his 20’s. Jeff Lacy got his ass handed to him at 28, on his first big fight. How could people compare him to a 168lbs Mike
Tyson. That should be an insult to Tyson.

Carlos

The comparison is more in the way they fight not their accomplishments. And Tyson didn't fight the big names in his division during his prime. However Lacy does fight with the same passion and ‘I am going to kill you’ attitude. Sure Lacy is nowhere near as smooth with his combinations nor as quick with his hands or even as anything resembling the head movement of young Tyson, but Lacy didn’t lose to a 42-1 underdog for his first loss, either. Lacy lost to a guy who had made 17 defenses of his title. Lacy helped solidify Calzaghe’s legacy. Mike Tyson IS Buster Douglas’s.

Hey, regarding your article on Lacy's return, two thoughts my friend:

1. Well-written, piece.
2. A PR piece for Jeff? Jeff Lacy is, like all fighters, who lost, making mega excuses, that simply aren't true. However, enough of that. What is unique about Jeff - or more probably Gary Shaw, is that he disavows his own statements: He said immediately after the fight that it was Calzaghe's speed that "confused me," not British food, not his busy schedule, etc. I heard him say this. And you know the praise heaped on Joe by Jeff's team after the fight, not to mention Jeff saying, "Calzaghe proved he could take my pressure and is a great champion." Suddenly all this chicken crap revisionist history.
3. The most glaring omission in your piece is that Lacy TOTALLY lost his 'bottle,' his nerve before the fight. He told the editor of Boxing Monthly, "I never said I hit harder than Calzaghe," which he did. But ... what a strange thing for a 'slugger' to say! Also, during the final weigh in EVERYONE commented on how spooked Joe looked.
Finally, Joe said bluntly, "I've been in with harder punchers." Period. Surely no excuse Jeff can make would explain how his hardest punches did Jack, to Joe's jaw.

I have read from an inside source that Jeff evidenced, for months following his beating, slurred speech. I think the guy should really reconsider boxing, if in his next bout, his skills have slipped. His health is more important.

Take care,

Allan

That’s actually three thoughts. Thanks for responding to the piece. No it was not a PR piece at all. I let Jeff's words, or any fighter’s words for that matter, speak for themselves. The focus was not to catch him in untruths regarding his earlier statements. It was to see where he is at now and really, to find out what happened with the Tarver and Green fights. He spoke about Calzaghe with little prodding from me. I think what is overlooked is that he didn't realize what he was going through at the time. He needed time to process the experience, as do we all when we go through trauma. Whether he is being truthful with himself or fooling himself, time will tell, and it isn't for me to say without first seeing him fight again. Who knows? Maybe he is like Hamed who insisted he was fine with his loss to Barrera and then fought only once afterwards.

Regarding his speech, it was very clear on the phone. He did not slur at all. I would agree that he lost his nerve. But considering what he said in regards to his training camp, that would explain his lack of confidence. Doubt comes from not being prepared.

Thanks for your response. Feel free to keep it real with me anytime, man. I appreciate it.

WHAT????

“Lacy took the first prolonged beating of his life, being out-boxed by the Welshman over twelve rounds in a shocking upset loss that solidified Calzaghe’s title reign and sent Lacy back to the drawing board.”

How dare you?

What in the world makes you think Calzaghe’s ass whopping of Jeff Lacy was a “shocking upset loss”?

Perhaps Joe was an underdog in America; but he certainly wasn’t in the UK. Yes, we agreed that Lacy was dangerous, but Calzaghe the underdog? Absolutely not.

You yanks NEVER give respect when it’s due. Never.
Ian

I don’t disagree that the American fans and press totally underestimated Joe BUT the odds makers here had Lacy a favorite, many in the boxing press thought Joe's history of brittle hands and pulling out of fights made him soft. There aren’t many now who doubt him. Read my fight report. I give Joe Calzaghe tons of props. Honestly, the win did solidify a career as steadfast as Bernard Hopkins. Joe finally got an international win .It may not have meant something to you guys, but it did to the American press. I do think it is pure, unadulterated bullshit that British Champions like Hatton and Calzaghe have to come here for fights and respect when they are 1) Champions; and, 2) filling 20,000 seat arenas. But that’s the way it is. Don’t blame me.

The shock of the loss was not that happened. It was how it happened.

