March 4, 2006 undefeated IBF Super Middleweight Champion Jeff Lacy went to the U.K. to fight undefeated WBO Super Middleweight Champion Joe Calzaghe. For many in the United States we had heard of Calzaghe but had not seen much of him. Many of us, including myself, thought he was another hyped overseas fighter that would get exposed. Calzaghe would never leave his country to fight in the United States and always seem to have an injury when it was time to fight. Lacy, was a strong power punching fighter from the US that seemed destined to expose Calzaghe. Lacy was not the best boxer, but many felt his classic left hook would land at some point and end the hype of Joe Calzaghe. Damn, were we all wrong? Lacy went over to England trying to land his wide shots and he got exposed instead. Calzaghe hit Lacy with every punch in his arsenal. Not too often you see a beatdown like that without a knockout. Lacy was down in the 12th but got up. At the end of twelve rounds, actually before, Lacy look like a beaten fighter who was spent. I was very shocked at what had just taken place. Now here we are more than two years after this fight and I read where Lacy says he eventually wants a rematch with Calzaghe. When I read that, I immediately thought of the effects of the beatdown. Although I have never seen the actual punch stat numbers, I have read that Calzaghe landed over 1000 punches against Lacy. I did not say threw over a 1000 punches, but landed over 1000. Now I will say that Calzaghe is not the biggest power puncher, but he does hit hard enough that after a 1000 times you would be hurt. Lacy has not been the same since that fight by any means. Lacy came back 9 months later to win a controversial MD over Vitali Tsypko. In that fight Lacy suffered a shoulder injury which required surgery. He did not fight for a little over a year when he fought Peter Manfredo Jr December 8, 2007. Lacy won a very boring UD over Manfredo. Lacy did not have the punch he used to have or the aggressiveness. All the things that many thought would be good enough to beat Calzaghe, Lacy has lost that too. It appears he still has yet to learn how to box. He still throws those wide shots that leave him very open. If Lacy fights anyone with decent boxing skills they will expose him again. My concern really is after the beatdown he took from Joe Calzaghe, he thinks a rematch is a good idea. Since the beatdown, Lacy has fought twice and won two lackluster decisions. He is due to fight on July 23 against Epifanio Mendoza. For Lacy this is a do or die fight, no questions ask. Sure he only has one loss, but the effects of that beatdown have been horrible for him. It was not like losing a split decision or even getting KOd early. Lacy endured 12 long hard rounds of punishment. The punishment he received took a toll on his body that night in England and he will never get that piece of himself back. He can change trainers, promoters, gloves or whatever he thinks is the issue, but he will never get back the fight he lost in the ring against Calzaghe. There are rumors of a Jeff Lacy-Jermain Taylor fight. Oh how attractive that fight would have been a little over 2 years ago, but today it is not valuable. Taylor, who has lost two in a row, is still in better shape as a fighter than Lacy. Yes Taylor was KOd, but he did not take the total beating Lacy did. Lacy is a shell of himself. He swears he is not and he believes that. However those who know the sport know more than likely Lacy is spent and will never be the same. As beautiful as this sport is, it is also brutal. Losses occur in every fight whether it is scored a draw or not. In each fight, you just never know the true effects of a beatdown until it has passed by. For Jeff Lacy I think the effects of the beatdown he received from Joe Calzaghe may have been detrimental to his career. He has not comeback from it well and it appears he never will. Although Lacy will continue to fight, the effects of the beatdown may have ended his career with only Lacy being the last to know.
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