06.03.06 – By Andy Watts, Ringside report. On March 4th, early hours of the morning Joe Calzaghe is squaring off against Jeff ‘Left Hook’ Lacy, without doubt everyone thought, this is Calzaghe’s biggest fight, he’s underdog for the first time since fighting Chris Eubank back in October 1997 for the then vacant WBO title. Of course this was also going to be Lacy’s biggest fight, and toughest opponent. But most felt Lacy was the ‘man’ at 12 stone and that he would be able to cope and do the dishing out on the night. Oh how wrong the experts can be sometimes. But this is boxing and it’s why we love it, right!?
It’s about 2.15am GMT and Lacy walks to the ring, he looks calm, moody and menacing. His glittering robe in US flag colours is classy and reminds me somehow of Apollo Creed from the Rocky films, which is funny as before this fight I called Jeff, Clubber Lang Lacy, A.K.A Mr T from one of the rocky films. The crowd at the M.E.N which is not quite full boo Lacy, some applaud. This is a part of England that has many true boxing fans, who understand what they are about to see. Respect! Lacy looks awesome, the atmosphere is already tense. Calzaghe now makes his way to the ring looking confident, ultra loose and like he’s more than ready. The crowd really start to cheer and sing. During the introductions the crowd start to boo Calzaghe’s introduction, thinking its Lacy, but soon jeers turn to loud cheers as they quickly realise its Calzaghe being introduced.
The bells about to go for round one and you can feel the atmosphere, a large portion of the crowd think they are about to witness their heroes first defeat at the hands of a Tyson like KO artist. Round One and both fighters are out and into it early, but Calzaghe is throwing punches quick and often, we knew he would. Lacy fires back, but most miss the target and Calzaghe keeps punching. Lacy lands a good hook which Joe feels, but he fires back with intensity, the bell goes, Calzaghe’s won the round, having out worked the mean and moody Lacy. Round two and Calzaghe’s already set a furious pace, the jab is working and he’s turning Lacy well, beating him on the inside and outside. It’s apparent that Calzaghe is not only very confident but that he has every right to be, he’s fast and very accurate, finding the target on Lacy’s face often. In the third round Joe starts really letting his punches fly in clusters and is starting to taunt Lacy, who keeps coming forward, hands up, looking for the big one, but he’s got two gloves being banged in is face and body, one two, one two three four etc. Calzaghe looks brilliant and is now three rounds up and well in control.
Round four is a big round for Calzaghe, he’s out fighting Lacy in every department and Lacy gets cut over the right eye. Heads did bang and Jeff complains to the referee that it caused the cut. I’m not so sure, but it’s certainly not what the American needs. What he needs is some luck right now and he’s not getting any! The round ends and Lacy walks back to his corner looking frustrated and like it’s all going wrong. It is. Calzaghe’s corner is stark contrast to Lacy’s, as they know all is going to plan. Just be careful! I think can Joe’s hands hold out with the leathering he’s giving? What if it goes? That would be disastrous after putting on a master class for the past four rounds.
Calzaghe is first out of the corner and walking forwards raring to go, Lacy’s team wisely use every last second of the 60 they have to try and sort this nightmare out. It’s been the same for the past couple of rounds, and continues. Rounds five, six and seven and Jeff’s still pressing forwards but continues to get beaten up by Calzaghe. In the Sixth, Calzaghe gets off a combination of maybe ten punches, most land. To his credit Lacy takes them well. Its great to watch, exciting and mesmerising. The Welshman also lands three hard slaps as Lacy has been calling them. Lacy is giving it his best, but he’s constantly beaten to the punch. Joe is so fast of hand and foot, he seems to let punches go without a seconds thought, he’s fighting like he’s boxing an invisible fighter in front of a mirror in the gym. Such is his control of each round of the fight. In fact if he were fighting this fight in his mind, as he will have no doubt done many hundreds of times, it’s hard for me to believe that even that would be going so well. Lacy must work Calzaghe over at some time surely!?