The article is not slanted towards Jeff in any way. If you notice I don't try and make light of it or take away from Joe's performance. I don't pour a ton of sugar on it either because the article is not about him. It's about Jeff Lacy. Don't hold what he says against me. Hold it against him if you must. Mr. Calzaghe's rebuttal is most welcome anytime.

GOOD TO HEAR FROM LACY

It’s good to hear from Lacy, I’ve been wondering what he’s been doing since his rough night in Manchester. Something stuck out though; he needs 3 months notice or a fight? He needs to get his weight to a more manageable place so this isn’t the case. An 8-week training camp should be plenty of time to get ready for a fight. He’s calling shots like he’s a superstar. He needs to get active and start winning again. I’d like to see him in there against Allan Green or Kessler, (assuming he beats Beyer). If he fights Calzaghe again, (which I don’t think will happen), he gets worked again. Anyway, seems like a decent guy so I hope he gets in the ring soon, at 29, the time is now.
James

3 months is a bit excessive but look at his record and you'll see the guy has been very active (by today's standards) and like he said, he got burned out. The weight goes up when you take that vacation. He didn't look overweight or out of shape when I saw him in Vegas in June. I think that with the Tarver fight being at 175, he figured being 200 lbs wasn't that big a deal. When his fight became a super middleweight bout, the weight became an issue. He may also want a long camp to add new strategy and skills as well as find that spark again. So much of this is mental even when the fighter says it is a physical issue. You are correct, at 29, time’s wastin'.

From Simon in Hertfordshire, England

Having just read the interview with Jeff Lacy I had to drop you an email.

Every member of the Lacy camp admitted after the Calzaghe fight that their fighter had been completely out boxed, out punched, outclassed etc.

Dan Birmingham called the display 'a clinic, the best I have ever seen'. Losing like champions I believe that is called even though Lacy himself did not say much afterwards.

Now Lacy breaks his silence with a load of 'I over trained rubbish' and 'I didn’t like boxing in another country crap. Wake up Jeff this is world championship boxing son! - Maybe he now knows how Robin Reid felt when he had to train by the pool in the week before his fight against the 'Tyson of the 168lb division'.

All the fight fans in England hope that Lacy does rebuild his career after the absolute beating he took and I believe he will win versions of world titles in the future, but Dan Birmingham has already been quoted in Boxing Monthly saying he will never let Lacy in a ring with Calzaghe again so a rematch will never happen and why would anybody want to watch a return bout anyway? Its done and dusted, case closed.

Hopefully Calzaghe will fight Winky Wright next whom the British fight fans know and respect. Lets hope it happens!

I feel better after I have got that off my chest.

Keep up the good work.

Kind Regards

Simon

Nice to know guys from overseas are reading my stuff. You have some of the world's most passionate fans and sadly, many US fans are woefully ignorant of how great a fighting country yours is.

I make no apologies for Lacy. As an interviewer, I try and set the scene and let the fighters speak for themselves. Obviously, what he said is a change of tone from his previous feelings but those comments were made moments after an embarrassing loss. Prince Naseem Hamed seemed to take his beating at the hands of Barrera like a champion and then reacted poorly to it in his only post loss showing. It's the nature of the fighter mentality. Fighters need something to hang their hat on. Trinidad’s camp, after his devastating loss to Hopkins, blamed his loss of focus due to marital problems and his volunteering post 9/11. Corrales explained his loss to Mayweather with an impending jail term. The list goes one. The job of an interviewer is not to craft what his subject says in a positive light or negative one. It is to give the fighter a platform from which to voice his feelings. I think I did a fair job of saying that Calzaghe shellacked him but didn't lay it on too thick out of respect to the subject and the fact that it is was not a Calzaghe article but a Lacy one. If you want a positive take on Joe from me, check out my fight report on his win.

I think it is totally unfair that fighters (much less Champions) from across the pond have to come to the US to "prove themselves”. Champions, as Ricky Hatton is showing and Joe says he is willing to show, fight wherever the challenge is. Why come here when 1) You are the champion; and, 2) you can fill an arena with 20,00 screaming passionate fans and the other guy doesn’t bring that to the table?

I have spoken to a number of fighters and fight people on this article and some say "bullshit" and others who have fought overseas say either 1) He should have been better prepared; or, 2) I understand how an off night can happen. Unfortunately, like you said, the loss was a decisive one and like the Hopkins/Trinidad fight, makes little case for a rematch. BUT like I felt about Tito, a champion or any fighter for that matter deserves a shot at redemption against the man who handed him his first loss.