The Seventh is quality round. Lacy starts having a little success and lands some single punches and looks maybe, just maybe, like he might be closing in Calzaghe. But Lacy comes under pressure as Joe starts to open up, with Lacy backed to the ropes a barrage of lefts and rights from Calzaghe have Lacy is big trouble, his legs are gone, but somehow he doesn’t go down.
How are the Lacy fans in the US reacting to this I can’t help but think? The fight is being shown in the US on Showtime PPV, which is also why we are watching this in the middle of the night in cold Manchester. But I don’t care and nor do the thousands of fans here.
Round eight and it’s apparent that whilst Lacy needs a knockout, which he is still capable of in theory, it is looking desperately unlikely. The American is showing tremendous courage for man taking a career beating in front of a partisan crowd and the eyes of the world. He’s a warrior without doubt. The pace drops a little in round eight as Calzaghe looks to have a slight breather. Lacy’s face is looking messy now, the right side of it is very swollen and he’s been bleeding from his nose since the first and from cuts over the eyes for several rounds. Somehow though he keeps pushing forwards and trying, staying upright and still making Joe work for this. During the ninth Calzaghe really puts it on Lacy again and I felt that the ref could almost have stepped in, Lacy is taking a battering. On my card going into the tenth, Lacy has not yet won a round. The tenth is more of the same. Lacy’s head is being rocked punch after punch. The eleventh is an interesting round, with things following a similar pattern, however after Calzaghe steps in with quick right hand cross, Lacy goes down, it is ruled a shove and no count is given. The crowd were on its feet again, thinking it was a real knockdown. After watching the fight back on TV Sunday afternoon after the long drive back from Manchester, to me it looks like a punch landed and there was no real shove. Slow motion proves it in my eyes; it should have been a knockdown. Later in the round Calzaghe threw a punch behind his own back in a clinch. It would never have hurt Lacy, but the referee deducted a point all the same which was fair enough. The crowd can’t believe what they are watching, only three minutes remain and unification and legacy is going to Wales.
There is now a real feeling that the fight should be stopped. I think the corner could have pulled Lacy out, as the fight was lost and Lacy was being unceremoniously bashed up, he looked hurt and was on shaky legs. Maybe the ref will call it. Neither did and the fight continued into the twelfth.
Enzo Calzaghe tells his son to box him for three minutes, good advice; do not need to take any unnecessary risks now. Calzaghe lets his fighting heart rule his head as he decides to try and close the show early, pilling on the pressure to Jeff Lacy who looks like he could fall at any second, then he does, it’s a left upper cut and Lacy is down. He’s back on his feet quickly considering how exhausted he is. Lacy manages to hang in there to the final bell. Calzaghe knows he’s won, so does every fan with mince pies in this arena. This was Emphatic, Dominate and an Unbelievable victory for Joe Calzaghe. For Jeff ‘Left’ Hook Lacy it was a terrible beating, that’s sure to effect him for some time. Let’s hope he can bounce back, he showed such heart and is a credit to his sport.
Its sweet coronation for the Calzaghe’s who have worked hard for many years, and have always believed that Joe Calzaghe is the best 168lb fighter in the world. Now we know they were right. Can anyone argue? As Joe him self said “I’m a top 10 pound for pound fighter now and I think I’ve proved that tonight. I want the big fights now.” I think the American fans will love his exciting style, and want more of this long reining and now pretty much undisputed champ, even though he’s just beaten their man. Will other name fighters be cueing up to fight him after this performance, I’m not so sure.
I’m glad that to be one of few who had backed Calzaghe to win this fight, and have always thought he has an exceptional natural talent. But I doubt anyone could have seriously believed he could have produced such a one sided schooling of how to out box and out fight Jeff Lacy for twelve solid rounds. Official scores were 119-105 119-107. 119-107